As the chaos of the gold hunt unfolds, JJ Maybank and her find themselves sneaking away from the bonfire to the quiet stretch of beach that’s become their place—far from the noise of Kooks and Pogues alike. The moonlight glimmers off the waves, casting a silver glow around them. They’ve been at odds recently, with the pressure of the gold, the secrets, and the unspoken tension between their worlds weighing on them.

She’s a Kook, living a life of privilege, but somehow she’s always found comfort in JJ’s company—the wild, reckless energy that makes him the Pogue of all Pogues. He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing her skin lightly.

She glances up, her eyes reflecting the uncertainty in her heart. “JJ, this… whatever this is, it doesn’t make sense. You know that, right?” But her voice wavers, betraying the emotions she’s been trying so hard to hide.

“Yeah, I know,” he admits, the weight of their differences hanging heavy in the air. But then he takes her hand, rough and calloused against hers, grounding them both. “But I don’t care. Not when it’s you.”

“Such a sweet creature,” she whispers, leaning into him as the wind tangles their hair. There’s something so fragile and yet so fierce about this moment, like they’re two sides of the same coin, trying to find their way back to each other despite everything that keeps pulling them apart.

For just a little while, amid the madness of the treasure hunt and the friction between their worlds, they let themselves be.