Epilogue

If I lay on the sand with my eyes shut, the scorching sun beating down on me as I listened to the rhythmical crashing of the waves, I could almost imagine I hadn't moved from this spot in the last nine months. When I opened my eyes, though, the changes screamed out.

An unoccupied chair.

No lifeguard.

Mia and Austin, just a few metres away, all but having sex on the beach.

"It's hard to concentrate when I know you two are trying your hardest not to rip each other's clothes off," I said.

"We appreciate you acknowledging the effort we're making," Mia replied, after disengaging her mouth from Austin's.

"And what are you concentrating on, anyway?" Austin asked. "Last time I checked, lying on your back didn't require much effort."

I chuckled, opening my eyes to glance across at him. "Wow, poor Mia."

The banter returned easily, and I was pleased that Mia and Austin had worked something out. A lot had changed since last summer, and this felt like a fresh beginning for everyone.

"Are you excited for tonight?" Austin asked me, and there was no mistaking the concealed meaning behind his words.

"Of course. Who doesn't love Italian food?"

"I'm sure you're also looking forward to tasting some American."

"Austin, that was such a lame joke." Mia reclined on her towel, shuffling to find the comfiest position.

The light breeze dusted some sand over my body, and I absentmindedly brushed the stray grains off my stomach.

"I don't want any awkwardness tonight, Austin," I said, keeping my tone serious.

"Sorry, can't promise anything."

