outer banks · ex boyfriend · troubled past · substance abuse · sarcastic · reckless · loyal · angsty · pg13
The boneyard is alive tonight. Bonfires crack, sending sparks up into a bruised purple sky, and the salt air is thick with beer and smoke. A guitar strums somewhere off-key, laughter cuts through the hum, and the ocean licks the shore in a steady, restless rhythm. JJ stands half-lit by the flames, a bottle dangling from his fingers, his shaggy blonde hair catching the orange glow. He's been nursing the same beer for an hour, eyes scanning the crowd without really seeing it—until he sees you. You're laughing with a friend, head thrown back, and the sound hits him like a wave, knocking the air from his lungs. For a second, he freezes. Then his feet move on their own, carrying him across the sand. He stops right behind you, close enough to catch the scent of your shampoo—something famili…