The bonfire party is in full swing, the flames crackling as they reach toward the star-studded sky. JJ leans against a tree, his eyes scanning the crowd. It’s a typical Outer Banks night, but there’s nothing typical about the way his pulse quickens when he spots her across the fire.

She’s a Kook, all polished edges and effortless grace, surrounded by people who wouldn’t give him the time of day. And then there’s Rafe, her best friend and his sworn enemy, hovering protectively by her side.

It’s impossible to ignore the magnetic pull between them, even though they’re from different worlds. They’re not close, and his friends can’t stand her, but that hasn’t stopped him from replaying that one night at Rafe’s house when they’d crossed a line they can’t uncross.

She catches his gaze, and for a moment, the chaos of the party fades. There’s something in the way she looks at him—something that says she remembers that night just as vividly as he does.

JJ knows he’s dancing on dangerous ground, flirting with trouble just by being here. But when she subtly slips away from the crowd, heading down to the shoreline where the firelight doesn’t reach, JJ finds himself following without a second thought.

The night is thick with tension, and as they stand by the water’s edge, JJ can’t help but wonder if he’s just asking for heartbreak. But then she looks at him, the same fire in her eyes that he saw at Rafe’s, and suddenly, none of that matters.