Lovesick as it sounds, I felt almost hypnotized by him in that moment. Everything about him was perfect in my eyes—from the look he was giving me to the way he was so much taller than me, even to his crooked nose.

“I love you.”

He looked even more handsome with that smile in his eyes lighting up his face. He didn’t answer me, instead stepping closer, his lips crashing down on mine and his hands cupping my face. I didn’t need him to say anything, I realized. Noah might not be as easy to read as Lee, but right now, I knew everything I needed to.

Chapter 8

“Rachel’s gone, then, huh?”

“Yep,” Lee answered. “Back to just the three of us now. At least for a couple more days.”

The last few days with Rachel had been nice, but it had still felt weird. I hadn’t been able to shake the feeling things weren’t quite right. And I knew it wasn’t fair to not want her around when I was a huge part of why things were different. I knew I’d spent less time with Lee and more with Noah—and that, really, it was a good thing Rachel had been here, to help distract from that fact.

Still, I wasn’t too sorry she’d left, giving me a little while longer at the beach house with the Flynn boys.

“Just like old times.” I grinned.

“I guess I won’t be coming back here for the next few years,” Noah said suddenly. “This might be my last summer here.”

I didn’t think I’d ever heard Noah sound so sad. He tried to hide it, though, and coughed abruptly—like that’d cover up the emotion his voice betrayed. “And next year will probably be your last year too, and Lee’s.”

“Why?” Lee demanded. “We’re coming back every year. Just like we always do.”

Noah scoffed. “Don’t count on it. You guys can try, but it’s probably not gonna happen that way. Pessimist, I know, I know,” he said, cutting across me as I started to tell him he was being stupid and cynical. “But what about summer internships? Jobs? You’ve got it pretty cushy now, but that’s gonna change at some point. Not everything has a happily-ever-after.”

What about us? What about our happily-ever-after?

I bit my lip and decided not to say anything. I knew that wasn’t what he’d meant. We were going to give it our best shot. I couldn’t ask for more than that.

“Look at him.” Lee nudged my arm and pointed to Noah. “Thinking he’s all wise now that he’s old enough to go to college; thinking he’s got it all figured out. Noah, if you think we’re not dragging your ass back to this place every summer, you are sadly mistaken. Summer is all about coming here.”