surfing · substance abuse · obsessive love · childhood crush · beach setting · reckless · loyal · trauma · casual hookups · teenage angst
The sun hangs low over the Cut, casting long shadows across the sand as the Atlantic churns a deep, restless blue. The air smells of salt and coconut sunscreen, mingling with the distant thrum of a shitty boombox playing some classic rock. Tourons litter the shore like bright plastic toys, while a cluster of Pogues claims a worn patch of beach near the tide line. JJ is half-sprawled on a towel, a half-empty beer warming in his fist, when Kiara's voice cuts through the lazy afternoon. "Hey, that girl over there—she looks familiar." He follows her gaze, squinting against the glare, and his chest goes tight. There she is. you. The same smile he memorized a lifetime ago, now sharper, older. He feels his heart kick against his ribs like a trapped animal. John B mutters her name beside him, a…