“What’d he say?”

“He sorta changed my plans. He wanted—no, he insisted—that I go back to school. He says my mom will be fine.”

I get the blazing smile. “That’s good news. On both accounts.”

“Yep,” I say.

He narrows his eyes at me. “You don’t look excited.”

“I don’t like when my plans get changed.”

He tucks his hand under my chin and smiles. “Well, in this case, you should. Think of all there is to look forward to. Basketball season. French weekend. Winter Formal. The first big snowfall. And you’d be in trouble with my sister if you missed the dance competition. And let’s not forget French tutoring.”

I nod and put on a fake smile. “So, um, I’m gonna go make sure my stuff’s all packed. I’ll meet you at the car, okay?”

“Okay,” he says, giving me a quick kiss.

After he goes in the house, I run to the shed. I take a moment to run my hand across my surfboard and pray that I’ll get to use it again. Then I take one of the extra wish bracelets and sneak to the mermaid fountain. I toss a penny in at the same time I tie on the bracelet and make a wish.

We say goodbye to Damian, who is taking a company plane back to L.A.

Peyton and Damian’s goodbye takes quite a while, so Aiden and I leave them to their kissing and board. When Peyton finally joins us, she’s in tears.

I give her a big hug, feeling bad that someone else is hurting because of me.

“I didn’t get much sleep last night. I’m going to crash,” she says with a little smile. She puts in headphones and seems to be out before we even take off.

“Have you talked to anyone from school since we’ve been gone?” Aiden asks me, taking what he seems to consider his normal spot, lying across the couch with his head in my lap.

“Just a couple Happy Thanksgiving texts. How about you?”

“I texted Logan and Riley off and on.”

“How was their holiday?”

“Well, Maggie showed up at Logan’s house in tears . . .”

“Wait. Why?!”

“Got in a fight with her parents, I guess. Logan said she didn’t want to talk about it, so he’s not really sure what happened.”

“That sucks. And what about Riley?”

“It was his idea to hijack your plane.”

“It was?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure what to do. I thought the moon . . .”

“I took the moon down. It pissed me off.”

“Why?”

“It was mocking me,” I stupidly say.

Aiden laughs. “Mocking you? How?”

I don’t answer. Just put my head down and knead my brow line with my fingers. “Because I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

“Are you okay?” Aiden moves my hand off my face, sits up, and looks directly into my soul.

“Yeah.”

“You’re not very convincing. Do you not want to go back? Would you really have left me without saying anything?”

“I told you goodbye.”

“Goodbye for break, not goodbye forever. In St. Croix, you said you’re always coming back for me. Did you mean it?”

“I said that I was coming back for you then.”

“And then I said you better always come back for me. You agreed.”

“No, I didn’t.”

He laughs. “Yeah, you did. You squeezed my hand. I knew what it meant.”

I stop smiling and sigh. “Aiden, things are so up in the air. I shouldn’t be making promises to anyone.”

“Then answer me this. Are you glad you’re here with me now?”

His question cuts through all the What if scenarios in my brain and speaks directly to my heart. And my heart knows there is only one way to reply. “Yes.” I close my eyes, willing back tears.

“Don’t cry. No more crying.”

“Then stop making me cry.” I laugh.

“So, being with me makes you cry?” He chuckles as he clutches at his chest. “Ouch, that hurts.”

I place my hand over his and say seriously, “It’s the thought of not being here with you that makes me cry.”

He cradles my face in his palms. “I was serious, Keatyn. Wherever you go, I go. Whatever family stuff you need to deal with, I’ll help you. You don’t have to face it alone.”

I can’t say anything. His determination—his belief that we can accomplish anything together—is so touching. I lean forward and thank him with my lips.

After kissing for a bit, he lays his head back in my lap. “You’re going to sleep the whole flight, aren’t you?”

He gives me a wink, then shuts his gorgeous green eyes.

For a while, I just watch him. The way his breathing slows down. The way his hair lies against my stomach. His long, dark brown eyelashes splayed across his cheeks. I run my hand across his forehead and into his hair, causing him to sigh.

Once I know he’s asleep, I grab my phone and get to work.

Starting with an instant message to B.

Me: We got cut off during all the craziness of your winning, so I didn’t get to tell you how proud I am of you. I’m ready to start implementing the takeover. Can we discuss tomorrow night? Say 12:30pm EST? I’m ready to get our lives back.

B: Me too, Keats. Things are so up in the air. You know, like, personally.

Me: Yeah, I know. B?

B: What?

Me: I wanna go home.

B: Me too. Tomorrow night <3

I stare at the heart until my eyes go fuzzy.

Then at Aiden, who’s now sleeping on his side, one strong arm curled above his head and the other hugging my waist.

That’s when the guilt sets in.

The guilt.

I feel guilty. Guilty for feeling the way I do about Aiden.

Guilty about the promises I’ve made to them both.

And guilty for feeling happy about the heart.

I shake my head as I message Garrett, telling myself to take it one step at a time.

Me: Meeting tomorrow. The usual place. 9:30am?

Garrett: I’ll be there.

I send the same message to Cooper.

Cooper: On your way back to school under protest?

Me: Something like that. Can we meet tonight, late? Say midnight? I need your help.

Cooper: See you then.

After getting all that set up, I do something I should’ve done on break. I shop for B’s birthday presents. Since his birthday is on the fourth, I don’t have time to ship them to me, wrap them, and ship them together, so I’ll just have them sent straight to his hotel.

I’m not sure what to get.

I end up with a big coffee table book on the history of surfing. On the card, I write, Surfing’s come a long way and so have you. I’m proud of all you’ve accomplished in such a short time. Happy Birthday, B. Love, Keats.