He shot me a wink then reclined next to Mia, folding his hands behind his head as he attempted to catch a few more rays, before he inevitably became bored and began to pester his girlfriend again.

~~~

The Italian restaurant served cheap yet authentic food, and for that reason we'd dined there together on several occasions last summer. Once more, there was a sense of familiarity yet novelty as we perused the wine list until the fourth member of our group arrived.

"Nice of you to show," Austin said.

"It's called having a job." Brent sank into the empty seat next to me. "You should try it sometime."

"Being Mia's boyfriend is a full-time job, man. She's high maintenance. Not got time for anything else."

Mia jabbed him in his ribs, but a smile played at her lips. I couldn't imagine anyone lower maintenance than her.

As they engaged in their bickering, I twisted in my seat to face Brent, leaving my stomach behind as it squirmed from seeing him in the flesh for the first time in over nine months.

"How are you?" he asked, hooking a finger in the knot of his tie to loosen it an inch.

I resisted the temptation to check him out, even though suits had always been my weakness. He knew that. Did he wear a suit every day, or had he made an effort just for me? Was it too presumptuous to think that?

"Great, thanks. Feels like I never left."

He chuckled. "Careful, I'll take offence."

Flirting? Too early to tell, but I tested the waters anyway to see if I could gauge the vibe.

"It's nice being able to swim in the sea without someone breathing down my neck."

Raising his eyebrows, Brent picked up the menu that lay in front of him. "I see you've not lost your sense of humour in the past nine months."

I smiled, but my insides still churned. Nine months ago, Brent and I had agreed to go our separate ways with the option of reconciling this summer if both of us were single.

At the time, that was an easy arrangement to make, but we couldn't pretend nothing had changed. Although good changes—Brent excelling in his job and me finding myself while at university—there was an undeniable shift. We didn't need each other like we had nine months ago.

Yet I still wanted him, unable to forget those amazing two weeks we'd spent in London, and the banter lined with flirty undertones suggested a spark continued to burn between us.

"You two look good together. Are you gonna have sex tonight?" Austin asked with an expression of genuine curiosity, as if this were a perfectly acceptable question.

"Austin..." Mia said. "Stop."

"What?" he asked, his voice dripping with innocence. "I'm sure they're both thinking it... I'm trying to get the awkwardness out of the way now so they can just get on with it later. I'm enabling them, Torts. That's the kind of friend I am."

Evidently satisfied that he'd said his piece, Austin refrained from any more inappropriate comments over dinner. Brent chatted about his week at work and Mia asked about my plans for uni next year.

We lost track of how many hours we spent in that restaurant, our conversations making each course last longer than the previous, and by the time we'd paid the bill and left, it was dark outside with a cooler chill to the air.

Mia and I nattered as we wandered back through town, Austin and Brent trailing behind and talking in voices too quiet for us to hear. When we got to Mia's turning, though, Austin cleared his throat.

"Um, excuse me," he called after us.

"Yes?" Mia asked as we turned to face the two boys.

Austin gestured between him and Brent. "Are we all going back to yours, or...?"

Feigning confusion, Mia cocked her head to the side. "Rose is staying at mine. You know this."

With a sigh, Austin folded his arms. "Not to be rude, Rosie, but you're sort of cock-blocking me."

I smiled sweetly at him. "Sorry. Guess I want Mia all to myself."

It couldn't have been more obvious that Austin had been banking on me going home with Brent, allowing him to follow Mia to bed. Thanks to me staying at his girlfriend's house over the last few days, he'd been deprived of sleepovers—something which was clearly bugging him.

"Thanks for a nice evening," Mia said, stepping forwards and looping an arm around Brent's neck to pull him in for a half-hug. His hand rested on her back for the briefest of moments before she moved on to Austin.

When they'd finished kissing, Austin looked at me with his arms wide open until I stepped towards him. Like always, he took my face in his hands and planted a kiss on each cheek. As he released me, I glanced at Brent.

We'd always struggled with how to say bye to one another, but with a coy smile, Brent held out an arm, inviting me forwards. I took the opportunity to step into his embrace, extending my hand around his back for a hug that was neither intimate nor detached. Friendly. Not that we'd ever really been friends.

Brent's hand pressed against my back and remained there, holding me against his firm body long enough to make my stomach squirm again. Then he planted a soft kiss to my cheek and dragged his lips to my ear.

"Come round to mine later," he murmured, before leaning backwards and breaking our hug as if nothing had been said.

The boys left, Austin swinging an arm around Brent as they did, and I wondered what would be discussed in our absence.

"Did I put you on the spot there?" Mia asked.

"Not at all. The opposite, actually. I was dreading the awkward moment where we had to decide who was going home with whom, so I'm glad you at least tried to avoid it."

"Austin has no tact." She tutted as I followed her into the kitchen.

"Things seem good, though," I said.

She nodded and opened the fridge door to pull out a jug of water. "They are. It was a little weird at first. I think we both worried that we needed to be romantic. And, you know us, we don't do romance."

I chuckled. "I know."

"But once we decided there was no need for our behaviour towards each other to change, everything felt better. And there's the odd bit of romance, but it doesn't feel forced."

Silence fell between us as she poured the water into glasses, but I could anticipate the next topic.

