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Rory felt an ache deep in her bones at the thought of it. “Things just keep getting more complicated.”

Jess didn’t say a word as she rinsed the chef’s knife under the steaming water.

Rory took a step closer. “Why did you offer to talk to me?”

Jess shrugged. “Kind of wish someone was around to talk to me when I was going through shit in high school.”

She nodded, watching as Jess turned the spigot off. Rory knew she shouldn’t try to get involved in Jess’s personal life—she’d already made that mistake. But for some reason, this time felt different. Jess didn’t seem happy per se, yet there was something new there. There was less fury behind those glasses, her shoulders were relaxed, and a new sense of calm washed over her face. Something had definitely changed…and Rory wondered if the boy winking on the porch had anything to do with it.

Rory steeled herself and decided to make the mistake again. “Is everything okay with you? At home?”

To her surprise, Jess didn’t glare or make a snappy comment. Instead, she shrugged. “Same as you. Things just keep getting more complicated.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Do yourself a favor, Rory,” Jess said. “Don’t fall in love in high school. Nothing good comes from it.”

Then Jess was out the door, slicing smoothly into the cake outside.

She huffed, her eyes grazing over the group and landing on Ty. He was smiling warmly at Melanie as she approached the porch, Calvin hot on her heels. Her heart somersaulted as she watched Tyler pull Melanie into a fierce hug, saying something soothing to their friend that had Melanie nodding, her eyes watering.

Rory exhaled at the sight, feeling like she was gripping a handful of sand, grains slowly slipping through her fingers. Too late.

She was in love with the boy next door.

The one who sat with her on the swings for hours, played touch football in the backyard, hung out in pajamas on weekends to watch countless hours of Disney movies, made her laugh so hard hot chocolate came out her nose. The guy who saved her from making mistakes, made sure she drank water when she had too much to drink, forced her to spend holidays with his family when she was alone, and kissed her in a way that left her without any feeling in her legs.

Rory was in love with Tyler Chapman. And he was about to leave her behind.

Her hands were shaking as she turned away from the group and leaned against the counter. She took deep, calming breaths. These feelings she had for Tyler had gone far beyond any kind of crush she’d had, even for Jay. They were earth-shattering, and when Ty finally left for college, she would have to glue together the shattered pieces of her heart. She wasn’t strong enough for that. She had to create distance…had to hope it would make things easier in the end.

Her acceptance to Baybrook eased some of her worries—it was the perfect escape, the next step toward a new Rory. She wanted to spend her days sculpting abstract pieces and perusing student art galleries and deepening her knowledge of graphic design. Despite having no idea how in the world she was going to afford art school, the simple thought of attending made her feel that same kind of contentment. That she’d finally found where she was meant to be.

She’d spent her whole life seeking attention, and she knew her shithead father was in part to blame. The man who—in the end—didn’t choose her when she’d stood before him in the flesh.

It was right then and there that she vowed to move forward, to choose herself. Her mother might hate her and kick her out. She may go into debt trying to pay for school. And there was a chance she’d lose Ty forever.

But she would stick up for herself and what she wanted. She’d finally take this new path forming right in front of her like a block of clay, ready to come to life.

* * *

The warm breeze that night was a late-April tease, a small promise that the summer season was around the corner. The group sprawled out on the porch, full from the cake they’d devoured, watching as the last sliver of sunshine faded into the horizon.

A black convertible pulled up and parked on the side of the street. Zach stepped out, moving his sunglasses to the top of his head as he walked toward the group. Blake yelped with glee and jumped up from his seat, hopping down the steps and planting a kiss on Zach’s lips.

Jess hummed. “Must be nice.”

Rory didn’t miss how Kevin bristled.

“You could just break up with him,” Calvin said calmly. He was tangled up on the porch swing with the birthday girl, the two of them tucked under a blanket. Despite there being enough places to sit, Rory made a point to sit closer to Melanie. She pulled a cushion off one of the deck chairs and used it to sit on the floor next to the swing, keeping a safe distance from Tyler who sat at the opposite end of the porch, and Jay, who was propped up on the wooden railing. Jay leaned his head back against the cedar shingles, his hat on his knee, scrolling through his phone. She’d done her best to avoid them all day, focusing on Melanie instead of the revelation she’d had in the kitchen hours before.

Jess’s phone began to ring. “Speak of the devil,” she grumbled.

Jess answered with a muffled “What” to her boyfriend on the other line, escaping into the cottage.

Kevin cocked his head in the direction of the house, and Calvin nodded, kissing the back of Melanie’s head as he slid out of the blanket and off the swing.

Rory didn’t waste time—she swept right into Calvin’s spot, curling up with Melanie under the blanket. “I got you something.”