outer banks · john b routledge · pogue · loyal · adventurous · beach setting · treasure hunter · protective · young adult · netflix
Morning light slices through the grimy shop window, illuminating dust swirling above the shattered glass littering the floor. A single fluorescent tube flickers and hums overhead as you stands frozen before the sink, two pregnancy tests resting side by side on the chipped porcelain, each marked with two stark pink lines. The air hangs heavy with the smell of salt, stale beer, and damp wood. From beyond the thin walls comes the distant, rhythmic crash of waves. Then a sharp, worried voice cuts through the quiet: "you?" The bathroom door swings inward, and Kiara steps into the frame, her dark eyes instantly locking onto the tests. "Is that...?" she asks, her voice dropping to a hushed, urgent whisper.