"So?" She glanced up at me.

"He looks hot in a suit."

She laughed and placed the jug back inside the fridge, kicking the door shut afterwards. "He looks amazing in a suit. Are you gonna go there?"

I pursed my lips as I considered it. "Maybe. I just don't want there to be this expectation."

She smiled. "Trust me, there is no expectation. It's been nine months, Rose. You've both grown a lot since then."

I sighed and took a sip of water.

"The point is," she said when I didn't reply, "you've both got on with your lives, and now you're back. Do what you want. That was the idea of this year, wasn't it?"

"I guess."

"So, stop worrying and start enjoying yourself. You're free now. You can do whatever you want."

I smiled. "You know, after last year, it's going to feel so great to do what I want without having to worry about anything else."

She lifted her glass in a toast. "Exactly."

Plans for our summer dominated the conversation for the next half an hour until my phone's screen illuminated with a text from Brent.

Come over and let's catch up properly, it read.

I showed Mia. "Do you think it's a plot with Austin?"

She shook her head. "No, I think it's genuine."

We stared at each other for a couple of moments, before a contagious smile forced its way onto Mia's mouth, making me grin, as well.

Less than ten minutes later, I found myself walking down that familiar stretch of shoreline, stomach fluttering with anticipation. My hand remained steady as I knocked, though, and I'd barely lowered it when Brent pulled open the door to greet me with a friendly smile.

We made small talk to begin with while Brent rustled up drinks. A newfound ease radiated from him, a sense of confidence which had undoubtedly surfaced through his success with his job. Heart-warming to see, it made me even more keen to catch up on lost time.

"Tell me about uni," he said as we settled down on his bed.

A few feet separated us, and while it helped that we'd never had sex at his house, vivid memories from his London trip replayed in my mind.

"It's good. I'm enjoying it."

"Any guys on the scene?" Brent asked.

"Would you be jealous if there were?" My mouth spat out the words before my brain had had a chance to decide if it was a sensible idea or not.

Brent smiled. "After reading those drunk texts you sent? Not at all."

I rolled my eyes and lifted my glass to my mouth. "It's not like I told you anything you didn't already know."

"No, it's just flattering to see I made a lasting impression."

"I'm sure..."

He chuckled but didn't push the topic. I'd been worried about this being awkward—or there being an expectation—but it didn't feel that way. Being in a working environment would have forced Brent to develop his social skills, and there was a comfortable vibe present that allowed us to enjoy each other's company without the pressure of making things physical.

"So, the job's going well?" I asked.

He nodded, his eyes lighting up. "I don't think I can ever thank your mom enough for that. Let's just say all is now forgiven."

I laughed. "I'm glad it's working out."

When Mum had finally come to terms with my newly single status, she'd become more open to hearing about Brent. It didn't matter that we weren't together; once she'd learnt about him looking for a "proper" job, she'd jumped at the chance to network on his behalf. I wanted to believe it was altruistic, but I knew her better than that.

"I'm actually working towards a promotion. And if I got it, it would involve a lot of travel."

"Oh?" I said, raising my eyebrows. "That's cool. It'll be great to see other parts of the world."

He nodded. "Yeah, the company has offices in Boston, Hong Kong, London..."

His eyes trained onto mine, willing me to grasp some deeper meaning. It took me several moments before it sunk in.

"You mean you'd be working in London?" I asked, my tone cautious in case I'd misunderstood.

"Well, not permanently," he said with a nonchalant shrug of one shoulder. "It'd just be every now and then. So, if you're ever around and want to point me in the direction of some nice bars to impress the clients..."

I smiled. "Funny how these things turn out, isn't it?"

He let out a short laugh. "Not really. It's hardly coincidental, is it? I wouldn't have got that job if it weren't for your mom, so naturally there are connections to London."

"Well, yeah, I guess."

"You got plans for this summer, then?" Brent leaned back against the headboard and cupped his hands around his glass.

"Mia's organising a couple of trips. But, other than that, I just plan to enjoy myself and make the most of it."

"Can you fit me into your busy schedule?"

"That depends."

"On what?" he asked, his mouth tilting upwards.

"On how much you impress me during our first date."

It was a bold statement considering we hadn't even discussed what would happen between us this summer, but Brent didn't flinch.

"Would it impress you to hear I've already planned it?"

I shrugged, feigning indifference even though my heart fluttered at the prospect of a real date with Brent. A date that he had already organised.

"Depends what you've planned."

A rare grin spread across his face. "I think I'll leave you in suspense. It's arranged for tomorrow, so you won't have to suffer for long."

"Does Mia know?"

Brent scoffed. "Of course not. The girl can't keep a secret to save her life when it comes to you and me."

I raised my glass. "To first dates, then."

Smiling, Brent knocked his glass against mine. "To first dates, and a summer of staying out of the water."

I smirked. "Of course. There's no lifeguard anymore."

"A lot can change in a year, huh?" He lifted his drink to his lips, closing his eyes temporarily as he tilted his head back and tipped the remaining liquid down his throat.

"A lot," I said, recalling Mum's words last summer when she'd tried to persuade me that I'd enjoy being here.

This summer might change your life.

If only I'd known back then just how true that would turn out to be.

THE END

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