When Summer Meets Fall

Every summer, Brielle Hayes and her parents escape the gray skies of Washington for the same quiet coastal town along the Oregon shore Seabrook Cove, a place that's always felt like their second home. For Brielle, it's the perfect setting to disappear into her books, far from real-life complications. She'd rather stay tucked away in her room than bother with summer activities or socializing. But this summer feels different. Still reeling from heartbreak right before vacation, she expects to spend her days holed up in her room, reading instead of trying to make the most of her break. As far as she's concerned, summer is already ruined. Books are her life the only thing that makes reality bearable.

That is, until her mom unexpectedly reunites with her old college best friend-and Brielle finds herself spending the summer next door to Luca Knight, her mom's best friend's son. He's everything Brielle isn't: confident, charming, effortlessly magnetic. The kind of guy who could make anyone's heart skip, except hers and having his name mentioned makes her roll her eyes and don't give him the time of day.

At first, they clash especially when Luca teases her for living too much in her fantasy world of fairy tales, a comment Brielle can't stand. She hates people like him the ones who judge without understanding. Guys like him are assholes and shouldn't be entertained. But the more time they're forced to spend together, thanks to their moms' matchmaking schemes, the harder it becomes to ignore the connection growing between them. What starts as barely tolerating each other turns into late-night talks, shared secrets, and the kind of closeness that feels like healing. Still, summer can't last forever, and when it ends, Brielle realizes that some goodbyes aren't as simple as they seem.

© 2025 Ari Wynter. All rights reserved.
This story and its characters are works of fiction.