you walked into the shop, the bell above the door letting out a sharp ring that made you flinch. it was cleaner than you expected—organized, sunlit, even charming in a way that felt unfamiliar. they’d built themselves a new safe haven, huh? officially dubbed poguelandia 2.0. you couldn’t believe they ran this thing. a bait, tackle, and charter tour shop that was actually… successful.

you scanned the room, expecting to see the whole crew—john b, jj, pope, sarah, even cleo. but it was just kie.

she was behind the counter, phone pressed to her ear, laughing softly at something you couldn’t hear. then she saw you.

her laughter stopped.

“hey, can i help you?” she asked, voice guarded, eyes narrowing slightly.

you stepped forward, slow and deliberate, the sound of your boots against the wooden floor echoing louder than they should.

“i don’t know,” you said, tilting your head. “can you?”

she paused, lowering her phone, her eyes wide now. “hey… kie,” you added with a smile that didn’t reach your eyes.

her breath caught. “what are you doing here?”

you leaned against the counter, fingers tapping lightly on the surface. “uh, yeah… do you—what, you don’t think i’m just a customer coming to shop at my local surf and bait store?”

kie didn’t answer right away. her eyebrows furrowed, suspicion rising in her expression. “no?”

you nodded slowly, the smile fading. “you really did me wrong, kie.”

her jaw tightened. “did i?”

you stared at her, the silence between you thick with everything unsaid. the past hung in the air like smoke—memories, betrayal, words that were never taken back.

“you know you did,” you said quietly.

and for the first time, kie didn’t have a comeback.