Page 117 of What's in a Kiss?

“At first sight?”

“At first sight.”

He shakes his head, amazed, adorable. “All these years, I’ve wondered about you, Dusk. I never thought you’d give me a chance.”

“Life’s funny that way,” I say and kiss him again.

A whoop and then applause sounds from up the beach. Jake and I break apart long enough to see Masha and Eli, watching us, and hugging, and jumping up and down.

“Dude!” Eli shouts. “I can’t believe you made a move!”

“Actually, I kissed him!” I call out proudly as they jog toward us on the beach.

“That’s a plot twist I didnotsee coming,” Masha says. “But I will drink to being surprised.” She holds up a bottle of champagne, takes a drink, and passes it to Eli, who passes it to Jake. Who holds up his hand like a stop sign.

“Wait, this is important. We need to get it straight. Olivia initiated a peck, but that’s as far as she was going to go. I’m the one who made therealkiss happen.”

My jaw drops. “Don’t come at me with what’sreal.”

“He’ll die on this hill, Olivia,” Eli says. “We might as well go with his version. It’s safer for the planet.”

“She’s not backing down,” Masha says, coming to my side.

“I kissed that gorgeous liar,” I say, taking a swig of champagne. “I know what’s real in this world. And the next.”

Jake’s green eyes flash with that old competitive flair, and I realize we’re not done fighting each other. You can’t have a great story without conflict. Or great sex without tension. Maybe all great loves are inevitable. And maybe what Jake and I have done just now, with this latest of first kisses, is to kick our love into a higher life, where it was always meant to be.