Since the Day We Kissed (Hadley Cove #3)

Prologue

Twenty-Two Years Earlier

Hadley Cove, Georgia

H ow did this happen?

The salty tang of the ocean filled the air alongside the distant cries of seagulls overhead. Kara’s heart pounded. Her dad was going to kill her—and Ethan, too. Clutching the thick woolen blanket to her body, Kara leaned over and placed her hand on Ethan’s shoulder.

“Ethan, wake up!”

His eyes fluttered open, then closed again. “Hmph?”

She shook his shoulder. “We gotta go. My dad’s gonna freak when he finds out I didn’t come home.”

“Huh? What?” Ethan’s eyes opened again.

“We stayed out all night. We fell asleep.” Ethan propped himself up on his elbows and blinked a few times, taking in the secluded beach cove. His eyes crinkled, lips curving into a slow, contented smile as he gazed at Kara. “Well, good morning, gorgeous. I suppose we got a little carried away last night, huh?”

“Very!” Kara nodded rapidly, her eyes wide and her breath coming in short, sharp bursts. She pulled out her phone, but the screen was blank. Dead. “Ethan, what time is it? Can you check your phone?”

Ethan patted his pockets, his brow furrowing. “Uh, about that ... It fell in the water last night. We couldn’t find it. Remember?”

Kara’s eyebrows leaped toward her hairline, her jaw dropping as if unhinged. Her stomach plummeted as the gravity of their situation sank in. “Shoot! We need to grab our things and—”

“Looks like I’m phone shopping today.” Ethan grabbed Kara’s hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. “Don’t stress, babe. It’s still early. We’ve got time.”

Before Kara could say anything, Ethan sat up, cupped her face and met her lips with his as if nothing else mattered. She kissed him back as if she believed it, too.

As they parted, lips tingling from the shadow of their kiss, Kara rested her forehead against his. “Ethan, seriously. We really need to get going.”

“All right, all right.” He scrubbed his face with his hands. “I’m up.” He reached over and grabbed his T-shirt from the sand. Dusting it off, he pulled it over his head and let out a yawn.

Kara snatched up her bag, sending a spray of fine sand into the air. She shoved the beach towels inside—the damp, gritty fabric rough against her fingers in her frantic rush. “We should’ve packed some of this stuff last night,” she said, mostly to herself. “Have you seen my shoes?”

“I don’t know ... maybe up near the grass? I think that’s where I left mine.” Smoothing back his blonde locks, Ethan got to his feet and stretched. “Can’t believe the sand fleas didn’t eat us alive out here.”

“They should’ve,” Kara said, shaking her head and scowling. “Would’ve been payback for being so irresponsible.”

“Let’s not call it irresponsible. I prefer—daring. Or adventurous.” He snaked a hand around her waist, pulling her in for another kiss.

“My dad. Our boss. He won’t see it that way.” Kara smiled as she pressed her hands against Ethan’s firm chest, pushing him away. “And stop distracting me. We’ve gotta focus.”

“Come on, distracting you is what I do best.” He reached for her again, but she stepped away, just missing the path of his outstretched arm, and began gathering more of their things.

“Ugh, these sandwiches have been sitting out all night.” She grabbed a soggy PB&J half-wrapped in a piece of wax paper, then stuffed it into her bag. “Gross!”

Ethan waved his hand dismissively. “No biggie. Who cares about the sandwiches? I’m here for you.”

“Uh-huh.” Kara shook her head. “Now come on, help me pack up.”

“Sun’s barely up.” Ethan grabbed one of the blankets and shook the sand off it. “You think your folks are even awake?”

Kara considered his question for a moment before responding. “Maybe.” She grabbed the blanket from his hands and folded it. “But I’d rather not wait to find out. Can you hurry? And don’t forget your camera.”

Kara pointed at the Polaroid camera that Ethan had brought with him, lying on top of the sand.

“I know, I know.” He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her nose. “But hey, before we go, let’s take a picture. That’s why I brought the camera, after all.”

