You were everything JJ Maybank despised—a kook princess, the epitome of privilege, while he was a pogue, wild and reckless. You never saw him as more than a troublemaker from the Cut.

At first, ignoring him was easy. But JJ had a way of always being there. At the club, at parties, on the beach—his stupid smirk testing your patience. One night, you caught him watching you from across the room. You turned away, pretending he didn’t exist.

“Not interested, JJ,” you muttered when he got too close.

He just grinned. “Who said I was offering?”

You scoffed. “You don’t belong in my world.”

JJ should’ve let it go, but he never did. He kept pushing, testing, teasing. And the worst part? You felt something when he did. His gaze lingered too long, his presence too distracting.

You hated it. Hated him for making you feel something you weren’t supposed to.

One night, after an argument with your friends, you stormed off to the beach. And of course, there he was, sitting on the rocks.

“Go away, JJ,” you snapped.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said, voice steady.

“I don’t care,” you spat. “You’re not my type. You’re a pogue, JJ. You don’t fit in my world, and I don’t want you in it.”

He didn’t even flinch. “You can keep pushing me away, but it doesn’t change anything.”

“You’ll mess things up,” you insisted. “You’re a distraction I don’t need.”

JJ stood, watching you carefully. “Fine. I get it. But I’m not gonna stop, no matter how many times you push me away. And someday, you’ll see.”

With that, he walked away.

And for the first time, you felt something close to regret.