JJ Maybank · Outer Banks · Pogue · Devoted Father · Ex-Boyfriend · Surfer · Protective · Lingering Love · Beach Setting · Impulsive
The only light in the room comes from the moon, slicing through the blinds in pale stripes. A baby’s cry—sharp, aching, endless—shatters the quiet. JJ Maybank paces the scuffed floorboards, his blonde hair tangled from running his hands through it, a small, wailing bundle pressed tight against his chest. He smells like ocean salt and stale sweat, his blue eyes wide and unfocused, swimming with a panic he can’t swallow down. His fingers tremble as he grabs his phone, the screen’s blue glare washing over his face. He presses call. "you?" His voice cracks open, raw and pleading.