sweet | outer banks

c h a p t e r / s i x t e e n

HI BEST FRIENDS

THANK YOU SO FUCKING MUCH FOR 13k READS ON THE STORY <333 I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO THANK Y'ALL ENOUGH FOR EVERYTHING

i hope y'all like this one :D many of u have been very patient for this chapter so I LOVE U & I'LL TALK TO U IN THE COMMENTS

ENJOYOYOYO -katie <3

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

b r i e l l e

Can he tell me something? What the hell is about to go down?

"Yeah, anything." I get up from my laying position in the sand and sit with bent knees across from JJ so I can look at him while he talks. He's obviously very nervous, and the longer he waits to speak the more nervous I become. "You don't have to say it if you don't want to," I remind him, hoping he doesn't feel like he has to do this.

"No, I do have to, Brielle. That's the thing." JJ looks at me now after avoiding eye contact for a bit. "I'm gonna regret it for fucking forever if I don't. I just don't know how to say it." I've never been more confused in my life.

I let out a nervous giggle and move a little closer to him, mostly just cause it's getting colder out. I sandwich one of his hands between both of mine, looking him in the eyes again. "You're pretty good at word vomiting, aren't you? Just channel that now!"

J laughs a little at my words and says a quiet 'yeah', easing a bit of the nervous tension between us. He sits up in the sand now and we're both at eye level with each other. The beach is totally deserted too, silent except for the soft sound of the waves behind us. The stars in the sky light up his face just enough so that I can see him look up at me with just his eyes, keeping his head down facing his lap. We smile when our eyes meet, and a swarm of butterflies rushes through my stomach. How much longer is he gonna wait?

I take his hand again shake it loosely in my own. "Come onnnn...!"

"Okay! Okay." JJ chuckles and takes another audibly deep breath and we maintain eye contact for a while longer. His jaw hangs open for a moment before he finally decides to speak. "I... really fuckin' like you, Brielle." Oh my god. Oh my god.

My face heats up immediately after hearing his words. Did I hear him correctly? That actually just happened? I find myself staring at the boy as my lips curl up into a huge smile, and he looks back with his own nervous grin. Once I finally process what he said, I bury my head in my knees to stifle the sound of my excited giggle.

As I replay the last ten seconds in my mind, I feel those goddamn butterflies explode in my body again. But this time, I don't hate the feeling. Usually I would distract myself in an attempt to will them away, avoiding the fact that I too have been head over fucking heels for this boy for months.

When I pick my head back up and look at JJ again, the two of us break into laughter once more. "Do you really?" I ask him genuinely in a quiet voice, finding it hard to believe that this is what's actually happening right now. JJ Maybank likes me? Like, likes me? After all that time that I was convinced he didn't?

"I mean, yeah. I do. A lot. " Oh my god. JJ looks away towards the water now, and I realize that there's something that I have to do too. I have to tell him.

Just as he did, I take a bit to collect my thoughts and figure out how to put them into real words. JJ likes me. 'A lot'. And I like him. Just as much, if not more. I know I have to tell him, and I really want to tell him, but what if this ruins our relationship? He's my best best best friend, and I would never ever want something to happen that screws us what we have going for ourselves. I mean, h-