Chapter 47 Summer
The scoreboard at Pine Point sits partway between the beachy shore covered in spectators and where I currently float in the water—ignoring, as I have for the past ten minutes, the blond man sitting on his own board a few yards away.
I’ve managed to avoid Denny since the event at Rocky Ridge, while knowing, deep down, that this was bound to happen, eventually. Me and him, head-to-head in the water.
It’s the first heat of the day, and that scoreboard isn’t nice to look at. It’s been all bad luck since I got in the water—lackluster waves, and even more mediocre surfing. Every time I’ve managed to pull ahead of Denny’s highest scoring waves, he’s made up for it on his next turn.
He’s still sitting pretty in first place in the overall series scoring, while my third-place standing makes me the weaker surfer between us.
On paper.
A good first round would set me up for the rest of the day. It would mean eliminating Denny from this event. His overall score would take a hit, and mine would skyrocket if I can manage to put my whole effort, my whole heart into surfing today.
I stare off to where spectator boats dot the water, finding the large sailboat where my friends sit with their legs dangling over the ship’s side.
Caroline and Brian Woods wave at me enthusiastically.
At the very end of the row sits Parker, Hawaiian shirt fluttering in the breeze, phone trained on me.
The words TEAM SUMMER glitter from all their chests. And my heart squeezes tight at the sight.
“Are the old ones paid actors?” Denny’s voice is taunting. “Don’t your parents avoid the hell out of you?”
It’s hard to be bothered by him with a literal boatload of people here for me, just like they said they’d be. Without taking my eyes off them, I give Denny the finger.
And I swear, Parker’s smile goes wider.
He moves his phone out of the way, pointing at the TEAM SUMMER on his chest like he did moments before I got into the water.
Here and across the world, he’d said, echoing the words on my new surfboard.
All my life, I’ve operated under the assumption that Parker is, well…
Parker. Bound to me by sheer virtue of how deeply intertwined our lives have been since the moment we met.
And in many ways, I’ve made sure we stayed intertwined.
Moving into an apartment across the street from his, convincing him to give up every Friday night for me.
I always assumed that, one day, he’d meet someone and make his merry way out of my life like everyone else had.
We’ve been tangled up together our whole lives, but what if it wasn’t by force, but by fate? What if I’m one of the lucky few who gets to say that they’ve been loved by the same person through every single version of themselves, through every single phase of life?
It’s improbable. A pipe dream wished for by every lover of love like me. And yet, when I burned down our friendship earlier this summer, there it was rising from the ashes as something even better.
Unbreakable.
It’s time, I finally decide. Time to welcome the love I do have, from wherever it comes. To choose myself, and trust my people to stay my people, no matter where I am.
Team Summer, here and across the world.
With a breath, I tear my gaze off the boat and fix it on the horizon. I thread water through my outstretched fingers, arms floating at my sides. I’m ready whenever you are.
Minutes later, I spot a gorgeous set of waves forming in the distance.
Seconds after, I ride my first barrel.
“Darling girl, we are so proud of you.” Caroline squeezes me so tightly a breath actually gusts out of me.
I should’ve been better prepared; since the judges announced my win at Pine Point and second-place finish in Surf’s Up, guaranteeing my spot on the Champions Tour next month, she’s hugged me and gushed over me whenever we’ve come within range.
Which, given the close quarters of Parker’s apartment and the bodies currently filling it, has been occurring at ten-minute intervals.
“Thank you for being there for me.” I hug her back, so damn grateful for her and every person here to celebrate with me.
A deep sense of peace overcame me as the water flung me out of that first barrel, still on my feet and feeling stronger than ever, in every way.
By the final heat of the day, any lingering doubt that this was what I was meant to do had vanished.
And it wasn’t just because of the final standings—it was seeing my own euphoria mirrored in my friends’ faces.
It was the happy tears that Parker hastily brushed away when his sister started teasing him.
These aren’t people who’d forget me.
This is family, one who chose to love me a long time ago. Who chose to keep loving me even while I kept them at a distance this summer.
My gaze wanders over Caroline’s shoulder.
Melody, Siena, and Shy are laughing together, replenishing the snack table.
Parker sits on the couch between Zac and Brooks, with his dad nearby.
They seem to be arguing about something, and over the low music and the sounds of the girls laughing I hear the words completion percentage and receiving yards.
Parker’s eyes flick across the room mid-sentence, finding me without trying. Dimples pop in his cheeks. My stomach bursts with pleasure, then pinches with preemptive longing.
I can’t believe I’m about to go months at a time without that smile.
Caroline draws away, noticing where I’m looking.
“Did you know Brian and I are high school sweethearts?” She nods when I tell her I didn’t.
