Chapter 1
Chapter One – Kenzie
I used to count down the days to summer like a kid waiting for Christmas. But this year?
This year, I tried not to.
Two years changes a lot. People grow apart, lips stop talking, hearts forget how to ache—or at least they pretend to. And yet, here I am, windows down, hair a tangled mess of wind and ocean spray, rolling into Seaside Cove like I belong here.
Like it hasn’t been 730 days since I last saw Ben Carter in person.
“You sure this is the place?” Chloe asked from the passenger seat, chewing her gum like she owned the world. Her blonde hair was already braided back, sunglasses perched on her head.
“Yeah,” I said, trying to steady my heartbeat. “This is it. His aunt’s house.”
The beach house sat high on a hill, pale blue shutters, wraparound porch, string lights already flickering like fireflies. The kind of place that felt like a memory before you even stepped inside.
A new summer.
A new version of me.
I hadn’t seen Elora either—not since that night. The night everything cracked between us, silent and sharp. We texted. Fake, polite texts. But we never said what needed to be said.
And now we were about to spend three weeks under the same roof, with him.
I slammed the car door shut, bare feet hitting warm pavement. Laughter rang out from the porch—Madilyn, obviously, and Jessie trailing behind her like a puppy. Some things never changed.
Chloe grabbed her bags and trotted up the steps like this was a dream. I paused for just a second. I didn’t want to be the girl who hesitated anymore.
Then I looked up—and there he was.
Ben.
Leaning against the railing. Hair a little longer, tan skin, basketball tank top, smile already cocked sideways like it knew what it did to people.
He looked right at me.
And I swear the air went still.
“You gonna stand there all dramatic or are you gonna hug me, Kenny?” he said, voice light, teasing.
I rolled my eyes. “Still calling me Kenny, huh?”
“You still pretending you don’t love it?”
I walked up the stairs slow, letting him watch.
I hated that I noticed his eyes were still the color of burnt caramel.
I hated that Elora was already standing behind him.
And I hated that part of me still remembered the way he used to look at me like I was the only girl in the world.
