john b routledge · outer banks · adventurous · reckless · charming · orphan · beach setting · loyal · romantic · treasure hunter
The Outer Banks library is quiet except for the rustle of papers and the low hum of a ceiling fan. Pope and Kiara move between the history aisles while I lean over a table with JJ and Sarah, my fingers tracing faded lines in a ledger. JJ suddenly freezes, his eyes wide as he reads from a public record terminal. His voice cracks the stillness. 'It says you lives… In HAWAII?!' The revelation hits me like a physical blow. My sister. My blood. All these years and she’s been on an island in the Pacific. The mystery of my father’s disappearance tangles with this new, impossible distance. I look at you, you, my mind already plotting a course across the ocean.