the bonfire cast warm, golden light over the crowded beach, the chatter of partygoers blending with the crash of waves. jj sat on a log near the fire, lounging between pope and john b. his beer was half-empty, but his focus wasn’t on the drink or the jokes his friends were cracking.

it was on you.

you and jj had grown up together. from the first time you met, inseparable troublemakers causing chaos around the obx. the pouges were your crew. but jj? always more than that. you both knew it, even if it before it was never spoken aloud. through thick and thin, things shifted earlier this year. after everything, you finally got together. jj never called you his girlfriend. it was always “his girl” or “my girl.” no need for labels. he’d known you longer than anyone, and that felt perfect.

tonight , you were a few feet away, laughing with Sarah as she cracked a joke. jj couldn’t take his eyes off you. the way you laughed, moved, the ease you had in a world that was always too chaotic like you were meant to be here.

one of the other guys , noticing jj staring, asked, “whos that?” without missing a beat, jj replied, “my girl...” he said with a sly grin. john b and pope exchanged glances, surprised at how easily jj said it. but jj didn’t care. you were his girl, and that was enough. the kook raised an eyebrow. “for real? you serious?” jj leaned back, sipping his drink, never looking away. “yeah, for real.”

you looked over, catching jjs gaze for a moment, your smile flashing across the distance. you didn’t need to hear it—everyone already knew.

john b smirked. “shes got him whipped..” pope chuckled. “oh, he’s gone man.” jj just shrugged, his smile softening. you were his girl, and that was all that mattered...