It wasn't their choice. Sloane Everly and Rafe Cameron were brought together by family names, summer parties, and expectations neither of them wanted. Every smile was measured, every laugh rehearsed, every touch a careful performance. They moved through sunlit beaches and glittering boardwalks, pretending a love they hadn't chosen, while the town whispered and their friends rolled their eyes. And yet, amidst the sun and the whispers, their hearts began rewriting the rules they had been forced to follow. Some hearts are found in the tides of a summer you never wanted.