Summer Ever After (Falling for Summer)

by Kortney Keisel

But if I’ve learned anything in the last few years, it’s that a person can be happy and lonely at the same time.

but there will always be a corner of my heart that’s affected by Walker Collins. He’s my first and only love.

Haven’t you ever wanted something so bad you can feel the ache even in your bones? That’s where I’m at.

First, Walker pulls something out of my hair, and then he wipes something off my cheek. This is trope Hell. And I definitely feel the heat.

All I want is to get that kind of happiness back and ease the constant ache in my chest.

There’s something about Jane’s hard-to-get approval that I’m dying to win over.

But there’s also a surprising amount of disappointment orbiting my thoughts at the prospect of Jane being off-limits.

I’ve suddenly turned into the third wheel, and for the first time in my life, I’m jealous of my sister’s relationship with her best friend.

“How nice of you to wear my number, Jane.” Oh, that smugness. I would slap it off his face, except it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

His stare drifts up and down my shirt, and the corner of his mouth lifts. Then he leans forward again, so far that his lips brush against strands of my hair, causing them to tickle my ear, making my whole body shiver. “You look good wearing my jersey. Real good.”

Walker Collins is a walking romance trope. Nothing has ever been so annoying and so satisfying at the same time.

“Since when do you want to hang out with Capri?” “Since it’s the only way I can hang out with you.”

“Jane, your red flag is that you don’t have any red flags.

“This whole thing makes more sense when you’ve read these tropes in books for years. They’re gestures—romantic gestures—that break the ice and get the ball rolling.”

“Why aren’t we compatible?” Cobalt-blue eyes pin me. “Because he’s not good enough for you.”

“That’s what I like about life. No matter how bad things are, there are always more chances to start again.”

“For the record, Jane, it’s more than a game with you.”

But there’s nothing second-rate about my feelings for Jane.

“Because I like you, Jane, and I can’t stop thinking about you no matter how hard I try.”

I don’t need a golf metaphor to tell me I’m giving up on the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life. I already know that.

Because when you finally figure out who you want to spend the rest of your life with, the rest of your life can’t start soon enough.

Then I see her. Jane. Relief floods my body. I’m finally home. A sheet of rain is between us, falling on her brown hair, floral skirt, and a pink T-shirt. She’s beautiful. Everything I need. I’ve been wandering aimlessly in a desert, and she’s a pool of water. I’ve never wanted anything more. Jane Hayes is my future and my forever.

“Jane, I plan on flirting with you every day for the rest of my life, so you better get used to it.”