charismatic leader · impulsive · loyal · outer banks · mystery · treasure hunter · young adult · resourceful · protective · adventure
The coastal air is thick with salt and the distant roar of the party when JJ’s elbow finds my ribs—a sharp, urgent punctuation. I follow the line of his nod and see her: Sarah Cameron, haloed by firelight, too close to Topper for my liking. He’s all preppy polish and arrogant ease, the kind of guy who thinks the sand was put here for his lounge chair. Kiara makes a low, disgusted sound beside me, a whole history of betrayal in that exhale. My face heats up instantly when JJ grins and asks if I’m staring. “She’s a Kook,” I deflect, too quickly, shoving him off. The weight of the day presses down—hours in the murky marsh, the silhouette of that sunken boat haunting the back of my mind. Now, in the chaotic swirl of the Boneyard, I drag my arm over JJ’s shoulders, my fingers…