JJ's POV:

We were all in our early thirties and we had all gone our separate ways. John B and Sarah got legally married and went to college together at NYU. They had kids shortly after and they are living in New York now. They have the chateau as a vacation house that they travel to every summer. They had three kids.

Pope ended up meeting some girl who was a complete nerd, just like him. They went to medical school together and ended up getting assigned to the same hospital in Ohio. They were married and they just had their first baby.

Cleo ended up being one of the bad guys and Pope was pretty upset about it as he really liked her. Cleo was arrested when we got back from the island.

Kie went to California for college and she ended up meeting this surfer who she married. She was always busy traveling around the world and working on many of her own non-profits. She had started her own environment business and was making a ton of cash. She had two kids. A little boy who was around five and a girl who was two.

Then there's me... I'm still the same old JJ. I fixed up my childhood house and that's where I live. I haven't seen my dad since he took off that day. I was alone in the Outer Banks. I worked a few jobs on the cut and got by. I was a pogue living on the cut. I didn't have much but I was happy, at least that's what I keep telling myself.

I did have a girlfriend. Her name was Kayla and she was a pogue too. We had hooked up a few times in high school but nothing ever serious. Even right now, it wasn't that serious.

We have all drifted apart a lot. I haven't seen the pogue in nearly five years. We would text sometimes or keep up with things on social media but that was all. However, that was all about to change as the pogue were all coming back into town for a week for a reunion.

Today was the big day. I showed up at the chateau with Kayla and there were all the pogues and their families. The kids all played together while the adults hung out and talked. It was so crazy to see my friends with their kids. We were actual adults now.

The kids were inside and everyone was talking about their lives and Kie hasn't said much. Her kids hung close to her husband the whole time. My eyes met Kie's from across the yard and yeah that was awkward. Later, I saw Kie and Kayla were talking and they looked like they were deep in conversation. I wondered what they were talking about.

John B started a fire and kids were making smores and so were us adults. Since we all couldn't fit here to sleep anymore Kie and her family were going to stay with me. We left and they followed me to my house.

I brought them to the master bedroom and told them they could sleep there. They got their kids ready for bed and Kayla went to the spare bedroom and went to bed. I was hanging outside and I had started a small fire and was drinking a beer. Everyone had been sleeping for about an hour now and I heard the door creak. Kie came outside wrapped in my favorite blanket and she sat next to me.

"So, Kayla seems to really like you..." That is what she said to start the conversation

"I mean, I guess so. It's nothing serious."

"It should be, you deserve love JJ"

"Eh, I'm fine without it. You seem happy with your husband and two kids. Why didn't you ever tell anyone you were pregnant?" I asked curiously as they eloped for their wedding and then one day I just learned she had a family

"Because I was never pregnant. We got married on a beach in Fiji and we came home. A few months later I found out he was in a previous relationship and they had kids. His ex-wife is traveling in Africa right now for some scientific nurse thing so we have the kids full-time for the summer."

Part of me was relieved she didn't have kids but why did I care? She was married and I was in a relationship.

"Do you ever think about the past? Back when we were stupid kids in high school trying to find 400 mil in gold?" Kie asked

"Every single day.."

"Damn, those were the good old days" I said thinking back to all our memories

"I'm sorry that I never got to take you on that surf trip...." I said feeling guilty

"You should come with me on my next trip. I'm going to New Zealand and Australia. It can be our surf trip to celebrate our thirties" She said smiling at me

"I don't think your husband would want me going on a trip with his wife" I said politely saying no even though I was dying to go

"He wouldn't have to know..." She whispered so quietly I could barely hear her say it so I didn't say anything back

Kie just sat close to me and I noticed she was crying. I put my arm around her and she laid her head on me.

"I think I screwed up my whole life..." She said crying

"You have a perfect life, Kie. You have a huge house in California on the beach. You have a killer job with sick benefits like all the trips you take. You have a husband and two kids who love you. You made it in life... It's pretty obvious but I've accomplished nothing. I live in the same house on the cut. You, John B, and Pope all figured your way off this island, out of the cut. You did it without the gold. That gold was my one shot to get the hell out of here."

"My life is far from perfect. My husband and I are actually in the middle of a divorce but I asked him to come so I didn't show up here single and looking pathetic. I love my job but I hate being alone and traveling all the time. J, I would give it all up to come back home. I miss it here so much..."

"I'm sorry... I had no idea... Well, I guess now you can move back home..." I said hoping she would come home because I missed her

"I've missed you so much," She said quietly and I couldn't take it anymore. She sounded so sad, so broken, so not the Kie I remembered

I turned to her and I kissed her. She held back at first and then she kissed me back. I've wanted to do this for so long. Our kiss broke and I said, "I love you, Kie, and I promise that I am going to make up for the past ten years of us not speaking much."