“Today was fun. I’m glad you came,” I say as I pull out the dress I want to wear tonight.

“Me too.”

“I’m going to tell her.” I motion with my head to the door and the general direction of Camila’s room. “I thought about it, and I don’t want to leave here with anything hanging over my head. When I moved to Valley, I was still carrying so much pain from everything, but I’m not anymore. I’m happy.” He shoots me a questioning glance. “I am. I mean, the situation with the team isn’t perfect, but it has nothing to do with Camila and lying to her… well, it just doesn’t feel right. She deserves the truth. She’s stuck with me this long.”

Nathan takes my hand and squeezes. “I’ll be here. Whatever you need.” He clears his throat. “That reminds me. Cam mentioned you might be moving back to California.”

I shake my head. “My parents worked out a deal with the university so I could finish my degree here, but too much has happened. Valley is the clean start I need. My chance to prove that I can make it on my own.”

“I get that,” he says. “That’s how I felt my freshman year when I got to college, but don’t confuse clean start with avoidance.”

I tense at his words.

“Not saying you are,” he adds when I shoot him an insulted look. “But I know what it’s like to try and start with a clean slate… it’s messy and not all that clean.”

I nod, but I can’t seem to shake his words as we get ready for a night out to celebrate Camila’s birthday. I’m still thinking about it as we head to JT’s house. He graduated last year and has an apartment that’s basically on the beach. His parents are better off than mine—both of them doctors with their own medical TV talk show—so he gets my situation more than most.

The party is still small when we arrive and I decide to talk to Cam before more people show up. I introduce Nathan to JT and a few others I vaguely know and then make excuses so I can talk to my bestie.

“I’m going to chat with Cam and then get us drinks. You good?”

Nathan smiles as he nods and falls back into conversation with JT.

I link my arm through Camila’s. “Take a walk on the beach with me, birthday girl.”

She eyes me suspiciously but smiles. “Okay.”

Neither of us speaks as we walk arm in arm. We kick off our shoes and hold them in our free hands.

When my feet hit the wet sand, I breathe in the salty air. “I missed this.”

“You could come back. I’ve always got a room for you.”