Page 81 of The Summer We Played Pretend

“You look…” My words falter because how do you describe someone who takes your breath away? “…incredible.”

Chloe grins. “You’re not gonna make me walk all the way over there, are you?”

“Nah,” I say, pushing off the truck and closing the gap between us.

I wrap her up in my arms, her laughter muffled against my chest as I lift her off her toes. It doesn’t matter how many months she’s been away at school. This moment—herin my arms—never gets old.

“You’re really taking time off for me?” she murmurs, tilting her head back to look at me.

“For us,” I correct her. “Don’t get used to it, though. This place will fall apart without me.”

She rolls her eyes, but her smile softens, and her fingers curl around the front of my shirt, tugging me just a little closer. “I missed you, Jackson.”

I brush a strand of hair off her cheek, the rest of the world fading as I take her in—the freckles she swears only I notice, the warmth in her eyes, the confidence I see every time she looks at me.

“Missed you more,” I say softly, and I mean it. “How’s Sara?”

“Doing amazing, of course.

We settle into my truck like we’ve done a hundred times before and head to the coffee shop. It’s become a bit of a ritual now—a chance to catch up without family in the way and other distractions. She rattles off plans for the weekend—a trip to the lake, a stop at Joe’s diner, the summer fair, and a party with some old friends—and I try not to just sit there grinning at her.

As I drive back to her house, the wind streaming in through the open windows, I glance over at her and catch her looking at me, a quiet smile on her lips.

“What?” I ask, grinning despite myself.

“Nothing.” She shakes her head, her voice soft. “It’s just hard to believe we did it.”

“Is it?”

“Actually no. It isn’t. I knew we would.”

“Only a few more years to go,” I remind her. “Easy.”

“Not always easy,” Chloe corrects, “but it’s working.” She pauses and bites down on her bottom lip, leaning forward to look at me properly. “Right?”

“It’s more than working, Chlo.” I rest my hand on her leg. “Do I miss you like hell when you’re at college? Of course. But it’s all worth it.”

She smiles and nods. “It is.”

“Is Ethan back already?”

“Yep.”

“Think this summer might go a little differently than last years?”

Chloe rolls her eyes. “You know it will. My brother does talk to me occasionally you know? I know you guys have been texting all year.”

“Hey, things change. For all I know, your brother is playing the long game,” I joke, but I know she’s right. Ethan quickly came around to us being a proper couple, especially after he heard what happened with Brendan.

As for Brendan, he’s kept himself to himself since then. I don’t even know if he’s come back from college this summer. He’s not a total idiot it seems because a large part of me still wants to kill him for what he did to Chloe, and I know Ethan feels the same.

Chloe nudges me with her knuckles. “You there, Jackson?”

“Sorry, just thinking of last summer.”

“I don’t regret any of it, you know.”

“I do.” I grind my teeth together when I think about how I practically forced her into Brendan’s arms.

---