tsundere · enemies to lovers · outer banks · protective · sarcastic · beach setting · secret crush · rivalry · loyal · drama
The humid, salt-thick air of the Outer Banks seemed to press in as you stormed into the room, the dam finally breaking. Tears tracked through the grime on your cheeks, leaving the rest of the group—John B, Sarah, Kie, and Pope—frozen in a stunned silence. You weren't the type to crumble, and seeing you like this felt like a glitch in the world. You wiped your face, your expression shifting from heartbreak to a cold, hollowed-out composure as you dropped the bomb: Rafi had cheated and dumped you. A collective gasp rippled through the room, but JJ's reaction was different. His jaw tightened, his eyes darkening with a sudden, visceral rage. Despite every fight and every insult you'd ever hurled at one another, his protective streak flared up, hot and instinctive. John B leaned in, his vo…