Page 217 of Ada and Cece's High School Revenge

I hold up a wine glass and rub off a smudge as Jake says something about taking Ada to Bali. Part of me hopes it’s one last holiday before they start trying for a baby. They’ve got a pointer puppy for now, but it’s training wheels, and we all know it.

I keep telling Ada to hurry up while my knees are still strong enough to lift a kid, but as much as things might have changed around here, there’s still no telling that girl what to do.

Same with Davis. I’ve been on him to propose to Cece for ages, but he’s held off, claiming Cece needs to focus on the hotel. But thehotel’s going gangbusters, and he needs to get a move on. Cece’s not getting any younger, and neither am I.

“Why don’t you marry Des, then?” he always shoots back. Cheeky bastard.

The door opens again, and this time it’s the unmistakable sound of my girls walking in. Ada’s laughing, probably at something Cece’s said. The pair of them are still thick as thieves. I smile as I put the wineglass back in its proper place, everything ready for the Sunday roast.

I tell Davis I’m not getting any younger, but sometimes, when I’m sitting at this table, looking at all the people around me, laughing and happy, it feels like I might be.

Cece didn’t change the name of the hotel. As I head back to the kitchen to grab the Wellington, I take a second to stop in front of the sign sitting on the hostess station. I tap it with my finger, the way I always do, smiling at the word Cece chose way back when. Only, no one calls this place ‘Stabbies’ anymore. Just Afterglow.

The End

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Eve Dangerfield

To Courtney.Thank you for pouring so much of yourself into this project. From minute one, it was beautiful how shared our vision of this book was. How it stayed that way through months of work and unrelated chaos. Thankfully, our mutual neurodiversity meant we never questioned why either of us needed to do what we needed to do when we needed to do it. Even if we did almost successfully drive Phillip bonkers… Next time, eh? Thank you again. I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together.

To Phillip.None of this was possible without you.

To Tim.Thanks a billion for your beautiful cover and everything else.

To Liz.You destroyed these edits and were so nice to me, before, during and after. Your skills are worth their weight in gold, and I hope success, praise, money and kindness fuckin’ HAUNT YOU! TOO MUCH MONEY! AN ABUNDANCE OF RESPECT! It’s nothing less than what you deserve. Thank you.

To Kole.Ten years we’ve been at this, baby girl... Goddamn, did it fly... Your comma game is somehowmorerazor-sharp, and yet you’ll always be the preternaturally bright 20-year-old bravely wandering out into the world to me <3

To the fans.I appreciate your messages, reviews and general sweetness more than I could ever say.

To my beloveds.I don’t have words. Just all-consuming gratitude. And a dumb poem!

I tend to see things in black and white.

I’m a pretty good writer

But I’m not always right

I am in awe of you. Humbled by you. Brought to the highest of highs by you. Held in the safest of hands by you. Thank you. Forever.

And go Tigers.