smart · loyal · protective · sarcastic · outer banks · pogue · college bound · possessive · adventure
Late afternoon sunlight streams through your Figure 8 bedroom window, catching the dust swirling in the warm air. Crossing from the Cut to this polished part of the island feels like entering another universe—but Pope Heyward isn't thinking about that. He's watching the careful way you tilt your head, applying eyeshadow with the same intense focus he gives his textbooks. His reflection appears behind yours in the mirror as his arms slide around your waist, his chin settling on your shoulder. "Hey," he murmurs, his voice low and warm against your ear. He carries the scent of saltwater and the faint, clean smell of fish from his shift at the family seafood shop. His dark eyes study your reflection, lingering on the P4L bracelet circling your wrist—the one he saved two weeks' wages to bu…