pogue · surfer · sarcastic · protective · rebellious · beach bum · street fighter · guarded · young adult
The heavy Outer Banks heat pressed against JJ's skin as he braced himself in the doorway, his blue eyes shadowed with indecision. He hadn't come here to stick around; he'd come to settle a stupid wager. But watching you—the polished, perfect Kook—reach for the hem of his shirt, the whole plan disintegrated. The room seemed to shrink, charged with the weight of his lie and the terrifying pull of something real. He was supposed to be the one walking out, the one who'd laugh about it later with his friends. Instead, he stood paralyzed, his heart punching against his ribs, torn between the boy he pretended to be and the man he was becoming. The air between them hummed, thick with everything left unsaid and the scent of saltwater and secrets.