Page 129 of Begin Again

I’d laughed then because, of course, she’d compare herself to a tragic oracle from ancient times. But now? Now, I think she might have had a point.

I let my eyes drift across the room—to Theo, still laughing beside me; to Orion and Morgan, caught up in a playful argument that Orion isdefinitelylosing; to Celeste, who’s still basking in her victory, much to Bennett’s chagrin.

This is what we fought for.

This is what we nearly lost.

And yet, somehow, we’re still here.

I glance at Theo again, watching as he leans back against the couch, laughter still lingering at the edges of his smile. The past few months have changed all of us, buthim—it broke something in him, learning the truth about his aunt. About what she did. To his parents. To both her husbands. Tohim, in a way, because how do you come back from that? How do you rebuild when the person who raised you, the person you trusted most, was the one holding the knife the entire time?

And yet, he’s still here.

StillTheo.

Still showing up, still taking care of everyone else, even when the ground was ripped out from under him. But tomorrow… tomorrow is different.

Tomorrow is Wednesday.

And for the first time since all of this, he’s opening the cafe again.

I’ll be there, of course. I’ll sit at my usual spot by the window, watching as he unlocks the door, flips the sign, and welcomes people in like nothing has changed—even though everything has.

And maybe it’s not perfect. Maybe none of us will ever fully shake the weight of what’s happened. But watching him now, seeing the way he’s still standing, still fighting—

It hits me.

I get to be there for this next part of his life. One without lies and secrets.

I’ll watch it begin again.

33

Epilogue Selene

The sand is warm beneath me, still holding the heat of the day, but the breeze off the water sends a pleasant chill over my skin. I stretch my legs out in front of me, wiggling my toes in the cool grains, and tilt my head back to look at the stars. They seem endless out here, untouched by city lights—sharp and brilliant against the night sky.

Theo shifts beside me, close enough that I can feel his warmth even though we’re not quite touching. He exhales contentedly. “You know,” he muses, “I think this trip has officially ruined me.”

I glance at him, amused. “Oh? How so?”

He turns to face me, resting his weight on one arm, his grin lazy and smug. “Because now I know what it’s like to travel the world with a gorgeous woman, and eatquestionablestreet food, and I can pretend I know how to speak Japanese.”

I snort. “Pretendis the keyword there. I don’t even know Japanese and I still know you butchered every single phrase.”

“Wow,” he gasps, clutching his chest. “That’s a bold accusation.”

“You literally told a waiteryou were the chickeninstead oforderingthe chicken.”

Theo’s eyes widen in mock horror. “You were never supposed to mention that again.”

“Oh, please. That moment is seared into my brain forever.”

He groans, tipping his head back dramatically. “I was trying so hard to impress you.”

“Yeah? How’d that work out for you?”

He leans in slightly, his voice dropping. “Well, you’re still here, aren’t you?”

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