Bailey shrugs proudly. “Obviously.”
“You’re really surprised she found out?” I ask. “TheBailey Drayton.”
Ryan laughs at that. “Okay yeah, maybe I shouldn’t bethatsurprised.”
That cracks a laugh out of everyone.
“Alright,” Bailey suddenly announces, clapping her hands once. “Now if you’ll excuse me from this deeply cinematic moment—” she fixes her braid and smooths down her wetsuit like she’s about to walk a runway, “—I still have to go ask someone for his number.”
Kiara points at her immediately. “You go, girl.”
Mel grins while Liam gives Bailey a thumbs-up, and Noah just laughs under his breath, shaking his head.
Ryan narrows his eyes slightly. “If he’s weird, I’m intervening.”
Bailey rolls her eyes, already walking away. “Relax, bodyguard. I can handle a surfer boy.”
Ryan calls after her, “I’m watching you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she shoots back, already a few feet away.
Everyone’s still smiling, still laughing softly but Ryan’s gaze drifts back to me. And just like that, the noise fades again. He wraps his arms tighter against my waist, laughing quietly. “So,” he murmurs, “am I still just yourfakeboyfriend?”
“No,” I say, grinning. “We can now officially disappoint all the women in their forties that they will never have you as a son-in-law.”
He kisses me again, smiling bright, and pulls me closer. And standing here, with sand on my feet, salt in the air, his hand at my waist, and everyone we love right in front of us—nothing feels fake anymore.
49
RYAN
Epilogue
The sun dips low over the horizon, washing the beach in gold and soft pink. It’s early July now, final exams turned in this morning and the whole town is finally able to breathe again.
From the porch of Noah and Maddy’s house, I can see half the town scattered across the sand—music drifting up with the warm air, mixing with the smell of salt, grilled food, and way too much sunscreen.
Maddy’s curled up in my lap under a blanket, one of my hoodies hanging off her shoulders, her hair still messy from the ocean. She’s laughing at something Kiara just said, and I feel it against my chest. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.
Not that I’m trying.
Luke’s at the barbecue, obviously, flipping something with way too much confidence in hisgrill masterapron while everyone else hovers nearby.
Across the porch, Dawn, Tess, and Daphne are already deep into some story, passing drinks back and forth and laughing so hard they can barely finish their sentences.
“Who wants a perfectly charred marshmallow?” Liam asks, holding one up like it’s a trophy.
Noah eyes him. “Since when are you sharing food?”
Mel snorts. “Yeah, seriously. Who are you and what have you done with our Liam?”
Laughter breaks out. Talk shifts without effort; summer plans, beach days, late nights, absolutely no responsibilities for at least two glorious months.
Dawn groans and drops her head back against the chair. “Must be nice. I’ve got court. All. Summer.”
She lifts her head just enough to glare at the sky. “Because nothing says ‘summer’ like showing up for your parents’ lawsuit every single day.”
Tess winces. “I feel so bad for you.”
