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Alissa picked up the half of the sandwich that he’d left behind and bit into it. An explosion of flavor burst across her tongue—a hint of sweet, a hint of salty, a hit of fruity.
“So good,” Alissa said, holding her hand up in front of her mouth while she finished chewing. “Wow. I hope they bring this back onto the menu at some point. I want a full size of this.”
“Same here.”
They devoured the rest of their food, watching people learn how to surf as they did. Some people wiped out immediately, barely able to get up on their boards, but others managed to get on their feet and ride the waves.
“We still need to have a surfing lesson. Michael’s more than ready to teach us,” Alissa said with a smile.
Dane’s cheeks colored, but he smiled back. “You’re not going to laugh at me for barely being able to get up on the board?”
“Of course not, because I’m also going to be slipping off my board left and right.” Alissa laughed. “We’ll be total beginners together.”
“That sounds like a good plan. I’ll give it a shot if we’re together.”
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand, filling Alissa’s chest with warmth. She understood his hesitation, but he was getting past it for both of their sakes. Embracing the things that were outside of his comfort zone. Alissa couldn’t have been prouder.
They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the party, talking to friends and playing some of the games. Everyone stood on the beach to watch the sunset, the band playing some Hawaiian tunes in the background. Then, the dance floor started to fill up.
“Dance with me?” Dane asked, squeezing Alissa’s hand.
“I’d love to.”
Dane pulled Alissa onto the dance floor, right as Hannah took to the piano to play a few songs. Alissa rested her head against Dane’s shoulder as they swayed to the beat, inhaling the clean scent of his shirt mingling with the cologne he always wore. The luau was everything she wanted it to be and more.
* * *
Luke looked out over the luau, tucking his hands into his pockets. Most people had wandered over to the dance floor now that it was dark, the decorative fairy lights hung up around the open space. People were dancing to the upbeat music, some in pairs and some in groups. To his surprise, he recognized a lot of them, the regulars that he’d come to know over the time he was there. He could see himself missing them when he went home. Missing all of Blueberry Bay, really.
His eyes drifted over to Hannah, who was laughing and talking with a girl he vaguely recognized. They looked his way and smiled, waving. Luke waved back. He wondered if she’d thought about the scholarship or told her dad about getting in. She seemed happy, so if she had, it must have gone well.
He grabbed another mai tai before coming back around to where Hannah was. She always looked pretty, but she was particularly beautiful tonight. Her dark hair was loose in waves around her bare shoulders, the flower in her hair fluttering in the wind. The way her brown eyes lit up when she saw him made his heart flutter uncontrollably in his chest.
“Hey,” Hannah said.
“Hey.” Luke gave her a brief kiss on the cheek, which made both of them blush. “You sounded great when you were playing earlier.”
“Thank you! I was nervous at first but it got a lot easier as I went on.” Hannah nodded toward the water. “Want to walk down by the beach?”
“Sure.”
Luke tentatively took her hand, then threaded his fingers in hers with more confidence when Hannah grinned up at him. They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the part of the beach where the water lapped up on the shore. Hannah kicked off her sandals and Luke followed suit, dipping their toes into the tide.
“I told my dad about the scholarship,” Hannah said.
“You did?” His heart skipped a beat. “How’d he react? What did you decide on?”
“He was so supportive and excited for me.” Hannah’s smile spread across her face, dimples appearing in her cheeks. “He wants me to go.”
“That’s amazing, Hannah.” He squeezed her hand.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction.” Hannah bumped him with her hip. “I hope you don’t mind me following you.”
“I don’t mind whatsoever. It’s going to be great.” The slightly unsettled feeling he’d been carrying thinking about what was going to happen between them at the end of the summer disappeared. “I know you’ll love it there. There are so many different kinds of people and amazing things to do. And we’ll come back to Blueberry Bay. I love it here too.”
Hannah stopped, resting her head on Luke’s shoulder. “I’m so excited. I can’t wait.”
Luke looked out onto the ocean, illuminated by the moon. He couldn’t remember a time he’d been so happy and thrilled for the future.
“I can’t either,” he said, sliding an arm around her waist.
* * *
