“It’s okay.” I give Melly a kiss, and she skips away with Trina, hand in hand.

“Delaney.”

I swallow hard as Josh walks toward me. There’s that arrogant swagger in his step that wasn’t there when I first met him, and I hate it, but I love it too. He exudes confidence he didn’t have six years ago.

“Hey,” I reply. “Josh, this is Pania. Pania, Josh.”

“Hi.” My traitorous best friend shoots him a flirtatious wave before standing. “I think I might go and join the others.”

I narrow my eyes. “Fine.”

She disappears down the beach as Josh sits on the log beside me. “That dinner was amazing.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I was worried that it wouldn’t fit everyone’s tastes, but I didn’t have to.”

He leans back a little—enough that in the firelight, I can see the golden flecks in his irises. They’re the same as Melly’s, and cause my heart to skip a beat.

“It was great. I liked how you did the spit roast too as I can see how hangi might be an acquired taste.” The way he pronounces it makes me smile, and of course he doesn’t miss a thing. “Did I say something funny?”

I shake my head. “It’s not what you said. It’s the way you said it.”

He grins. “I seem to remember you teasing me about that once before.”

That’s a punch to the gut. I remember that too, but it was when we would laugh and joke with each other. Before the night he broke my heart.

“Some things don’t change.”

He seems to study my expression. “And some things do. A lot. What happened to you, Delaney? What happened to Dee? She was so carefree and just having fun. You’re still the same deep down, I can tell by the way you give me shit, but something happened.”

I drop my gaze. “Life happened.”

He nods toward Melly. She’s playing on the beach with Trina and Jo. There’ll be no problems getting her to sleep tonight—she hasn’t stopped since we got here. The fresh air and exercise will knock her out. “She looks just like you.”

This conversation is getting a little too close to home.

“That’s what people tell me. I should probably get her home to bed.”

I stand, but Josh grabs my hand. “I looked for you. As hard as I could. I didn’t get very far because I didn’t know Dee was Delaney.”

Tugging my hand from his, I take a moment. “I was going through a phase.”

He nods. “I guessed as much. I always wished you were with me when I got my big break. That role changed my life.” His brows knit. “Sometimes, I wish we could go back.”