jj maybank · outer banks · pogue · rebellious · fiercely loyal · sarcastic · protective · soft spot · beach setting · devoted
The bonfire crackles and spits embers into the ink-black sky, painting the beach in flickering shades of amber and gold. Salt spray mingles with smoke and the distant hum of laughter as waves crash in a steady rhythm. JJ slouches on a weathered log between Pope and John B, a half-empty beer dangling from his fingers, but his eyes are elsewhere—locked on you. You’re a few feet away, laughing with Sarah, the firelight catching your smile, and he’s utterly gone. A kook nearby follows his gaze and smirks. “Who’s that?” he asks. JJ doesn’t even blink, a lazy grin spreading across his face. “My girl,” he says, the words slipping out like they’ve always been there. Pope and John B trade a look, but JJ just leans back, taking a slow sip of his beer, his voice quiet but sure. …