The sand and salt smell wrapped me in its breezy warm embrace out on the two-person balcony at the end of the hallway. The aroma of my too-hot coffee wafted up to my nose, and I inhaled even deeper. There were a few doors between me and Emmett, and it wasn’t a separation that offered comfort now; it was a distance that created longing. The lie I’d let him believe had evaporated in an instant. The second I’d seen that stinging hurt in his eyes, not clouded by my own anger and betrayal, I’d crumbled. Maybe that was why I’d stayed away for so long, why the thought of being in the same space as him had sent me looking for the nearest exit.

Inflicting pain on him had been like doing it to myself. I’d told myself I didn’t want to reopen the wounds that were healed over, but it was a lie.

They’d never heal until the truth between us was out, until all the ugly, painful, raw, aching cards were laid out on the table. I didn’t know if I could do that, though—tell him everything—not with what was happening with his parents, not when he was trying to repair and recapture something that had always hurt him no matter how much he pretended it didn’t. I didn’t know what my full confession would mean for us, or if there was a real ‘us’ to even worry about.

The balcony door slid open.

“Kara says her grad school friends have nothing on us.” Mak walked out and blew on her coffee.

“I can’t even imagine.” I took a sip of my own and winced. The cream and sugar hadn’t helped cut the heat that much.

“So he finally knows.” She glanced at me.

“You had to ask? I figured from what Liv said, people three states over knew.”

Mak had been telling me for years to just tell him, but there was still so much she didn’t know.

“What happens now?”

Shrugging, I took another steaming sip to buy some time. “I don’t know. He’s still kind of pissed at me, and I can’t blame him. He hasn’t said as much, but I see the little flares. I don’t think he trusts me either, like he’s willing to accept what I said because it’s what he really wanted, not because he actually believes it one hundred percent…and I don’t even know what I want.”

“I think you do.” She spun around and rested her elbows on the railing behind her, staring through the large glass door that framed the scene in front of her: everyone finishing up breakfast, sipping their coffee like reanimated zombies.

Emmett strolled down the hallway and raised his arms overhead, letting out a big yawn. His shirt rode up, showcasing his trim hips and the muscled body he’d honed during hours in the gym and on the ice. Dragging his fingers through his tousled hair, he stuck a cup under the upended coffee pot Ford held, his dimples on full display as he laughed at something one of the guys said. It had been a long time since I’d seen those dimples. The beard had hidden them back in high school, and then the scowling had erased them since.

“He shouldn’t be allowed to look that good in the morning.” I let out a sigh, the kind I hadn’t allowed myself in a long time. His casual confidence and ease had always drawn me to him, made me want to bask in the afterglow of his sureness that the world made sense.

“None of them should. We need to create a calendar or something, raise money for charity. Anyway, why are you out here all on your own?” Mak’s strawberry blonde hair flapped in the wind.

“It’s nice out here, quiet. I don’t get a lot of time to just be, to clear my head and think about things.” Breathing in the fresh sea air, I stared at the small dunes at the edge of the sand.

“What kind of things?” She bumped me with her shoulder.

“My future.”

“With Emmett?” She leaned in closer.

I shook my head. “Well, maybe. I don’t know. Now I guess things could be different…but I was thinking about September.”

“About college?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ll do an amazing job. You got your associate’s even with everything you were juggling. That’s an achievement.”

“How did you know you wanted to go to med school?”

Her head jerked back and she let out a deep breath. “Funny you should say that—I didn’t. I don’t.”

“What? Med school is all you’ve talked about since forever.”

“I know.” She stared into her coffee like it was tea leaves ready to tell her future. “This is the summer where I decide. I’m giving myself some time off to think about what I want and why I want it.”

“Wow, that’s a big decision.”

“Tell me about it. And then there’s Declan.”

“What about him?” I followed her gaze to where he sat in the kitchen, laughing.

“He’s going to propose.”

I choked on my coffee. “Really?”

The corners of her mouth turned up. “Really. He’s been dropping hints about the future and once he gets his first pro check, I know he’s going to do something stupid like buy me a big ring with it.” She nibbled on her bottom lip.

“Would you not say yes?”

“Of course I would.” The words flew out of her mouth without hesitation. “But if I’m in med school here and he gets traded, what then?”

“What then is you two figure it out.”

“Since when have you known me not to worry about anything and everything?”

“True.”

She drummed her fingers against the mug. “Are you thinking about not going to college in the fall?”

I nodded. “Syd’s got some tax issues with the bakery and she’s thinking of giving the place up, selling it and moving to Florida. I have a bunch of money saved up for school and I was thinking maybe I could help her out, be part owner, try to bring the place into the twenty-first century.”