“Ethan.” Kara’s voice took on a pleading note.

“It’ll just take a sec, I promise.” He paused, grinning. “Two seconds, tops. We forgot to take them last night.”

Kara tilted her head back, her eyes narrowing against the pale light of the rising sun. Her gaze followed a pair of pelicans skimming low over the water, their wings grazing the surface. A memento from what was probably the best night of her life would be worth the delay.

Her attention drifted back to Ethan. “Fine. But hurry.”

“Alright, let’s get one like this.” Draping his arm across Kara’s shoulders, he pulled her in close and held the camera out in front of them.

Click.

The camera flashed.

Kara blinked.

“Wait! I think my eyes were closed.” She looked up at Ethan. “Can we take another?”

Ethan grinned. “Of course.” He carefully tucked the first photo into his shirt pocket.

“Here, get one like this.” Kara pulled his arm around her, resting her head on his chest.

Click.

Ethan slipped the second photo into his pocket alongside the first. “Ooh, and then one maybe like this?” He leaned down and kissed Kara on the cheek.

Click.

After securing the third photo, Ethan readied the camera again.

“How about we look into each other’s eyes?” Kara asked, tipping her chin up to his face.

Click.

Ethan quickly pocketed the fourth photo before dipping his head. “How about a candid?”

“A candid? How’s that supposed to work?”

“Like this!”

Ethan reached down and tickled the small of her back.

“Ah!” Kara let out a squeak. “You know that’s where I’m the most ticklish!”

He started laughing. “I know.”

Kara giggled as he tickled her again.

Click.

Kara held up her hand. “Okay, that’s enough. How many did you get?”

Ethan carefully set the camera down, then pulled out the Polaroids from his pocket, each in various stages of development. He counted them quickly. “Five. Now we have to wait and see how they turned out.”

“Ethan!”

“Chill. It’ll just take a sec.”

Kara crossed her arms, one eyebrow arching high. She stared at Ethan, unblinking, her foot creating a soft thump as it tapped against the sand. “A second. Two at the most?”

He waved the Polaroids back and forth. “We have to make sure they came out all right. Don’t wanna get home and find out they’re all duds.”

“Fine, you can wait. But I’m gonna keep packing.”

“Almost there.” Ethan held them out. “And—there we go. See? That didn’t take long.”

Kara dropped her bag and stepped toward Ethan. “Let’s have a look.”

Ethan drew her into a side hug, holding the Polaroids out between them.

“Ugh, look at that one. My eyes are closed.” Kara pulled it from the stack. “But you look cute in it. So, I’m keeping it.”

Ethan smirked. “Okay, well then, I’m claiming this one. You look absolutely stunning here.”

Kara’s eyes lingered on the second photo, drinking in every detail. There she was, nestled against Ethan’s chest, her long chestnut hair all messed up from the sea breeze. It should’ve looked awful, but somehow ... it didn’t? The image showed her in a way she rarely saw herself—carefree, radiant, and undeniably happy. Her usual self-consciousness had vanished, replaced by a girl who seemed to glow from within. It was a snapshot of pure, uncomplicated love—the kind she’d always dreamed of but never quite believed she’d find. “You really think so?”

“Definitely. In my completely honest opinion, you look gorgeous in every single one. Even the blinky ones.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “If you say so. Looks like the rest are pretty blurry, though.”

“Yeah, there’s always a few duds. It happens.”

“Well, I guess you were right. At least we both got a good one out of it.” She picked up her bag and slipped the Polaroid into the side pocket. “But now we seriously need to go.”

“All right, let’s get you back.” Ethan took the bag from Kara’s hands and slipped it onto his shoulder. “Did we forget anything?”

Kara glanced around, her eyes scanning the grassy area where they had been. A few stray items caught her attention: a water bottle, a couple of napkins, and some litter that didn’t belong to them. She hurriedly picked them up, adding them to the bag. “I think we’ve got everything now.”

Ethan grinned. “Glad one of us has an eye for detail.”

