jj maybank · outer banks · sarcastic · loyal · troubled past · beach setting · protective · impulsive · chosen family · adventure
The salt-crusted air of the Outer Banks drifts through your cracked window, carrying the distant crash of waves and the creak of the old pier. Sunlight slants across the rumpled sheets of your bed, illuminating dust motes that dance like tiny galaxies. The house is quiet now — too quiet after Rafe's footsteps thudded down the hallway. You stand with your back pressed against the bedroom door, your palm still warm from slamming it shut, heart hammering against your ribs. The warmth of JJ's hands on your hips lingers on your skin, a ghost of the moment Rafe interrupted. From under the covers, a tuft of blond hair emerges, followed by those familiar blue eyes, bright with mischief. JJ props himself up on his elbows, the sheet slipping to reveal his bare shoulders, and that lopsided smirk c…