Next I decide on a Vuitton passport cover and add another note. So your passport looks as good as your luggage.

The last gift I order is a Sector 9 skateboard with an ocean wave design. For when you’re not on the water.

After getting all that taken care of, I close my eyes and start devising a new plan.

Different kinds of love.

5:30pm

Aiden carries my bags to my dorm, kisses me on the porch, then goes to unpack.

I open the door to my room, still trying to figure out how I’m going to fight Vincent from here, and interrupt Katie and Bryce making out on her bed.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say, as Katie pulls her shirt down and Bryce fumbles with his pants. “Um, I’m just dropping off my bags! Talk to you later!” I drop my bags, shut the door, and decide to head over to the boys’ dorm to see if Dallas or Riley are back. I need a big hug from both of them.

As I walk the short distance to the dorm, I realize it’s freaking cold out and I’m not wearing a coat. I wrap my arms around myself and run as fast as I can in my sandals.

I rush down the hall and almost run into Dawson coming out of his room.

“You think you’re still on vacation? You must be freezing in that dress.”

“Yeah, well, Bryce and Katie were kinda busy in my room, so I didn’t get to change.”

He grabs my arm and pulls me into his room. “I always end up giving you my sweatshirts,” he says as he throws one at me.

“Thank you. How was your break?” I ask while pulling it over my head.

“I think I should be asking you that. I heard about Aiden showing up.”

“Yeah, that was a surprise. And an even bigger surprise that I let him come with me.”

Dawson pulls his sweatshirt strings in a familiar way, bringing me face to face with him. “You look hot. Tan and hot. But stressed. Still not getting any?”

I back away a little. “I’m not answering that question.”

He shrugs. “You don’t have too. I already know the answer.”

“You going to offer to take care of my stress?”

He smirks at me. “Actually, no.”

“Really? Did you meet someone or something?”

“Kinda. Someone I already knew. She was at our club this weekend. Her boyfriend broke up with her and she was upset.”

“Did you heal her broken heart?”

“From the inside out,” he says with a laugh, pulling me to sit on his bed with him.

I lean against his headboard, bring my knees up to my chest, and pull the sweatshirt down over them. “Really?”

“No, not really. She was too upset. It’s funny because it kinda reminded me of when we talked at the Cave that first night.”

“I wanted to fix your broken heart.”

“You did. So aren’t you gonna ask me about her?”

I grab his hands like I would one of my girlfriends, bounce on the bed, and giggle. “Yes, tell me all about her.”

“So this is what you’re resorting to?” Jake says, walking in through the bathroom. “Good thing I’m back so we can talk about all the dirty details.”

“Jake! I missed you! But I’m finally warm, so you’ll have to come over here and give me a hug.”

Jake waves his hands in the air, runs over to the bed on his tiptoes, and says in a high-pitched voice, “Monroe! I missed you too, girl. Did you and Aiden make whoopee yet?”

Dawson and I both laugh. “We’re discussing Dawson’s love life, not mine.”

“So does that mean you told her about Brooke?”

“Brooke?! Really? When she was going to wear your jersey, you told me she was practically married.”

Dawson raises his eyebrows. “Apparently, she was more married than he was. She thought they were going to have an amazing Thanksgiving reunion, but he stopped by her house, said he wanted to break up, and left.”

“Oh, that’s horrible, but I can totally relate. One night my ex took me out for a fancy dinner. I thought he was going to ask me out, but instead he told me he was leaving.”

“Girls always think things are more serious than they are,” Jake states with a roll of his eyes.

“Well, maybe if guys wouldn’t tell girls they love them when they don’t really love them that wouldn’t be an issue.”

“There’s lots of different kinds of love,” Dawson teases.

“And for most of you, it’s the kind of love that wants in their pants.”

“That’s why I never tell girls I love them,” Jake stresses.

“You’ve never told a girl that? But you’re so romantic—well, when you want to be.”

“That’s because I’m a good actor,” he says. “Of course, I can play that part. Speaking of that. I broke the news to my parents that I’m going to NYU. Got the acceptance letter and everything. Me and Dawes both.”

“That’s where you’re going, too? I’m so proud of you,” I say to Dawson.

He gives me a sweet grin. And I know that Jake is absolutely right. There are lots of different kinds of love. And I do love Dawson. Jake too, for that matter. “Tell me about Brooke.”

“Well, we kissed,” he says, actually looking happy about it.

“Just kissed?”

“Yeah.”

“Whitney and Brooke don’t really get along well, do they?”

Jake rolls his eyes again, “Uh, no, they don’t. Speaking of that. Does anyone have the scoop on what went down with Chelsea? Is she coming back to school? What she did to you sucked.”

“I heard she’s coming back,” Dawson says. “Brooke said she was worried about how to handle it with the team.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t wanna be one of the head cheerleaders now,” Jake says. “She’s got her work cut out for her.”

“Honestly, the drama might be just what Brooke needs.”

“Why?” Dawson asks.

“Because, it will give her something to focus on besides her boy misery.”

Dawson slaps me on the shoulder and Jake says, “Monroe, I think you missed a step. Dawes wants to be the thing she focuses on.”

“Oh, well, good for you.”

“You’re not jealous?” Dawson says with a grin.

“I am so, so jealous. But I will try to hide my grief.”

I realize that, in a way, I’m kinda like Brooke. Eastbrooke might be just the thing to distract me, too.

When Dallas and Riley walk through the door, I’m very glad I’m back. I would have missed them terribly.

“Dallas! What did you do to your hair?”

Dallas rubs his buzz cut. “You know everyone at home thinks I’m at military school, right? So I got buzzed on the plane.”