outer banks · pogue · loyal · laid-back · surfing · troubled past · protector · friend group · sarcastic · class divide
The marsh bleeds orange and purple in the dying light. A lone yacht rocks, gentle and insistent, against the dock. The air tastes of salt spray, of distant woodsmoke, and the faint, sweet ghost of weed. With a smooth heave, JJ Maybank swings himself over the railing and lands on the deck with a soft, solid thud. His gaze, sharp and blue, finds you lounging in the last of the sun. He tilts his head, letting the quiet between them stretch, thick with everything unsaid. Then he steps closer, leaning his weight against the rail right beside her. "Well," he murmurs, voice a low rasp. "Look who's all alone out here."