Outer Banks Imagines ~ JJ and Rafe

JJ ~ you gave up on us

One tree Hill inspired

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The room was thick with unspoken tension, the kind that settles between two people who've loved each other deeply but have wounds too raw to heal. JJ stared at you, eyes narrowing as if trying to understand something he thought he'd figured out long ago.

"Let me tell you how you get 'always,' Y/N," he began, his tone clipped, anger simmering beneath the surface. "When a man asks you to marry him, you say yes. You don't say no and call him insecure."

You felt the sting of his words, the memories flooding back like waves crashing against rocks. "I never said no!" you shot back, a pained expression crossing your face. "I said that I loved you and that I did want to marry you someday. And JJ, god, I wanted to so bad, but you gave up on us."

His face twisted, and he let out a disbelieving laugh. "I gave up on us?"

"Yes!" you yelled, the words spilling out before you could hold them back.

"By proposing, I gave up on us?" His voice cracked slightly, hurt shining through his usual bravado.

"No, by not waiting you gave up on us!" You took a breath, emotions clawing at you. "I was 17, for god's sake. I had a life I wanted to live, things I wanted to do, and you knew that."

He scoffed, clenching his fists. "That's great, Y/N. You wanna talk truth? Fine, let's tell the truth." He took a step closer, his words coming out in a low growl. "You gave up on me. That's why you didn't say yes. You didn't think I could do it. You didn't think I could get the gold, didn't think I could become anything."

His words felt like a slap, every accusation hitting home, reigniting the pain you'd thought you'd left behind. 

You blinked back the hurt, breathing out, "Well, if that's the truth, if I never cared, how is it that I was so understanding? I supported you every time you took off with your friends, every single day that went by when you didn't call or text, and I stayed faithful and I waited. Every damn time, JJ!"

He looked taken aback, but you weren't finished. The hurt inside you boiled over, words spilling out like a wound reopening.

"You told me I was great. You said we were destined to be together. You said it to me, and you said it to everyone on the Island." Your voice faltered, dropping to a whisper, "And I wish you never had... because you didn't mean any of it."

JJ swallowed hard, his gaze softening. He reached out as if he was going to touch your arm, but his hand froze, hovering inches from you. "Y/N..."

You took a step back, shaking your head. "You don't get to do this, JJ. Not after everything. I loved you—I was ready to love you for the rest of my life. But you were so focused on proving everyone wrong, so obsessed with winning, you never saw what you had."

Silence fell between you two, both of you breathing heavily, caught in the middle of years of built-up pain and love. With one last look, you turned and walked away, leaving him standing in the middle of a broken promise and a love he couldn't fix.