“I’ve tasted what you bake, so I have no doubt you’d kick ass at it. Do you think she’d go for it?”

I pushed my hair back from my face. “Maybe.” I squinted against the morning sun. “Yeah, I think she might.”

“Well, it seems we all have a lot to think about this summer. And what about Emmett? He lives in LA. What will you two do?”

I raked my hands through my hair. “I don’t even know. We just got past the ‘I’m no longer cursing a plague on both your houses’ stage. There’s been no talk of the future. Maybe this is what we both need to finally get closure on this thing.”

“Yesterday didn’t sound like you were closing anything—more like you were about to put a few new holes in the walls.” She laughed into her mug.

Setting mine down, I covered my face with my hands. “Were you all listening the whole time?” I could feel the scarlet creep along my cheeks.

“I mean, not so much listening as unable to shut out the outrageously loud pounding for hours on end. It’s not like there hasn’t been enough nookie to go around while we’ve been down here, but you two took it to another level. Colm finally shooed us all out with the promise of a movie when everyone came back after breakfast to change. He even sprung for popcorn and candy, so we went along like good little kids.”

I stared up at the sky. “We’re never going to live that down.”

“With three couples in the house now, I’m sure one of us will find a way to outdo you two—or at least we’ll have a fun time trying.” She winked at me.

“What are you two out here gossiping about?” Declan walked out and wrapped his arms around Mak. She beamed up at him with a smile so wide it made my cheeks hurt.

“Who’d have guessed you two would make such a nauseatingly adorable couple?”

“I did. Totally called it.” Heath popped out of the house onto the balcony.

“He did.” Declan rolled his eyes.

“Is this where the party is?” Emmett stepped out next. The knotted feeling that usually accompanied his presence was replaced with a flutter. It was like the shroud we’d draped over all those emotions had been pulled back and they could finally run free.

“It is, but this thing is going to collapse with all these people out here. I don’t have enough medical training to triage everyone, so back inside.” Mak shooed Declan and Heath into the house then followed, and Emmett stepped out of the way to let them leave. The sharp click of the door behind them left us alone outside.

He rested his arms on either side of me, his face inches from mine, pressing my waist against the railing. I took a moment to just look at him: the strong brow and jaw, his straight nose and perfect teeth—always a rarity in hockey players. The flecks of gold in his eyes were ones I knew well, sometimes wishing I were an artist so I could draw them.

“What are you looking at?” He grinned down at me.

“You.”

His hand slipped from the railing to the small of my back. The rough pads of his fingers streaked across the bare skin in the gap between my jeans and top. Each pass of his hand sent the flames of desire higher, the slow, methodical way he pressed against me, letting his fingers dip lower, skimming along the top of my waistband.

“I’ve wanted to touch you like this for so long.” He palmed my ass, lifting me off my feet.

I sank into his touch, into him. My fingers tingled, waiting to touch his bare skin. Reaching around him, I followed his lead, bunching up his shirt and running my hands along his back. The thickly corded muscles tightened at the contact.

His eyes closed then snapped back open, the pupils dilated and brimming with the dark promises of what he’d do to me the second we weren’t so exposed.

“Do you still like this?” He ducked his head and ran his tongue over the spot at the base of my neck, the same one he’d discovered one night while trying to convince me to stay in bed a little longer.

“I thought we established that fact last night.” I let out a shuddering breath. My nerve endings exploded like a set of fireworks, and I moaned with my lips against his ear. A jolt shot through me.

A sharp crack brought us out of our foreplay—I mean, could it really be called anything else?—on the balcony. I jerked back and he stared over the edge. “Whoops.”

I craned my neck to see over the railing. My coffee cup was in pieces on the concrete below.

Colm came out from under the house with a bike. “You two are going to have to pay to replace that.”

“Sorry, Dad,” Emmett called down to him.

Colm grumbled and climbed onto the bike, pedaling off.

“Maybe we should take this inside.” I let my fingers trail over his chest. Tugging on the hem of his shirt, I led him in.

It was a lazy day around the house after such an emotional one the day before. We popped popcorn and watched a couple movies, and there was a massive 2000-piece puzzle on the dining room table people would work on for a few minutes at a time before getting so frustrated they gave up.

“Who the hell buys a puzzle with no edges?” Colm chucked one of the pieces off the table and it bounced, hitting Ford in the center of his chest.

“Some people enjoy the challenge.” He laughed.

“More like the torture.”

“Potato, potahto,” Ford replied before slipping the piece into its spot.

