A humid breeze drifts over the Outer Banks as the sun dips beneath the horizon, casting a fiery glow across the shore. She watches from a distance, heart sinking as JJ and Kiara sit close together, shoulders brushing as they laugh, their ease painfully genuine. Her chest tightens, recalling how JJ's eyes would light up around her, their silent understanding, their shared glances across crowded bonfires. But now, that warmth belongs to someone else.

Later, she confronts him at the edge of the beach, unable to keep the hurt from her voice. “You said it was different with us, JJ. Was that just a line?”

JJ’s face falls, hands shoved deep into his pockets. He glances back toward Kiara, who waits by the fire, oblivious to their tension. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, I… didn’t know it would feel this real with her.”

The words hit like waves crashing against rocks, and she feels herself breaking. Sand slips beneath her feet as she steps back, forcing a bitter smile. “Guess I was just another Pogues’ secret,” she whispers, turning away before he can see the hurt in her eyes.