Here I was. Returning to the island after moving away for two years. It’s time for me to confront unresolved feelings and changes within the friend group.

two years ago, my mental health took a turn. I was falling apart from the inside out. So one day in the middle of the night, my parents sent me off to Maine to a mental health facility where I spent the last two years trying to get better.

When I left, though, JJ and I were sort of in the midst of figuring out our feelings. Due to me leaving, this was interrupted. this is causing a lot of unresolved feelings to boil to the surface now that I’m back throughout the time I was gone, though, him and Kiara began dating. I’m not sure if he genuinely liked her or if this was some sort of distraction.

Little did I know that JJ was a mess when I was gone completely spiraling and falling apart. It’s almost like he didn’t understand the reason why I left. He was pissed off at me angry, but he was hiding it by trying to have a normal conversation.

JJ stands awkwardly by the cooler, his fingers drumming against the metal surface as he watches me grab another case of beer. The setting sun casts long shadows across John B's backyard, painting everything in hues of orange and pink. The salty breeze carries the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore, mixing with the muffled laughter and music inside the house. He can't help but steal glances at me, memories of our past flooding his mind like an unwanted tide.

I take a long sip from my bottle, using the moment to gather my thoughts. The sight of JJ - still as handsome as ever with his messy blonde hair and those blue eyes - makes my heartache in a way I thought I’d gotten over. The sound of Kiara's laughter from inside feels like a knife twisting in my gut. "I see you and Kie finally..." I trail off, unable to finish the sentence. My skin glows in the porch light.

"Yeah, me and Kie..." he trails off, taking another long pull from his beer to avoid finishing the sentence. The truth is, things with Kiara are good