by Emily Lowry
I clutched the cards to my chest, still fighting off the urge to cry. “Typical Ramirez,” I sniffed. “Still can’t compete with me.”
“You sound like you have something planned.”
“Maybe,” I said. “And if I did, it would definitely be better than what Ramirez came up with.”
“It’s not a competition.”
I stood. “It’s always a competition. And I’m going to win.”
55
Dylan
My foot was heavy on the gas as I cruised along the highway. Only two hours ago, I received a text from Jordyn. It was simple, small, and straight to the point.
Jordyn: Meet me where I had the best day of the summer.
Dylan: When?
Jordyn: Sunset.
I knew better than to ask where. There was only one place it could be.
I passed the sign for Evermore Lake. It was near sunset, and there were a few clouds in the sky. It had rained off and on throughout the day. As I took the turnoff towards the lake, my heart was beating in my chest so hard that I thought it would explode.
What did Jordyn want?
56
Jordyn
I stood at the top of the hill and surveyed the water. It was raining lightly, just enough to cool me off after another hot summer day. The sun rested on the horizon, its brilliant orange rays turning the parts of the sky that weren’t covered with clouds a beautiful pink. It was the same color as the lilies that Dylan bought me.
My heart was in my throat.
Was I doing this?
Was I actually doing this?
Tires crunched in the gravel parking lot. An engine turned off. A car door opened, closed. Footsteps approached.
I turned.
Dylan stopped. His mouth fell open as he took in the scene I had prepared.
I swallowed my fear. Grinned and cocked my eyebrows. “You said you wanted a big moment, Ramirez. How’s this?”
57
Dylan
I.
Was.
Speechless.
The Ramirez Slip ‘n Slide hugged the hill, rain droplets trickling down the plastic sheet. On either side of the slide, Jordyn had set up tea light candles, the fake ones with flickering LEDs. It was the second most amazing thing I’d seen in my life.
And the most amazing thing?
Jordyn.
She wasn’t wearing anything special. No ball gown, no fancy sundress. Just her signature cut-off shorts and a tank top. Her hair fell over her shoulders, messy as usual. And she had that smirk. That competitive smile she always got before she was about to claim victory.
She looked 100% completely, uniquely Jordyn. Completely beautiful. Completely perfect — just the way she was.
Rain fell, just enough to wet the ground and the slide.
Jordyn glanced at the sky and smirked again.
This girl was so amazing she might have been able to control the weather, too. I wouldn’t put it past her.
Finally, my voice returned. “How did you—”
“Sofia,” Jordyn said.
She stuck out her hand, and I took it.
58
Jordyn
Dylan’s hand was warm. I opened my mouth, but the words I’d spent all afternoon preparing wouldn’t come out. Now that Dylan was standing here, in front of me, it was terrifying. Even though I was ninety percent sure he felt the same way. Back when we were twelve, he was the first boy I had feelings for. I hadn’t been able to tell him how I felt then.
And now?
Now, if I really thought about it, he was the only boy I had ever had feelings for. And I couldn’t bring myself to spit out the words. To tell him how I felt.
Ugh.
Come on!
Say it, Jordyn.
“I love you.”
But the words didn’t come from me. They came from Dylan. And when they came, they knocked all thought and sense out of me. He continued. “I love you, Jordyn Jones. And I want to be with you. Forever. But if that’s not what you want, and all I get is this summer, that’s okay. Because dating you for one summer still makes me the luckiest man alive.”
I gaped. How was I supposed to follow THAT? Even the pretty words I’d spent all afternoon preparing didn’t compare to Dylan’s off-the-cuff declaration of love. Even I, the most competitive person on the planet, couldn’t compete with that.
“Slide?” I said, my voice weak.
“Slide.”
I stripped down to my bathing suit and Dylan took off his t-shirt. He was already wearing his swim shorts.
I sat at the top of the slide and motioned for him to sit beside me.
He did.
I nudged him with my shoulder, and he turned, his wild eyes locking on mine. “I love you too, Dylan. More than anything. And I want to be with you. But if we’re going to do this, we need to do it together. We need to be all-in. No matter what.”
“No matter what.” He whispered.
I stuck out my hand.
Dylan took it.
“On three?” I asked.
He nodded. “On three.”
One.
Two.
Three.
We pushed off. Our fingers interlaced, we careened over the wet slide, huge smiles on our faces. As we went down the hill and crossed the beach, our smiles turned into wild, crazy laughter. We bumped into each other and skittered off the end of the slide.
Cool lake water enveloped us, and beneath the surface, we found each other.
We emerged from the lake like we had so many weeks ago, with my arms around his neck. I had just enough time to take a deep breath before Dylan pulled me in for a kiss. I felt the heat of his body against mine, and I felt the smile on his lips as they touched mine. Fireworks exploded across my skin as I wound my hands through his hair, pulling him closer, never wanting to let go.
I’d known Dylan my entire life. It was one of the best friendships I ever had. And, for the first time, I felt that we could truly be something more. Love didn’t have to drive us apart. We were strong, and love would only make us stronger.
With Dylan Ramirez by my side, I could take on the world.
And win.
59
Jordyn
My heart beat furiously. Dylan and I hadn’t told anyone what we were doing, or where we were. Or even that we were together. We took a few final days inside our bubble. Inside the place where it was just us, away from the scrutiny of Evermore and Click, holding a secret that joined our hearts. And now, a few days later, we were finally ready for the bubble to pop. It was the last weekend of summer, and Beachbreak’s party to celebrate winning the catering contract for the movie was about to start.
