Endless Summer

Chapter 12

Sky stood at the edge of the Chateau's driveway, the dim glow of the moon illuminating the weathered boards and overgrown grass that surrounded the house. The breeze coming in from the ocean was heavy with salt, and the distant crash of waves carried a comforting rhythm that seemed to echo her own heartbeat. She paused for a moment, savoring the stillness before stepping inside. The Chateau might not have looked like much to most people-a bit run-down, rough around the edges-but to Sky and the Pogues, it was a haven. A place where the outside world, with all its complications, couldn't touch them.

She nudged the front door open with her foot, pushing against the familiar resistance of the warped wood. Inside, the smell of old leather, salt, and faint remnants of campfire smoke immediately greeted her, like an old friend wrapping her in a warm hug. The house was dimly lit, the soft glow of string lights casting warm, golden hues across the room. The hum of conversation filled the space, overlapping with the clink of bottles and occasional bursts of laughter. This was home.

Sky kicked off her sandals at the entrance, her bare feet sinking into the worn carpet as she made her way into the living room. John B was lounging at the kitchen counter, his hand around a half-empty beer bottle, his hair tousled in that effortless way that made him look perpetually windblown. He looked up at her with a smile, the lines around his eyes crinkling. "Hey, Sky, about time you showed up. I thought the Kooks kidnapped you."

"Yeah, right," Sky replied with a grin, moving over to the fridge and pulling out a cold beer for herself. "You think I'd let them get away with that?"

John B chuckled, tipping his bottle toward her in acknowledgment as he took a long sip. "Fair point."

She closed the fridge door with a soft thud, the chill of the beer already cooling her palm. Sky made her way into the heart of the room, where the rest of the group was scattered around in their usual disarray. Pope was sitting cross-legged on the floor, engrossed in some makeshift puzzle of gears and wires that only he could make sense of. Kiara sat beside him, one arm lazily draped over the back of the couch as she watched him work, her eyes half-closed in a mix of amusement and boredom.

But it was JJ who caught Sky's attention first. He was sprawled out on the other side of the couch, a beer in one hand and an oversized pillow tucked under the other arm as if he were ready to use it as a weapon at any moment. His hair was damp, a sign he'd probably taken one last dip in the ocean before coming here, and there was a mischievous sparkle in his eye that warned Sky he was already halfway through planning something ridiculous for the night.

"Sky's here!" JJ announced loudly, raising his beer in mock celebration as she approached. "Guess we can officially start the night now."

Sky rolled her eyes, plopping down onto the couch next to him and playfully elbowing him in the ribs. "Oh, please. The night started when I walked through the door, and you know it."

JJ grinned, not missing a beat. "True, true. The party doesn't officially kick off until the princess arrives."

She snorted, reaching over to steal a quick sip from his beer before settling back against the cushions. The familiarity of their banter felt as natural as the ocean tides outside-easy, unforced, and steady. It was this unspoken ease between them all that made nights like these so special.

As Sky leaned back, letting her eyes drift over the room, she noticed the way the light from the string lights reflected in tiny specks off the glass bottles scattered around. The glow of the room felt alive, the hum of voices and the occasional clinking of bottles like music to her ears. It wasn't about the big parties or wild adventures tonight; it was about the simple joy of being here, together, in this space they all called home.