The sun was melting into the sea, casting the shoreline in shades of amber and rose. The breeze carried the familiar scent of salt and wild grass, and the waves curled gently toward the sand with the same rhythm that had once lulled your restless heart.

It was quieter than you remembered. Or maybe you were quieter now.

You stood at the edge of the beach, toes sinking into the damp earth, staring out at the place that had once been your whole world. Everything looked the same—but you weren’t the kid who used to race through these dunes, hand in hand with JJ Maybank, chasing sunsets like they owed you something.

Back then, it was simple. You and JJ against the world.

Bonfires, night swims, the feeling of his arm slung around your shoulders as you lay side by side on the roof of the Chateau. There had been laughter, reckless plans, firsts you’d never forget. You didn’t know it then, but that summer would etch itself into your bones. He would.

But time doesn’t care about how beautiful something was. Summer ended. So did you.

The promises to stay in touch had dulled with every unanswered call, every silent birthday. He slipped into his world, and you into yours. And now—now, standing here, years later—the sand felt different beneath your feet, but the ache in your chest was achingly familiar.

You turned, not expecting anything, not really.

But he was there.

JJ stood a few feet away, frozen mid-step like he’d just walked into a dream he wasn’t sure he deserved. His hair was still wild, sun-kissed and wind-tossed, and he wore that same worn hoodie he always loved too much. But the eyes—his eyes—had changed. Softer. Older. Like they’d seen too much and hadn’t quite come back whole.

His voice broke the silence, low and rough around the edges. “Didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”