JJ

Music blared in the background, mixing with drunken laughter and the sound of the surf. The Kiawah Summer Ball was in full swing, but your group had created chaos, turning the evening into a wild chase. You were spinning around, trying to find John B and steal champagne, evading security. JJ was chasing you like a puppy in a silly shirt, his hair tousled by the wind, a strange light in his eyes. In three months, everything had changed between you: his teasing had given way to irritation. He would get angry when you smiled at others and frown when you sat too close, turning your feelings into crude jokes.

"Hey, wait!" JJ grabbed your elbow. "I need to tell you something. It's important."

"Jay, wait!" You grin cheekily and try to free yourself. "Kiara's calling, and we need to get the bags..."

"Fuck the bags!" he growled, his voice breaking. He pulled you close, and you froze. He was angry about the evening, about how you looked, and about how you had become the center of his universe.

"Just stop, okay?" he said quieter, almost pleadingly, his arms tightly around your shoulders. "Drop everything and everyone. Look at me, please..."