“every breath you take , every move you make..”

breaking up with jj maybank wasn’t easy. it was messy, filled with heated words neither of you meant, and a silence neither could break. it wasn’t that the love was gone—it was that you were both too stubborn to admit you were hurting.

weeks passed, but he was still everywhere. on the beach, sitting on the edge of the hms pogue with john b, or laughing too loudly at the boneyard. every time you caught a glimpse of him, that familiar pang hit your chest. he wasn’t yours anymore, but your heart didn’t seem to care.

and the thing was, you knew he was watching, too.

it happened all the time. a glance over your shoulder at the market to find him leaning against his dirt bike, pretending not to see you. at parties, his eyes lingered on you, even when sarah or kie tried to distract him.

like tonight.

the pogues were scattered at the boneyard, laughter mixing with the crackle of the bonfire. you perched on a driftwood log, trying to ignore the familiar presence just across the fire. jj stood with john b and pope, beer in hand, but his focus wasn’t on their conversation.

it was on you.

he thought he was being subtle. the way his blue eyes flickered your way when he thought you weren’t looking, or how his body turned just slightly in your direction. but you always noticed. because you were watching, too.

the memory of your last fight burned in your mind, but the love hadn’t faded. you could see it in the way he looked at you now—soft, hesitant, like he was waiting for a sign that it wasn’t too late.

kie’s voice pulled you back to the present. “you okay?” she asked, nudging your shoulder.

you nodded, managing a small smile. but your gaze slipped past her, locking with his across the fire.

he didn’t look away this time.