sweet | outer banks

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

"Do you, I mean, do you like... me...?" JJ shakes his head as he interrupts my thoughts. Goddammit. I was literally just about to talk. "Y'know? I mean, maybe I should have said something sooner, or not at all, but-" The speed at which he talks picks up rapidly as he begins to ramble.

"JJ."

"...too fucking scared that you wouldn't-"

"J?"

"...or that I- but I don't want you to feel-"

"JJ, stop it."

"...have to tell me, but I just thought that, y'know, we c-"

"Oh my god."

Before either of us know it, I've reached my arm out towards JJ and grabbed the collar of his tank top to pull him closer to me. The two of us stare at each other for half a second before I lean in and press my lips against his. With my hand still grasping his collar, my other finds its way to the back of his neck. I feel his hand fall into place on the side of my neck, exactly where it was last night. Oh my god. I'm kissing JJ Maybank right now.

As JJ gives in and kisses me back, I tug on his shirt to bring our bodies even closer than they were before, and my nose fills with the mixture of smoke and cologne that I've come to love. Our lips continue to move easily and gently together, the air around us filled with the quiet noise of our mouths parting before connecting again immediately after. My hand trails from the boy's neck to his bare bicep as I gently push us apart, my grip on his collar loosening as his touch falls from my neck.

I cannot believe that that just happened.

JJ and I stare silently at each other, both of us sporting nervously excited grins. I exhale loudly from my nose and the boy falls back on the sand behind him, letting out an adorable giggle as he covers his face with his hands.

"Did that answer your question?" I ask him, referring to his hesitant query about whether or not I like him back. I can barely see him now under the pitch black sky, but I think he nods as he replies with a high pitched 'yeah', and I don't have to see him to know that he's smiling to himself.

I reposition my body now, switching directions and laying on my back right next to JJ. We look up at the stars for a brief moment before I turn my head to look at him. He must have sensed my motion, cause he looks at me now too. "I like you too, JJ." I whisper to him quickly, responding to his previous question as if he didn't already know the answer. A smile tugs at his lips and it takes a lot out of me not to lean in and kiss him again.

The two of us return to stargazing, laying peacefully next to each other on the cold sand. "Did that actually just happen, or...?" JJ asks at a normal volume. "Like, we both just said that? For real?"

"I think so," I giggle at his many questions and silence falls over us once more, but only for a brief second. JJ cracks up again, and I'm able to make out an excited 'holy shit!' through his laughter.

"Who woulda thought that the JJ Maybank could have such a secret soft spot for someone?"

I spot the silhouette of JJ's middle finger in the darkness as the two of us sit up to face each other. "Ouch! I'm right here, y'know."

"What? It's a valid question."

"Okay, that one hurt, but now that I know you have one for me, I could care any fucking less about who knows."

"You mean you couldn't care?"

"Hm?"

"You couldn't care less. It's you couldn't." Would you stop being a grammar police right now, Bri? Not the time.