49 RYAN
RYAN
Epilogue
The sun dips low over the horizon, washing the beach in gold and soft pink. It’s early July now, final exams turned in this morning and the whole town is finally able to breathe again.
From the porch of Noah and Maddy’s house, I can see half the town scattered across the sand—music drifting up with the warm air, mixing with the smell of salt, grilled food, and way too much sunscreen.
Maddy’s curled up in my lap under a blanket, one of my hoodies hanging off her shoulders, her hair still messy from the ocean. She’s laughing at something Kiara just said, and I feel it against my chest. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.
Not that I’m trying.
Luke’s at the barbecue, obviously, flipping something with way too much confidence in his grill master apron while everyone else hovers nearby.
Across the porch, Dawn, Tess, and Daphne are already deep into some story, passing drinks back and forth and laughing so hard they can barely finish their sentences.
“Who wants a perfectly charred marshmallow?” Liam asks, holding one up like it’s a trophy.
Noah eyes him. “Since when are you sharing food?”
Mel snorts. “Yeah, seriously. Who are you and what have you done with our Liam?”
Laughter breaks out. Talk shifts without effort; summer plans, beach days, late nights, absolutely no responsibilities for at least two glorious months.
Dawn groans and drops her head back against the chair. “Must be nice. I’ve got court. All. Summer.”
She lifts her head just enough to glare at the sky. “Because nothing says ‘summer’ like showing up for your parents’ lawsuit every single day.”
Tess winces. “I feel so bad for you.”
Daphne tilts her head. “You said your family's rivals are actually kind of nice, though.”
“They are,” Dawn admits. “Their son is not.”
Maddy shifts slightly in my lap. “…But he’s hot.”
Dawn turns her head slowly. “That is not the point.”
I gesture to myself, deeply offended. “Wait—excuse me? You have a boyfriend, remember?”
Maddy just laughs, completely unapologetic. “What? You can’t deny he’s hot.”
“Oh really?” I shoot back, pulling her a little closer.
She tilts her head up at me, smiling soft and sure. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave you for him.”
Kiara fake gags. “Why do you two always have to flirt in front of people?”
“Because we’re in love,” Maddy says sweetly.
“Disgusting,” Noah mutters, but he’s smiling.
Laughter rolls across the porch, blending with the sound of the ocean and the last light of the sun slipping into the water.
I glance down at Maddy. “Hey,” I whisper, leaning closer so only she can hear me, “do you want to take a little walk on the beach?”
She nods, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah. I’d love that.”
We stand, her hand slipping into mine without hesitation. Together, we start toward the edge of the porch.
“Where are you two going?” Mom calls, standing next to Luke, not even trying to sound subtle.
“Just a walk,” I answer casually.
“Don’t go too far, kids!” Dawn adds with a grin—then winks.
“Oooh,” Bailey sings, nudging Kiara, who smirks right on cue. “Romantic beach stroll.”
Maddy giggles and hides her face briefly in my shoulder. “You guys are ridiculous,” she whispers, but there’s no real complaint in her voice.
We walk for a while, hand in hand, the sand cool beneath our feet and the ocean humming beside us. After a few quiet minutes, she nudges me with her shoulder. “Want a rematch?”
I glance down at her, already smiling. “You wanna race again?”
“Absolutely.” She crouches slightly, dropping into a dramatic ready stance, eyes sparkling with challenge. “This time, I’m gonna win fair and square.”
I huff a quiet laugh, adrenaline kicking in even though I already know how this ends.
“You ready?” I ask.
“Oh, hell yes.”
“Alright.” I step beside her. “One… two… three—”
We take off at the same time, feet pounding through soft sand, laughter tearing out of both of us as the wind rushes past. “This Love” by Taylor Swift playing in my mind.
She’s fast—still faster than me—hair flying behind her like a victory flag.
I push harder, closing the distance inch by inch until I finally catch her, wrapping an arm around her waist and lifting her clean off the ground.
“Ryan!” she shrieks, laughing. “Put me down!”
“Not a chance,” I say, already running straight into the ocean. Cold water splashes up around us, soaking our clothes instantly, but neither of us cares.
“You’re insane,” she says, still laughing, trying to push wet hair out of her face.
I grin at her. “Nah. You love me.”
She tilts her head, pretending to think. “Oh really? Do I?”
I step a little closer. “Pretty sure.”
“Maybe I do,” she says with a soft smile.
“Well,” I murmur, brushing a strand of wet hair behind her ear, my hand settling gently against her cheek, “In that case… I love you too.”
She leans in, and I meet her halfway to kiss her, the ocean moving around us like the whole world is breathing with us and for a moment, nothing else exists.
And then she splashes water straight into my face.
I jerk back, sputtering. “Hey!”
She’s already laughing, already turning, already running toward the shore.
“Oh, I will get you!” I call after her, chasing her through the waves. Her laughter carries across the beach, and as I run after her—heart pounding, lungs burning, I realize how lucky I am.