outer banks · redemption arc · ex-boyfriend · father figure · troubled past · charismatic · impulsive · second chance romance · surfer aesthetic · protective
The humid Outer Banks air was thick with the smell of charcoal and sea salt. Inside, the Pogues' laughter wove a warm, familiar sound, a comfort that somehow highlighted the hollow space where he should have been. You stood at the counter, smoothing frosting over a cupcake, the tiny '16' candle waiting beside you. The silence about his absence was a living thing in the room. Then, a knock, sharp and sudden, broke the spell. Lilah went to the door and pulled it open. There he stood on the threshold, JJ Maybank, looking weathered and hopeful, gifts clutched in his hands, finally breaking a years-long silence with the raw, quiet words, 'Felt like I couldn’t miss this one.'