Jules nodded. “I guess so. It was really hard for me, actually. But I think it turned out okay.”

“It turned out better than okay,” Chloe gushed. “And like you said, we’ll always have the beach, just as Mom saw it.” Even though an undertone of sadness gripped all three of them, the Kahns shared a warm smile.

Julianne walked over to her father and threw her arms around his shoulders and said, “I’m glad you like it, Dad.”

As the beginnings of tears collected in the corners of Edward Kahn’s eyes, he hugged his daughter back and whispered, “Thank you.”

169

Chapter Eighteen

!

The music at the Fishtail was pumping at earsplitting volume and Julianne felt her body shaking in time with the bass. She and Remi had been out for hours.

It felt so good to just hang out and be a couple without stressing over who might be watching. Even if they tech-nically were the only ones who knew they were out as a couple. After work, they’d headed to happy hour with some of the guys from the crew, at a bar farther down the boardwalk. After happy hour, Mitch and Hunter in tow, they’d stopped by the Mean Bean to pick up Lucy and head over to the Fishtail to meet more friends from school. So many weeks of relative isolation had left Julianne beyond excited to be out on the town with her friends and her amazing new (secret) boyfriend. She 170

Forbidden Boy

wished Kat were there—she was sure that Kat and Remi would totally hit it off—but then they’d have some time to hang out together when Kat got back from Madrid in a few weeks.

Julianne surveyed the scene at the Fishtail. It was her favorite kind of boardwalk party, high energy and low key at the same time. Hunter, Mitch, and Remi were standing against the boardwalk railing, talking about colleges, while Lucy and Jules were perched on top of a picnic table, watching the scene unfold. Down on the beach there were a few clusters of night swimmers and kids playing volleyball, but most of the action was contained on the boardwalk. The waves were rolling into shore and they could hear the breeze blowing the palm trees. Seagulls were winging their way across the horizon.

“I love summer.” Jules sighed, taking a sip of the piña colada she was sharing with Lucy.

“I know, right?” Lucy agreed. “I just wish it would last longer. I can’t even start thinking about school—I have too much to do before then.”

As they spoke, Justin Timberlake’s voice came thumping out of the speakers. Jules grabbed her friend’s hand and pulled Lucy down from the table. “Don’t think, then!” she shouted over the music. “Just dance!” The girls laughed as they jumped up and down, winding their bodies to the beat. “Way to bring sexy back!” 171

Hailey Abbott

Julianne laughed at Lucy, who was dropping it all the way down to the floor.

“Um, I don’t think sexy ever left . . .” Lucy joked back, jabbing Julianne with her elbow. “Speaking of which, I’m going to go introduce myself to those guys over there.” She headed off to chat with a group of cute guys Jules vaguely recognized from school, who were shooting pool by the outdoor bar. Looking around the party, Julianne couldn’t help but notice that several other girls were admiring her boyfriend, and she laughed to herself. Then she looked down at her outfit—a Proenza Schouler tank top with a deep V-neck and funky buttons, a swingy skirt, and turquoise open-toed Seychelles slip-ons—and felt pretty hot herself. Her hair was curly, wild, and blowing in the ocean breeze.

Julianne tossed her head back and tried to soak everything in, waiting a long minute before heading down the boardwalk to catch up with Lucy. She glanced behind and caught Remi full-on staring at her. Maybe forced separation could be a little fun.

After a few hours, the party began to wind down, with couples strolling off in pairs and kids riding off on their bikes in every direction. Julianne and Lucy were dancing with some of Lucy’s co-workers from the Mean Bean and a few of the younger guys from the site, when Remi walked over and slid his arm around Jules’s waist.

172

Forbidden Boy

“Ready to head out?” he whispered into her curls.

She nodded and looked to her friends, who all looked ready to call it a night. Together, still bobbing their heads to the music, they all headed home.

Mitch and Hunter drifted away from the group first, to go meet up with some of the other guys from the cross-country team for a poker game; then Lucy’s co-workers left one by one. As Lucy, Julianne, and Remi made their way down the beach toward Lucy’s grandparents’ house, Lucy leaned over and tipsily stage-whispered in Julianne’s ear, “So, is this the boyfriend?”

“Huh?” Julianne was confused.

“The guy you were telling me about at the art store,” Lucy clarified louder. “The hottie you’ve had your eye on all summer?”

Julianne blushed, even in the darkness. Even perfectly sober, subtlety had never been Lucy’s strong point. “Yup. He’s the one.”

“You’re right, Jules. He’s cute—really cute!” Lucy giggled. “Oh my gosh, I almost missed my house.” Lucy looked up sheepishly before dashing off for home.

“Good night, you guys! Nice to meet you, Remi,” she practically cooed.

Remi finally slipped his hand into Julianne’s, and they walked the rest of the way down the beach together, stopping to sit down in the sand when they reached the stretch of beach between their two houses. Half an hour 173

Hailey Abbott

later, Julianne and Remi were lying on their backs, looking up at the stars. The weather had stayed clear all night, despite a threat of rain, and the sky was absolutely the most intense shade of navy blue that Julianne had ever seen. Normally, she would have been trying to figure out exactly how to mix the color of the sky, how to capture it. Tonight, however, she was too distracted by Remi’s hand resting on her stomach. Her entire body felt like it had been hit by lightning. As soon as Remi touched her skin, there wasn’t a single part of her that wasn’t hypercharged and tingling. It was almost as though she needed to either stay perfectly still or risk her entire body bursting into flames.

Remi rolled over and propped his head up on Julianne’s stomach. “What are you thinking, Jules?” He kissed her belly button, and Julianne felt her skin ignite again.

Julianne ran her fingers through Remi’s brown hair, which was getting scruffier by the day. “I’m thinking about the sky. Can you figure out what color that is?” Remi stared up and tried in earnest for a few minutes to figure it out. “Nope. Can’t say I can. But I also don’t think that’s what you were thinking about. Try again?”

Julianne laughed softly and continued playing with his hair. It wasn’t as soft as it looked, but it was surprisingly fluffy. Downy, almost. She thought she would be 174

Forbidden Boy

perfectly content just weaving her fingers in and out of it all night. She looked down and saw that Remi’s big eyes were staring up at her, filled with a mix of curiosity and expectation. “Are you actually still asking me?” Remi nodded.

“You’re really going to make me say it?” Remi nodded again.

“Okay, fine.” Julianne rolled her eyes. “I was thinking about your hair, okay?”

Even Remi looked a little surprised at this one.

“What?” Julianne challenged. “You have very nice hair; it’s a very interesting texture.” Remi rolled back over and buried his face against Julianne’s stomach. “I love dating an artist,” he mum-bled, laughing. Julianne sat up, like she’d been hit with a sudden inspiration. Jolted by the movement, Remi shot up after her. “Hey!” Julianne squealed. “I have a good idea.”

“What?” he asked gamely.

“How about you come here and kiss me?” She grinned.

“You don’t need to ask me twice.” Remi pulled himself up from the ground with a laugh.

Soon they were rolling over each other in the sand, laughing and kissing the kind of slow, greedy kisses that go on for days. They kissed like they were trying to breathe each other’s air. Julianne felt Remi’s tongue in 175