I felt the warmth of Dylan’s hand in mine. From Main Street, I could hear Stonewash Sunrise playing down by the river.
“You sure you’re ready to make this official?” I asked Dylan.
“You better believe I am.” He pulled me close and stole a kiss, then turned to the stairs. “Let’s do this, Jones.”
“Let’s do this, Ramirez.”
We climbed down the stairs. Everyone from Beachbreak was present. All the staff, all their family. Our closest friends were there too. Hailey was dancing with Chase and Abby in front of a small stage set up for Trey’s band. Sofia bobbed her head to the music. My mom was there, too. She was sitting at a table near the back, watching the concert, a milkshake in hand.
Hailey was the first to see us.
Her eyes went to my face. Then to my hand, which was holding Dylan’s.
She shrieked.
Then burst through the crowd and launched herself at the two of us.
“You finally got together!” Hailey squealed. “It only took, what, a decade?”
“Don’t blame me,” I said. “That’s how long it took him to learn how to cook. And you know I won’t date anyone that can’t cook.”
Hailey rolled her eyes. “Pfft. Until him, you wouldn’t date anyone at all. Apparently you have to be friends wit
h Jordyn Jones for sixteen years before she’ll admit to being your girlfriend.”
Dylan pulled me close. “She’s worth the wait.”
Hailey gagged. “I think my stomach turned. Is this how Trey and I sound?”
“You’re way, way worse,” I said.
Hailey released me, and was immediately replaced by Chase. My brother wrapped us both in a bear hug.
“It’s about time,” he said. “Way to let the suspense build over the last week.”
“Just keeping you on your toes,” I replied.
He grinned. “So? How do you feel?”
60
Dylan
When Chase asked us how we felt, only one word came to mind:
Lucky.
I was in love with Jordyn Jones. And she was in love with me. How else could I possibly feel? I squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back. We wandered into the crowd, skipping the food for now, and danced.
Trey stood at the microphone, smirking at us. “And this next one’s for the happy couple.”
Jordyn cupped her hands over her mouth. “This better have an awesome guitar riff, Trey, or I’ll come up there and kick your—”
Trey smiled and ripped into his guitar before Jordyn finished her sentence.
Jordyn grinned at me.
I smiled back. “What do you say, Jones? Want to have a dance?”
Jordyn shook her head. “No, Ramirez. I don’t want to have a dance. I want to have a dance-off. You against me.”
“Is this how it’s going to be for the rest of our lives?”
Jordyn barely held back a laugh. “The rest of our lives, hey?”
“I didn’t mean—”
“You said forever. And combine that with the fertility flowers you gave me—”
“They weren’t—”
She burst out laughing. “You’re too easy.”
I growled and playfully poked her in the side. “All right. You asked for it. We’re having a dance-off. Game on, Jones.”
She smiled. “Game on, Ramirez.”
61
Jordyn
After the party, the six of us sat by the river. Dylan was next to me, his toes submerged in the water, his arm around me. I rested my head on his shoulder. Abby sat in Chase’s lap, and Trey was whistling while skipping stones across the river. Hailey lay on the beach like she was trying to top up her tan, even though it was nighttime.
Behind us, the Beachbreak Burgers riverside tables were empty for the first time this summer. Everything was cleaned and everyone had gone home.
“This was the first place I took Abby,” Chase said. “Our first date.”
“The cliché date,” Abby said. She smiled. “You bought me chocolate roses.”
“A dozen.”
Abby snorted. “You don’t get to say you brought me a dozen chocolate roses if you ate half of them first.”
“I thought it was the thought that counted?”
“Chocolate counts more.” Abby grinned and gave him a kiss. Mercifully, they did not start eating each other’s faces.
Trey skipped a stone across the water. “This was where we had the concert that got Stonewash Sunrise into Prohibition. Right along the river.”
“You’re welcome,” Hailey said in a sing-songy voice.
Trey dove onto the sand beside her. Tickled her until she shrieked.
Hailey jumped on top of him and pinned him down. “Say it, Trey Carter. You wouldn’t be who you are if it weren’t for me.”
Trey smiled. “I confess. I would not.”
They kissed.
Dylan spoke next. “And the raft you used for the concert, I used for our secret date. All of our relationships started near this river. Seems fitting that we should spend the last weekend before school starts here.”
I patted his chest. “You know what else brought us all together?”
I waited for an answer, but no one raised their hand.
“Click,” I said. “Chase and Abby wouldn’t have got together if someone wasn’t after Chase on Click. Hailey needed Click to get fans for Trey. And Dylan and I spent our entire summer trying to avoid being a Click rumor — before we dealt with Pete.”
Dylan and Chase both grumbled.
I laughed. “Easy boys.”
Dylan pulled me close.
It had been a crazy summer.
Scratch that — it had been a crazy year. Three relationships. Each sealed on the river, each started by Evermore’s most notorious gossip app. While we had all found our happily ever afters, I couldn’t help but wonder:
With the hallways of Evermore High on the horizon next week, would Click bring more couples together?
Or would its attempts at sabotaging people’s lives win?
While our story was over, gossip lived forever.
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About the Author
Emily Lowry is true romantic. She’s a huge fan of happily ever afters, witty, fun characters and fast-paced sweet romances. Emily is a big fan of happy ever afters and she writes from her home in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dog, baking cakes and paddleboarding.
Also by Emily Lowry
Chase Jones is My Fake Boyfriend
Trey Carter is My Rebel Boyfriend
Dylan Ramirez is My Forbidden Boyfriend
Copyright © 2020 by Eleventh Avenue Publishing
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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