“Since we were thirteen. We went to different colleges, and it was… not the easiest thing in the world, if you want the truth. Experiencing this exciting, life-changing thing without my best friend—my safety net. Made me prouder of every independent victory, though. And every reunion was that much sweeter.”
“I’m nervous,” I admit. “I’m a grown woman suddenly realizing how little I’ve done on my own. He’s always been right there, you know?”
“You’re both more than ready—look how far you’ve come in a matter of months. Together, but as your own people, too.” Caroline’s smile is kind, but then she catches sight of something over my shoulder, and her lips purse together. “In fact, this may be your first opportunity to practice.”
I turn to find Callie, Wynn, and Lisa inching slowly toward us in Parker’s kitchen, a whole spectrum of emotions written over their faces: Callie stern. Wynn cautious. And Lisa beaming at me, face brighter than the overhead lights.
“I can stay, if you’d like backup,” Caroline whispers.
“That’s okay. I can handle them.”
With a smile at me, and a warning look at the trio now approaching me, Caroline heads into the living room.
“Hi,” I say cautiously. “What are you doing here?”
“Parker mentioned something about a party.” Lisa’s smile doubles. “You were fantastic today. We were all so proud.”
“I didn’t know you were there. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Same reason we haven’t seen you properly in months. We wanted to give you your space.” Callie gathers me in her arms before I can wrap my head around their words. “But for God’s sake, Summer. Please tell us you’re done avoiding us.”
“There was more gossiping than I could stand,” I whisper into her shoulder. “I swear, I didn’t know what he’d been doing.”
“Of course you didn’t.” Wynn shakes his head disapprovingly. “Small-town nonsense. Some people will believe anything.”
“We’ve all been so sick about it,” Lisa adds. “And we’ve refused to serve that boy every time he’s come into Oakley’s since.”
My eyes prickle. I squeeze Callie back. “Thank you.”
Again, Parker’s eyes connect with mine unprompted. There’s a barely perceptible rise in his brow, a silent question to me as he studies our scene. I nod and he relaxes.
He mouths love you. And keeping the I love you, too to myself is a whole fight. I’m happy for this party but longing for later. When we’re alone again and I can tell him exactly what he means to me.
How no amount of distance over the next year, and any year beyond that, could undo us.
How I’ll find the stormy blue of his eyes in every ocean, hear his laugh in every thundering wave.
How his belief in me will power me through every surf, and the thought of a tomorrow where we’re together again—no matter how far away—will be all the strength I need to get out of bed on my hardest days.
Brian wanders over, inquiring about the diner, and I take the opportunity to excuse myself for a breather. I shut Parker’s bedroom door behind me and flop face-first on his bed, inhaling his peppery scent off the sheets. I’m going to have to steal his bodywash.
I pull my phone from my shorts, about to text him to sneak away to meet me, when I notice a flash of white in my periphery.
I reach for the crumpled sheet of paper on his nightstand, standing out against the neatly stacked autobiographies and a spare pair of glasses sitting in its case. It takes me a few blinks to understand what I’m looking at, even though the title should make it obvious.
Summer’s Dream Man
It’s the stupid list we’d put together earlier this summer.
I haven’t thought about it since, but it seems Parker has.
There are scribbles all the way down the paper.
A slash of ink crossing out the words has dark hair that makes my heart sink.
A check mark beside can cook that has tears of pride forming.
At the very bottom, an address I vaguely recognize is written in Parker’s messy scrawl next to owns a home.
“Oh, Parker.” I want to say that I can’t believe he’s done this, obsessed over this silly list. Methodically worked through it, giving me everything I once said I wanted from a partner. But of course, he’s done this.
When has Parker ever not given me his all?
At every turn, every phase of my life, he’s been exactly what I needed.
The raucous boy befriending the timid only child at day care.
The rebellious teen coaxing me out of my misery after my home life blew up.
A man who’s shown me what I’ve been missing, the way I’ve always dreamed of being loved while chasing after boys all my life.
I throw myself back on the mattress, holding the mangled paper to my chest. I’m going to marry that man one day.
The bedroom door swings open. Melody leads Siena and Shy into the room.
“There you are,” she says. “Everything okay?”
Wordlessly, I hold out the list. They gather around me on the bed, eyes flying over the sheet of paper.
“Marry him. Bear his children,” Siena orders. “Use that rope of his to muscle him down the aisle if you have to.”
“I’ll help,” Shy adds.
I laugh. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
Melody flings herself down next to me, throwing an arm over her eyes. “Thank God. He’s your problem now.”
I bounce to my feet and head for the door, suddenly unable to spend a single second more at this party. “Do me a favor? Tell my problem to meet me at my place in ten minutes.”