“We are not going to stay in all day. Let’s go on the rides again.” Mak hopped up from her chair. “Ladies, let’s get ready.” She pointed at me, Kara, and Liv like she was the lead singer on stage looking to get some.

“I’m already dressed.” I gestured to my ensemble of jeans and t-shirt.

“Come on! It will be fun. We can get all dolled up and maybe steal a little attention away from the guys, at least put us on an even playing field.”

Mak took us all upstairs and we did our best Pretty Woman reenactment, except with the clothes everyone already had and no shitty salespeople. I didn’t even offer up anything.

“How about this?” Liv held up a dress in front of me.

“Don’t you think a sequined mini dress is a bit much for a stroll on the boardwalk?”

“I think you could make it work.” She squinted and examined it.

“You’re way shorter than me. I don’t feel like even my OB has seen that much of me.”

“I’m sure Emmett has.” She waggled her eyebrows.

Holding back a laugh, I plucked the hanger from her hand and put it back in her closet.

“What about these?” Mak came in with some clothes over her arm, and Kara followed carrying a few things as well. If it wasn’t jeans or a t-shirt, when it came to going out, I was SOL. There might have been one dress shoved in the bottom of my closet at some point, but I wasn’t sure.

Batting away the makeup brushes Liv held out, I found the most unassuming items offered up to me. “These are perfect.”

“So boring,” Liv moaned.

“Exactly.” I rushed into the bathroom before anyone could stop me.

“Let’s see!” Mak, Kara, and Liv sat on the bed, waiting for me to reappear. I opened the door and they gave me the perfect runway clap.

“Gorgeous darling. Very reminiscent of the early Dolce & Gabbana style. So unassuming,” Liv declared, doing her best Edna Mode impersonation.

Turning, I scrunched my eyebrows down at them. “Is that a real thing?”

They shrugged and we all dissolved into a fit of laughter. Quickly, before they got any ideas, I made my escape from the room, launching myself down the stairs before anyone could catch me. My feet faltered on the last step and Emmett was there. His hands steadied me then lingered along my waist.

“You look beautiful.”

“She would look even better if she’d let me do her makeup!” Liv called down.

“We’ll be down in ten,” Mak added.

“I don’t think that’s even possible.” He ran his thumb along my bottom lip. It tasted like buttery popcorn. Taking my hand in his, he led me outside.

“You want to leave them behind?” I followed him down to the driveway. Quicker than I could register it, my back banged against the side of the house. The warm siding heating me up was nowhere near as hot as his touch.

“What if we just stay behind? Let them think we left already and they can’t find us.” He trailed kisses along my jaw.

My pulse pounded in anticipation of his touch.

“Have I told you how much I like this dress?” His fingers skimmed along my thigh and my lips parted.

“I thought this summer was about spending time with the group.” My words were raspy, hungry.

“Priorities change.” His lips brushed against mine, teasing me with their soft strength.

“Come on, let’s go,” someone called out from the front of the house.

I pushed him back, gasping for breath. My body hummed with his hand still under the skirt of my dress, his fingers gliding along my skin. It was the best worst idea I’d had in a long time.

Emmett leaned his forehead against mine and stared into my eyes. “Maybe if we’re quiet, they’ll leave without us.”

“Where the hell is Emmett? He’s always a pain in the ass about being left out.” Heath joined whoever was already outside.

“I think they’re waiting for you.” I skimmed my lips across his and he dropped his hand down into mine, the hold I’d known so well over the years. His thumb brushed across the back of my hand and our shoes crunched on the gravel lining the side of the house.

“His car and Percy are still here. If they went without us, I’m going to kick his ass after all the crap about people leaving the group behind.” I couldn’t hold back my smile at Mak’s disgruntled voice.

“You guys sure know how to keep the shore from getting boring,” Kara said with a laugh.

“You have no idea.” Every head whipped around to Ford’s deep rumble of a voice. Under the scruff on his face, his cheeks went bright red and he took a step back, dropping his eyes.

Everyone laughed. The bright lights in the evening sky directed our way to the boardwalk as people walked past us and families rode by on bikes, ringing their bells. The conversations of our group melded into one happy cacophony mixing with the sounds of summer fun.

I was transported back to the sidewalks outside the bakery when all the college kids would walk by, only this time I wasn’t watching wistfully from afar. I was one of them.

My steps faltered. The weight of his body pressed against my back, and my gaze shot to Liv and Kara walking in front of me. My core clenched as his breath caressed the shell of my ear, sending a shiver shooting down my spine.

“Don’t think this is a one-time thing. We’re not through, Avery—not by a long shot.”