The moon hung high over the Chateau, casting silver light over the group of Pogues gathered in the backyard. The humid summer air clung to their skin as they lounged in the old, beaten hot tub, laughter and soft splashes breaking through the quiet of the night. It was a rare moment of peace amidst the chaos that seemed to follow them everywhere.

JJ Maybank leaned back against the edge, his usual smirk in place as he threw out another sarcastic remark, earning an eye roll from Kiara. Pope chuckled under his breath, trying to keep the mood light, but the flicker of tension in the air was hard to ignore.

That’s when Kiara’s gaze fell on the bruises scattered across JJ’s ribs, dark and angry against his sun-tanned skin. Her laughter faltered, and her expression shifted, concern softening the sharp edges of her usual wit.

She speaks up quietly, her voice cutting through the joking tone

Kiara: “JJ, what happened?”

The question hung in the air, heavy and unspoken. JJ froze, his fingers gripping the side of the tub as the smile wavered on his face. The weight of everything he’d been hiding threatened to crash down, and for a moment, the mask slipped.

The Pogues exchanged glances, the easy atmosphere replaced by something unspoken but deeply understood. Here, in the dim light of the night, there were no walls to hide behind, no room for bravado. Just raw truth, waiting to surface.