Page 65 of How Sweet It Is

My heart pounds in my ears. “When is the trial?”

“Two weeks from tomorrow.”

“I’m really proud of you,” I murmur, my lips close to her ear. “For testifying. Standing up for what’s right. But also for what you did today. Clay on your hands. Peanut shells on the floor. Watching stars with someone who?—”

I stop myself.

“Someone who?” she whispers.

I realize I was about to say something I hadn’t thought through very well. Do I want to say it? I pause then forge ahead. “Someone who’s falling for you.”

She jerks her head around, moving away from me so she can look at me. Her gaze searches mine, and I can see the unasked questions flash through her mind.

Finally, she closes her eyes and leans her head against my shoulder, and I wrap my arm around her, tucking her close.

The ocean hums around us. The stars glitter. And for just a moment, everything feels still. Safe.

“I’m falling too,” she says, barely audible.

I pull back and raise her chin until she’s looking into my eyes again. I slowly move closer to her until my lips are a breath away from hers. “I’m going to kiss you.”

She closes the distance, and my world tilts. Her lips are soft and warm. The kiss starts slow and gentle. Reverent. Like we’re both savoring the moment, aware that something’s shifting between us. Her hand comes up to rest against my chest, and the touch makes my heart flutter.

I wrap my arms around her and pull her closer, deepening the kiss. She doesn’t hesitate. There’s no wall between us anymore. It’s just her and me and the waves breaking softly behind us.

And it hits me all at once. This isn’t just attraction. This is trust. This is connection. This is falling, fast and real.

She pulls back slightly, her breath mingling with mine. Her eyes search my face like she’s memorizing it.

“I’ve never told anyone what I told you tonight,” she whispers.

“I know,” I say. “And I’ll guard it with everything I’ve got.”

“No, I mean, I’ve never told anyone about my sister.”

I nod, feeling so close to her. “I can’t imagine your sister or anyone even coming close to comparing to you.”

Her lips curve into a small smile, and I can’t help but kiss her again. Now that I’ve had a taste of her, of the real her, I don’t think I’ll ever want to let her go.

We finally end the kiss. I close my eyes and let the weight of the day catch up with me. My body’s exhausted, but my heart feels lighter than it has in years.

My thumb grazes the back of her hand. “What happens after the trial?”

Claire doesn’t answer for a long time. “I go back home,” she finally says, quietly.

“For a little while?”

She doesn’t answer. Realization dawns on me as we sit together on the beach. She’s not staying here. She’s leaving. I know her family relies on her for their business. She’s not planning on coming back here. She’s only here until the trial.

CHAPTER 31

CLAIRE MATTHEWS — MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

Imessed up. I know I did. After I told Levi everything and how my time on Willow Shade Island has an expiration date, he took me home, barely saying a word to me. Now it’s late Monday afternoon, and I haven’t heard a peep from him.

I pick up my phone for the tenth time, trying to decide if I want to text him or not. Finally, I shoot off a quick message.

Hey, what are you up to today?

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