Page 153 of In Case You Didn't Know
He winks. “That’s whatyouthink.”
Sadie chokes on a laugh as Charlie flips open a copy and dramatically fans himself. “Page 263. You’re welcome, America.”
“Please stop,” I mutter, my cheeks flushing.
Before I can catch my breath, Alice, my editor, strides in from outside, looking both chic and vaguely chaotic, her vape tucked behind one ear and her phone clutched like it’s a glass of champagne. She stops beside my table, grinning like the cat who got the publishing deal.
“You’re viral on TikTok,” she announces, tapping her screen. “Advance readers are losing their minds.”
“Oh god,” I say, bracing myself. “Is it the cliffhanger?”
“Nope. It’s your sex scenes. Listen to this.”
She clears her throat dramatically and reads aloud,“This book melted my Kindle. I had to put it in the freezer. My husband thinks I’ve been electrocuted.”
Sadie snorts from behind the display. Charlie fist-pumps. Myles chokes on his iced coffee, his face turning the color of beets.
Alice just beams. “Congratulations. You’re officially causing household drama. How quickly can you write the next book?”
I bury my face in my hands. “I swear to God.”
And then I feel it. Warm fingers brushing the back of my neck. The quiet hum of Asher’s presence sliding in behind me like gravity. Alice leaves my side, making a beeline for Myles who looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here.
“Your brothers are planning their next interrogation,” Asher murmurs to me, his voice low and delicious against my ear. “If I don’t make it out alive, tell Parker he can have my fishing rod.”
“Don’t,” I say, turning just enough to meet his eyes. “I like watching them squirm when you touch me.”
“They’re terrifying.”
“They should be.”
Which is a lie, of course. They’ve warmed up to him.Mostly. Liam still refers to him as “that security guy,” and Brooks pretends he’s not impressed by the billionaire who brought muffins to woo their little sister. But they showed up today, with gruff hugs and soft smiles and their families in tow.
And it means everything.
Asher’s family is here, too. Skyler, glowing and delighted to no longer be pregnant, is carefully navigating the stacks with a coffee in hand, pausing to pose for Autumn’s camera. Hudson is holding their baby daughter, brow furrowed like he’s assessing the shop for structural weaknesses. Jesse and Parker are deep in conversation about fishing rods, and Eden is curled up in the back corner with my book open, already a quarter of the way through.
Across the room, I catch West glancing at her, before quickly looking away.
Interesting.
One person who is thankfully not here is Annalise. For obvious reasons. After Asher handed everything over to the authorities, she was arrested last fall. The charges included hacking, conspiracy, and my personal favorite, obstruction with malice. She turned down a plea deal, so she’s headed to trial.
Brad, on the other hand, is thriving. He’s now COO of Asher’s company, running the New York office like a dream, while Asher works mostly from Liberty. We’re living in one of the newlyrenovated fishermen’s cottages while we build something of our own.
And the book, the one I finished during a week that nearly broke me, is out in the world. It ends on a cliffhanger that’s caused mild online chaos. People are posting reaction videos, theorizing over who survives the final scene, and preorders for book two are already through the roof. Even though it’s not written.
And Alice is desperate for me to get back to my writing nook.
But not tonight.
Tonight, we celebrate.
Autumn turned the lighthouse lawn into a wonderland of fairy lights, paper lanterns, and a banner that reads From Cliffhangers to Happily Ever Afters. There’s a chocolate fountain, an open bar, and, because this is my life now, a professional Fabio lookalike who’s posing for photos with a plastic sword.
Everyone I love is here. My family. Asher’s family. Half the island. Maybe more.
And later, when the lights dim and the crowd thins and the stars burn bright above the cliffs, I’ll get him to myself.
