Chapter Text
The wind howled through the tangled marshes of the Outer Banks as Sera Cameron slipped out of her family’s mansion under the cover of twilight. The sound of waves crashing against the shore was the only thing that could calm her racing thoughts, drowning out her parents’ constant pressure and her twin sister Sarah’s endless perfection. No one noticed when Sera disappeared to the docks—no one ever noticed her at all.
But tonight, she wasn’t alone.
As she wandered down the weathered wooden dock, she spotted a familiar figure leaning against a boat, cigarette in hand, his blonde hair tousled by the wind. JJ Maybank. The sight of him sent a shiver down her spine.
“You lost, princess?” JJ’s voice was laced with that familiar teasing, his blue eyes gleaming with amusement. They had known of each other their whole lives, but only ever in the context of the feud. The Camerons and the Maybanks—oil and water. Sera was well aware she shouldn’t even be near him.
“Mind your own business, Maybank,” she shot back, turning on her heel, but JJ’s lazy grin only widened.
“Touchy tonight, huh?” he called after her.
“I said, leave me alone.” Sera’s voice was sharp, but instead of retreating, she felt JJ step closer. His presence was magnetic, despite everything she had been raised to believe about him. She tried to avoid the blush on her face as she was felt something for him. She couldn't deny her feelings no matter how hard she tried.
“I could,” he said, standing beside her now, his voice softer. He felt the same way towards him, the push that no one could ignore. “But something tells me you don’t want me to.”
She hated that he was right. Against her better judgment, Sera hesitated, glancing up at him. Something crackled between them in the night air—an electricity that neither could ignore. The way their hands had brushed up against each other and the small talk it was a night to remember.