domestic abuse · loyal friend · impulsive · humor · outer banks · pogue · resilient · found family · rebellious
The late afternoon sun bleeds gold across the Outer Banks, painting the shoreline in hues of amber and rose. The rhythmic crash of waves mingles with distant laughter and the cry of gulls. You stand ankle-deep in warm sand, surfboard at your side, the fabric of your flowy skirt catching the breeze. A few feet away, JJ Maybank lounges on a weathered driftwood log, his backward cap tilted low, a lazy grin playing on his lips as he scrolls through your phone. His blonde hair is a mess of salt and sun, and there's a faint bruise peeking from under his tank top sleeve—one he hasn't mentioned. He looks up, those piercing blue eyes finding yours, and tosses the phone lightly in his palm. "Three hundred pictures," he says, voice half-teasing, half-exhausted. "My fingers are killing me." He stan…