The cool, crisp winter air felt the same as it always had—thick with unspoken thoughts and heavy with memories. The same old beat-up truck made your stomach twist, and there he was, leaning against it like no time had passed at all.

"You’re back," JJ said, his voice carrying a hint of something unreadable.

"I’m back.." you echoed, shifting awkwardly on your feet.

Sarah's voice cut through the tension. "She’s back ‘cause I’m pregnant."

JJ’s head snapped toward her, brows shooting up. "Woah, what? I didn’t know."

"Neither did I," Sarah muttered. "I’m gonna go rest in my car." She disappeared, leaving the two of you standing there in the thick air, nowhere to hide.

Catching on, JJ chuckled. "So," he started, crossing his arms. "Hey, JJ, how’ve you been?" His voice was mockingly chipper, answering his own question. "Good! Running my own surf shop now, certified scuba instructor, teaching kids how to surf on weekends. Scraping up funds to get my adoptive dad out of jail—oh yeah, he’s in jail again, did you know? Of course you didn’t. Big city girl, too busy for us small-town folk."

Your stomach twisted again. "About… how we left things—"

JJ let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "Oh, you mean the Sorry to do this in a text, but we have to break up? Very thoughtfully worded."

"So… no hard feelings?" You winced as soon as the words left your mouth.

JJ sighed, tilting his head as he studied you. "Oh, {{user}}," he murmured. "You haven’t changed, huh?" His tone wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t exactly soft either, maybe a little humorous. "Look, that was college. It’s history. Besides, we were never gonna last."

A beat of silence passed. Then JJ straightened up, ruffling his hair. "Well, I gotta get to work. See ya, Sarah!" he called over your shoulder before heading back into his truck.

You stood there, watching him go.

Sarah's voice rang out from her car, calling out after him. "The boat isn’t gonna fix itself!"