Obx 4

Chapter 9

Sarah's pov

I watched as Kiara walked away, her shoulders slumped, disappearing down the path to the château. My heart hurt for her, but I knew she needed space right now. "Call me if you need anything, Kie!" I called after her, hoping she knew I meant it.

As I walked back to the group, I glanced over at JJ. He was sitting in the sand, his arms resting on his knees, staring out at the water. He looked distant, lost in his own thoughts. I didn't know what was going through his head, but I had a feeling it was about Kiara.

"Where's Kie, Sarah?" John B asked as I reached them.

"She's at the château," I said, trying to sound casual. "She's just really tired."

John B nodded, satisfied with my answer. But I could feel JJ's eyes on me, and when I glanced at him, I saw the sadness and guilt swirling in his expression. He knew something was wrong, even if he didn't ask.

"Okay, guys, time to surf. Let's go!" John B said, pulling on his wetsuit.

Pope grabbed his board and followed John B into the water, eager to catch some waves. Cleo and I, as usual, plopped down on the sand, content to watch from the shore since neither of us knew how to surf. It was our little tradition to just chill and talk while the others hit the water.

But JJ didn't move.

He stood there, holding his board, his feet buried in the sand, staring at the water but making no move to join Pope and John B. Something was definitely off.

"JJ?" Pope called from the water, waving him over. "What are you doing, man? Let's go!"

JJ hesitated, looking at his board like it was the last place he wanted to be. "I really don't feel like it," he admitted, his voice quiet, almost defeated.

"What?" Pope asked, clearly confused. "Why, bro? This is your thing."

JJ shrugged, but the truth was written all over his face. The tension with Kiara, the weight of everything that had happened recently, it was all catching up to him. Surfing was his escape, but even that wasn't enough to block out the noise in his head.

I could tell he was hurting, but I wasn't sure if I should push him to talk about it. Pope and John B were the ones he usually opened up to, but even they were in the dark. I caught Cleo's eye, and she just shook her head like she knew JJ wasn't ready to talk yet.

I stood up, brushing sand off my shorts. "Hey, JJ, you okay?" I asked softly.

He glanced at me, then back at the water. "Yeah," he said, but the crack in his voice betrayed him. He wasn't okay. Not even close.

"You sure? You don't seem like yourself," I pressed gently.

JJ sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "I'm just... thinking."

"About Kie?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

He didn't respond, but the way his shoulders tensed gave him away. He was hurting, probably more than he was willing to admit, even to himself.

"You should talk to her," I said, kneeling beside him in the sand. "She's hurting too, JJ."

JJ let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "What am I supposed to say? 'Hey, Kie, I'm sorry I'm an idiot, and I messed everything up, but can we pretend like everything's fine?' She deserves better than that."

I sighed, unsure of what to say. He wasn't wrong. Kiara deserved the world, but I also knew she still cared about JJ. I'd seen it in her eyes earlier. She was just as confused and hurt as he was.