“Always good to leave a place better than we found it,” Kara said, smiling as she adjusted her bag. “All right, let’s go.”

As they walked back to Ethan’s blue Chevy truck and hopped inside, Kara’s teeth chewed at her bottom lip. Excuses for her overnight absence spiraled through her mind, each more far-fetched than the last, crumbling under the weight of her dad’s inevitable scrutiny. Her heart raced as she pictured the vein throbbing in his temple, his voice booming as he demanded an explanation. And if he ever found out she had been with Ethan—she shuddered to think of the consequences.

“Try not to worry,” Ethan said as he pulled onto the road. “Everything will be fine.”

Kara sighed. “I hope you’re right ... You know how my dad can be.”

“He’s probably still asleep. Don’t worry, we’ll be at your house soon.”

Kara leaned her head out of the window, the wind whipping through her hair. As they drove down the oak-lined street, she noticed the Spanish moss draping from the branches like wispy, gray-green curtains. The delicate tendrils swayed in the breeze, casting intricate shadows that danced across the windshield and the cobblestone sidewalks below. The sight was hauntingly beautiful, one that always took Kara’s breath away, even in her anxious state. She watched the quaint shops and businesses pass by in a blur, her stomach twisting with each familiar landmark.

They were less than a minute from her house, and her pulse quickened as Ethan’s truck rumbled down the familiar street.

“Hey, don’t park out front,” she told him. “Drop me off a few houses down—just to be safe.”

“Sure thing.” Ethan slowed and pulled the truck to a rolling stop two houses down from hers. Taking the keys out of the ignition, he turned to her. “Wanna hang out later today?”

Kara’s eyes darted down the road to her parents’ bedroom windows. Fingers fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, twisting the fabric as she scanned for any signs of movement. The curtains were drawn tight. The darkened glass revealed nothing, yet the sight sent her heart galloping in her chest. Her palms turned slick and cold with sweat. “I mean, I’d love to, but—” She took a breath and forced an exhale, “it kinda depends on how things go when I get inside.”

Ethan took her hand, pulling her across the seat toward him. “I can come with you, talk to your dad. Smooth things over.”

A short, nervous chuckle bubbled up from Kara’s throat before catching on to her vocal cords. “Are you kidding? He’d straight up strangle you if you walked into my house right now. Bad idea. No, best I deal with this myself.” She looked over at him. “Call me later, yeah? When you get your new phone?”

“Of course,” he said, with a roguish half-smile that made her heart skip a beat.

Leaning forward, Ethan closed the distance.

Kara’s eyes fell shut, the darkness behind her lids filling with bursts of color. Then the world around her faded away until all that existed was the gentle pressure of Ethan’s lips on hers, the heat of his breath mingling with her own, the hard planes of his chest pressed against her soft curves. They were two halves of a whole.

She tried to push down the nagging feeling that this moment of bliss was the calm before the storm. But even as she lost herself in Ethan’s embrace, the niggling sense of unease remained, like a splinter lodged beneath her skin.

Then, as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over her head, her muscles tensed, her body went rigid, and her eyes snapped open. The dreamy haze of passion evaporated in an instant.

Her dad.

She needed to go inside.

Now.

As she broke the kiss, Ethan cupped Kara’s chin, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. His touch was featherlight, yet it seemed to burn against her flushed skin, igniting a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. The intensity of his piercing blue eyes left her breathless.

“I love you. You know that, right? I’ll love you forever, Kara,” he whispered.

He spoke with a fierce conviction that she felt reverberating in every bone of her body. It filled her up, consuming her wholly and completely in a way she had never experienced before.

All she could do was nod while overcome and unable to find her voice.

“I know,” she finally whispered back, her voice catching with the swell of feelings. “I love you too, but I really have to go.”

Reluctantly, she slid back over to her side of the truck and reached for the door handle, already missing his touch and closeness. “You better call me.”

Before she could jump out, he stretched across and grasped her small hand in his, entwining their fingers together. “You know I will.”