Endless Summer

Chapter 14

The smell of saltwater lingered in Sky's hair as she stood on the porch of the Chateau later that afternoon, watching the sun dip low in the sky. The light was golden, bathing everything in that soft, warm hue that only the end of summer afternoons could produce. The sound of waves crashing in the distance felt like the heartbeat of the Outer Banks, a constant reminder that the ocean was never far away.

She leaned against the railing, feeling the weathered wood beneath her palms, chipped and rough from years of sea breezes and relentless sun. The world seemed to slow down in these hours, where time felt more like a suggestion than a rule. There was a stillness in the air that made everything feel surreal, like she was standing inside a painting that captured the perfect blend of tranquility and movement.

Inside, the sounds of life drifted out from the open windows. Pope and Kie were in the kitchen, arguing over something small and trivial-probably about how to best make pasta, knowing them. Barry's low voice could be heard occasionally as he chimed in with dry remarks, teasing both of them in his usual way. He didn't get caught up in debates, but he had a way of stirring things just enough to keep it interesting.

JJ's laughter rang out from the living room, mingling with the occasional clatter of dishes. Sky couldn't help but smile. As much as JJ liked to joke, there was something grounding about having him here, in their little corner of the world, surrounded by the people they trusted most.

It was these moments that reminded her why they all stuck together. The chaos, the noise, the teasing-this was the glue that held them. After everything they had been through, the heavy moments and the weight of the past always pressing in on them, they still had this-these evenings when they could just be, without the world demanding anything from them.

Sky's mind wandered back to the beach, the feeling of the ocean still clinging to her skin. The sea had always been her escape, the place she went to when she needed clarity or simply to feel free. Today had been no different, but the weight of JJ's earlier silence lingered. It wasn't like him to stay quiet for long, and she knew better than to ignore those moments. JJ had walls, and behind his grins and endless banter was a depth he rarely let anyone see.

The screen door creaked open behind her, pulling her from her thoughts. She turned to see Barry stepping out onto the porch, his hands tucked into the pockets of his worn jeans. His expression was calm, but his eyes were sharp as they swept over her, the way they always did when he was trying to read the undercurrents of her mood.

"Dinner's almost ready," he said, his voice low, as if not wanting to disturb the quiet of the evening.

Sky nodded, turning back to face the horizon, where the sky had deepened to a soft orange. "I'll come in soon. Just needed a minute."

Barry didn't say anything right away. He stepped closer, leaning against the railing beside her, his presence solid and familiar. They didn't need to fill the silence between them. That was one of the things Sky appreciated most about Barry-he never pushed for more than she was willing to give, but he was always there, an anchor in the shifting tides of her life.

After a few moments, he spoke again, his voice quieter this time. "Everything okay?"

Sky sighed, running a hand through her hair, the ends still damp from the ocean. "Yeah, just thinking."

"About JJ?" he guessed, his gaze sliding over to her.

Sky didn't bother denying it. "Yeah. He seemed... off today."

Barry was quiet for a moment, his eyes distant as he considered her words. "He'll talk when he's ready," he said finally, the certainty in his voice reassuring.

"I know," Sky replied, though there was a flicker of worry beneath her calm exterior. She hated feeling like there was something wrong and she couldn't fix it. But JJ wasn't the type to be easily swayed into talking about what was on his mind. He would joke it away until he couldn't anymore.

Barry gave her a look, one that was both understanding and protective. "You don't have to fix everything, Sky."

Sky let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "I know. It's just hard not to feel like I should."

Barry's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. "That's because you care. But you've got to let him work it out in his own time. He'll come around."

There was something reassuring in the way Barry said it, a calmness that Sky wished she could mirror. Barry had always been the steady one, the one who could see through the chaos and find a path forward. Sky wasn't sure where she would be without him.

They stood there for a while, the sun sinking lower and casting longer shadows across the sand dunes. The sky had shifted from orange to pink, the first hints of evening settling over the island like a soft blanket. The air was cooler now, carrying the scent of the ocean and the distant sound of laughter from the house behind them.

Finally, Barry pushed off the railing, glancing back toward the open door. "Come on, dinner's ready. If you don't get in there soon, Pope's gonna eat everything."

Sky chuckled, shaking her head. "He really would, wouldn't he?"

"Every time," Barry said with a grin.

Sky followed him inside, the warmth of the house enveloping her as soon as she stepped over the threshold. The familiar scents of garlic, tomatoes, and basil filled the air, and Pope was at the stove, stirring a large pot with the focus of a scientist conducting an experiment. Kie sat at the table, watching him with amusement, while JJ lounged on the couch, flipping through one of the surf magazines he always left scattered around.

It felt good, this easy rhythm they had fallen into over the years. No matter how much their lives seemed to shift and change, there was a core here that remained solid. This little family they had built-the friendships forged through fire and laughter and more than a few questionable decisions-it was the one thing Sky knew she could count on.

As she sat down at the table, Pope finally declared dinner ready, and the conversation shifted to lighter topics. They joked about old stories-JJ recounting the time they all tried to camp on the beach and ended up soaked in a sudden downpour, or the infamous bike race through the sand dunes that had ended with everyone nursing scrapes and bruises.

For a while, Sky let herself relax into the noise and the warmth of the evening. JJ's earlier mood seemed to have lifted, and he was back to his usual self, tossing out sarcastic comments and teasing Pope about his overly detailed approach to cooking.

But even as they laughed, Sky couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was lingering beneath the surface. It was like the quiet before a storm, when the air is thick with tension but nothing has broken yet. She glanced at JJ, who was pretending to be interested in Pope's explanation of the perfect sauce-to-pasta ratio, but there was a shadow behind his eyes, one that didn't match the grin on his face.

Sky knew better than to press him, but she made a mental note to check in later. Whatever it was that had been bothering him, it wasn't gone. It was just waiting, like a wave building on the horizon, unseen but inevitable.

As the evening wound down and the plates were cleared away, Sky found herself back out on the porch, the stars twinkling overhead in a sky that had turned the deepest shade of blue. The sound of laughter still echoed faintly from inside the house, but out here, everything was quiet, the night settling over the island like a soft embrace.

Barry joined her again, leaning against the railing with his usual calm demeanor. They didn't say much, but they didn't need to. The ocean whispered in the distance, a reminder of the steady, unwavering rhythm that had always been a part of their lives.

Whatever was coming, Sky knew they would face it together. They always had.