“I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you happy,” I whisper.
“I want to make you just as happy,” she says across my lips.
“You already have,” I say.
When we pull apart, we’re both smiling so wide that it hurts. We stand.
“I love you,” she says.
“I love you too.”
We stay there, kissing and holding one another until the sun dips below the horizon. The gold fades, and stars appear through the glass above us. She leans her head against my shoulder, and I wrap my arm around her as we stare out at the ocean.
“This was never just another summer crush,” she says.
“No.” I press my lips against her hair and close my eyes. “It was everything.”
epilogue
Josie
one month later
The wedding is small because Wendy threatened to elope if more than thirty people were invited. The guest list, location, and time have been kept secret. Not to mention, Dyson made everyone sign a pretty hefty fucking contract, saying we wouldn’t speak about it. If anyone refused to sign, they weren’t allowed to come. He was very serious about my sister having the perfect day. She’s so lucky to have him.
White chairs line the beach in two short rows, facing the water. The aisle is a path of crushed shells that Fallon and I spent three hours arranging this morning. The driftwood arch is covered with the same pink and orange hibiscus flowers Dyson has been leaving on the front desk for months.
I’m standing by the arch in a teal-blue dress that Wendy picked because it reminded her of the water in Coconut Beach. I never put my shoes on because wearing high heels on the beach should be an actual crime. Fallon stands beside me, her dark bob perfectly in place. Mia is off to the side with a camera—a favor she specifically requested from Dyson because he owed her.
My hands sweat, and I’ve already wiped them on the dress twice. In about ten minutes, my sister is going to marry Dyson Banks on the beach where we built sandcastles as kids. Afterward, I’m going to have to give a toast without sobbing. The odds are not in my favor because I’m already emotional and the ceremony hasn’t even started.
“You okay?” Fallon whispers.
“I might throw up or cry. Possibly both.”
“Do neither. This dress doesn’t have pockets, and I didn’t bring tissues.”
Dyson stands at the arch in a light-gray suit with no tie. He’s also not wearing shoes. His brothers are beside him. Asher is the youngest, with broad shoulders. He’s handsome and arrogant, and I know he causes many headaches. He shook my hand at the rehearsal dinner last night like he was closing a business deal. Nick is the opposite. He’s the middle brother, leaner, with the same golden-brown-colored eyes as Asher. He hugged Wendy the second he met her and told her she was too good for his brother. I enjoyed chatting with Nick. Asher might take a while because he’s a cocky asshole. The three of them are a triple threat.
The guest chairs are a mix of two very different worlds. Dyson’s side is filled with people I’ve never met and probably never will again. Beautiful women in expensive dresses. Men in suits that cost more than my rent. A guy with a jaw like a Greek statue catches me staring and gives me a half smile that would’ve ruined me six months ago. I look away because today isn’t about me and I’m already red enough.
Our side is our friends from Coconut Beach. The Bees have claimed the entire front row because Gran is extra. Birdie’s hat is so wide that Lucille has been leaning sideways with increasing hostility for ten minutes, trying to see around it. Summer and Dayton are next to each other, his arm across the back of herchair. Beside them are Cal and Silvie, chatting about something that can’t be too important because she’s laughing. My parents flew in from Canada for the wedding of the century and it’s been nice having them home.
“I heard you were moving,” Fallon whispers as we wait.
“Yeah, in a few weeks. I’m going to stay with my cousin Blaire in Colorado. She inherited this huge house. Supposedly haunted, but hopefully, they’re friendly ghosts.”
Fallon’s eyes widen. “Nope. That life is not for me.”
I chuckle. “Some people are meant to live on an island. Others are meant to be in the mountains. I need change desperately.”
“I’m excited for you,” she says as the string quartet begins playing.
A chill runs up and down my body. Everyone turns to Wendy.
My dad walks Wendy down the aisle, and I barely recognize my sister. She’s beautiful in that white dress with thin straps and her toes in the sand. Her hair is down, and the bouquet shakes in her grip, but the smile on her face is the biggest one I’ve ever seen. Dad’s eyes are brimming with tears before they make it halfway.
Dyson watches her come toward him, and his whole face changes. His breathing pattern does too. His eyes go glassy, and he blinks hard and presses his lips together. Nick squeezes his shoulder, grinning wide. This is the most vulnerable that I’ve ever seen Dyson. Asher glances at his brother and gives a grin.
