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Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

Gemma glanced at Celeste, who nodded at her. She walked a few feet into the water. It was cool and pebbly underfoot. She felt goose bumps rise on her arms and kept walking until she was up to her thighs, just before the water could reach her shorts. She felt herself squeezing the ring, as if afraid to lose it. Here it was, an object she’d wanted so badly for years. And she was about to toss it into the ocean.

Surrounded by black water and under the spotlight of an August full moon, all she could think about was her mother. The sea had taken her mother, and now the sea would take the remains of her ring.

Gemma pulled her arm back and then thrust it forward like she was pitching a ball, her fingers unfurling to release the ring into the pull of the outgoing tide. It was shocking to let it disappear, not even hearing it hit the water over the churning waves. She stood for a minute, as if expecting it to come back to her.

And then she realized she was happy to set it free.

71

She was the uninvited guest at the party that should have been her wedding.

Celeste had never felt so uncomfortable walking into the Barroses’ house, not even on that summer day twenty-five years ago when Jack brought her—his “wash’ashore” girlfriend—to meet the family. They’d welcomed her with open arms. If Jack loved her, Lidia and Manny loved her. And Tito. And the kids, Marco and Jaci.

Today, all she got from Lidia was a tight smile.

Celeste set a few packages down on the kitchen table. Birthday gifts for Jack. She decided to leave them in the house; nothing more awkward than presenting birthday gifts while simultaneously begging for forgiveness. Jack wasn’t big on extravagant presents. He usually asked her for something experiential, like, Spend the day on the boat with me. Or, this year’s whopper, Let’s get married.

“I know you’re both hurting,” Lidia said, standing against the sink while Celeste stood a few feet inside the doorway. “But I gotta say I’m Team Jack on this one.”

Of course she was. That’s why, first thing that morning, just six hours after leaving the beach, Celeste knocked on Elodie’s bedroom door to fortify herself with one more conversation. Her sister, half asleep, patted the spot next to her on the bed and Celeste moved next to her. She felt like they were girls again.