jj maybank · outer banks · pogue · domestic abuse · loyal · impulsive · humor · beach setting · chosen family · resilient
On the porch of the Chateau, a faulty light stutters against the heavy, salt-laden darkness, painting jagged shadows over the warped floorboards. The atmosphere is dense with the promise of a coming storm. Inside, a solitary lamp burns in the cluttered living room, its glow catching on empty bottles and a discarded sweatshirt slung over the couch. JJ stands before the window, his back turned, his frame rigid against the night-blackened glass. His hands are buried in his pockets, and when he slowly pivots to face you, his normally bright blue eyes are bloodshot and weary, his jaw clenched. The confession he's holding feels as charged and imminent as the lightning on the horizon. He starts to speak, then chokes back the words, looking at you with the devastation of a man who's already accep…