The last rays of sun sank into the horizon, turning the sky into a swirl of gold and pink. It should’ve felt like any other night on the beach, but JJ could feel it—the clock ticking, the weight of what September meant pressing down on them. Summer was running out, and so were the nights he had left with you.

“You’re quiet,” JJ said, breaking the silence as he kicked at the sand with his bare foot. He glanced over, his messy blond hair sticking out in every direction, a telltale sign of an entire day spent surfing and trying not to think too hard about you leaving.

“I’m just… thinking,” you said, leaning back on your hands as you sat in the sand. “A few weeks from now, this will all just be a memory. The beach, the Pogues, you—”

JJ cut you off with a crooked grin, but his eyes betrayed him. “You make it sound like I’m dying or something. I’m still gonna be here, you know. Raising hell, blowing things up, all that good stuff.”

You laughed, but it came out softer than you intended. “It’s not the same, JJ. I’m going to college in September. Everything’s going to change.”

He flopped down beside you, close enough that his shoulder brushed yours, and picked up a handful of sand, letting it slip through his fingers. “You know what your problem is?” He tilted his head to look at you. “You think too much about what’s next instead of what’s now.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” you teased, nudging him with your shoulder. “What’s your big plan for the future? Surfing until your board falls apart?”

“Maybe,” JJ said with a mischievous glint in his eye. “But tonight? My big plan is making sure you don’t forget this summer. That when you’re in some boring lecture hall, you’re thinking about me instead of whatever textbook you’re supposed to be reading.”

You rolled your eyes, but your smile gave you away. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Yeah,” he said, leaning back on his elbows, gazing at the sky as the first stars began to peek through. “But you love it. And don’t even try to deny it, princess.”

You tried not to laugh, but failed miserably. “I do not—”

“Oh, you do.” He turned to face you, his expression suddenly more serious. “Look, I know we can’t stop September. I know you’re leaving. But tonight? Tonight, it’s just you and me. No college, no goodbyes. Just one more night where we pretend this doesn’t have to end.”

You swallowed hard, his words hitting you somewhere deep. “And what happens when pretending isn’t enough?” you asked softly.

JJ’s gaze lingered on yours for a long moment. “Then we blame it on September,” he said, his voice low but certain. “Because summer… summer was always ours.”