After the Storm- JJ Maybank (Outer Banks)

40.

"I love you."

"I never stopped loving you, and I never will."

I opened my eyes and watched as he looked up to me. He pushed hair behind my ear and grabbed my cheek. I felt my entire body tense up. I had been thinking about us reuniting for so long. Not seeing him, not feeling his touch, not hearing his voice. It was all coming together.

"I love you too, J. You're my person."

"I'm gonna kiss you now."

I felt my cheeks flush, and it was super funny. But, it was JJ. My JJ. His lips touched mine slowly as he brought his hand towards the back of my head. He pulled me into him as I moved my lips against his. He kept smiling through it which made me want to laugh.

I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I leaned out of JJ, laying my forehead against his. He just chuckled.

"You know, you guys would think you'd be more sneaky now after getting caught so many times." Sarah said behind me.

"Nah, we like living on edge." JJ said.

I opened my eyes and just appreciated him for a few moments.

"You know staring is rude, Rachel." He said sarcastically.

"Shut up." I lightly push into his shoulder and stand up, looking back to Sarah.

"What can I do to help?"

"You're fine. You just relax, take it all in."

"I'm perfectly capable of helping."

"I don't want you to. We're almost done. Now, go sit back down in the sand, catch some rays." She pointed back to the ground.

I rolled my eyes. "You're so difficult sometimes, Sarah."

She just laughed under her breath before turning back around to go back out. JJ leaned back into the sand, his arms behind his head. His eyes were closed.

"Are you going to let me look at your head?"

"I feel great." He sighed with a smile across his face.

"Can I just look at it?"

He groaned but turned his head, still continuing to keep his eyes closed. I leaned down and pulled his hair back, seeing that some of it was caked in blood. It was crusted to the side of his head.

"You're gonna have to clean this. It's not bleeding anymore, so that's good."

I continued to examine his head, just seeing a small cut above his left eyebrow. I felt his breath halt and he hummed for a moment.

"JJ, are you-" I looked down and saw his eyes were finally open, and he was looking down my shirt.

I wished I could smack him right across the head, but I didn't want to risk opening the cut back up.

"You're kidding." I chuckled, turning his head back to the side.

"What do you suggest I do to clean it?"

I looked out to the ocean.

"I mean, we are surrounded by a body of water."

"Salt water. Isn't that gonna burn?"

"It'll clean it out well, might be painful. But, it'll overall be worth it."

"Maybe for you, cause you love to see me in pain."

"Quite literally the opposite. I wish you would've seen how scared I was when you fell." I brushed his hair back to the side, as he stared up at the sky.