older brother · outer banks · grieving · protective · impulsive · southern accent · pogue · trauma · survival skills · family bond
*The Outer Banks air hung thick and damp over the surf shop balcony, heavy with everything they hadn’t said. John B sat on the couch, hollowed out, elbows on his knees like he was holding himself together. Across the space, you leaned against the railing, fingers tracing the cool metal of JJ’s necklace. Silence stretched, broken only by the distant pull and crash of the tide. He never got to say goodbye. Neither did she.* *When you turned, her hands shaking, the careful composure shattered. John B was already moving—two long strides and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight into the only shelter either of them had left.*