I needed to find my own path, and finally, I feel like I have a purpose. Like I can be a man Taylor would be proud of.

“I got an email from Abigail’s mom this morning,” she says, dragging her fingers through the water as we bob on the tide. “Jules is pleading down to a lesser charge. I guess the prosecutor scared the shit out of her with some threat about felony hacking charges. But it sounds like Kevin’s parents have hired some expensive bulldog lawyer to fight the case. So it might end up going to trial.”

“Think you’re up for that?”

She’s been so brave through this whole ordeal. I really hoped it could end quickly for her, but no, apparently that dickwad intends to make her suffer just so he can avoid taking responsibility. I keep telling myself bashing his face in would not help Taylor’s side of things. It’s a struggle.

“I’ll have to be,” she says. “Really, the more he pushes me, the more I want to get involved. Like this dude is going to wish he never fucked with me.”

A grin tugs on my lips. “That’s my girl.”

Man, I couldn’t be more impressed with how she’s handled the pressure. Taylor’s my fucking hero. With every new development in the case, she rises to the challenge, more committed now than ever to defy the people who wanted to bring her down.

Every day, I’m falling more in love with her. Which only makes the knot in my stomach that much tighter.

“So,” I say, pausing as a swell tumbles beneath us. “You know Alec, Matt, and Gavin graduated, right? So, since it was just going to be the two of us, Foster and I didn’t bother renewing our lease on the house.”

“Yeah, I still have a couple weeks before I need to decide if I’m keeping mine or looking for something else.”

“Well, I was talking to Hunter, and it looks like he and Demi are thinking about their arrangements, too. Brenna and Summer are both leaving to live with their boyfriends, and Mike Hollis is married now, so…yeah…”

She raises an eyebrow at me. Fuck, I didn’t think this would be so hard.

I gulp. “Anyway, I don’t remember how we got on the topic, but someone mentioned, you know, maybe the four of us, could, like, get a place.”

“A place,” she repeats.

“Together.”

“You’re asking me to move in with you.”

“I mean, no. But yeah, sorta.”

“Huh.” Taylor stares at me. Unmoving. Not even a lip twitch. It’s sort of scary how still she is. “But won’t that be awkward for you and Demi?”

My eyebrows fly up. “What? No. Not even a little. I mean, she kissed me once, but that was just to make Hunter jealous. There’s no thing there.”

“No,” Taylor corrects, deadpan, “I meant with all the super-obvious sexual tension between me and Hunter. We’ve kept it quiet all this time, but—”

“Fuck off,” I say, laughing and launching a splash at her. “You’re such an asshole.”

“I have to confess,” she continues, “I’ve got the mega hots for your best friend. I mean, he is the captain, after all.”

I narrow my eyes. “I’ll break his legs in his sleep.”

“You can watch, if you want.” She flashes this self-impressed grin at me, and I can’t help myself. I’m stupid for this girl.

“Come here.” I pull her board closer and kiss her. Deeply and with purpose. “You’re a pain in my ass.”

“Love you, too.”

If someone had asked me to describe my perfect match, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I probably would have spit out a bunch of clichés that would have amounted to every one-night stand I’ve ever had. Yet somehow, life put Taylor right in front of me anyway. She’s made me a better person. Taught me to be true to myself. Helped me see the value in me as a person. Hell, she put my family back together.

She and I found every possible way to try to sabotage our happiness, each of us falling back on old habits and insecurities. But what gives me faith in us is that we always managed to end up right back here. Together. I guess there’s hope for a couple of hopeless fuckups after all.

“So is that a yes?” I ask her.

Taylor looks over her shoulder at the incoming swell. She lines up her board and prepares to catch it. Then, with a mischievous grin, she starts paddling.

“Race you for it.”

The End