Rebound (Boomerang #2)(80)

Adam’s brother Grey hollers and does a colossal cannonball, drenching half the people on the deck with half of the pool’s contents.

“Sorry, bro,” he calls, and he has Adam’s same devilish grin, though in a rougher form.

And then it’s a mayhem of splashing and shrieking, laughter and a game of Marco Polo that seems mostly like an excuse for people to grope each other with their eyes closed.

I glide over to a corner of the shallow end, and Adam follows. I wind my arms around his neck and draw him down to me, kissing him, out in the brightness of day, with the cool water lapping around us. I shiver because the water is chilly, but mostly because of everything I feel, which is now, finally, everything. I’ve let go of the guilt that’s been dogging me for a year and made room for this. For everything I’ve ever dreamed of and didn’t know I deserved.

“Alison,” he says. His hands travel over my back, and I think how in his element he looks, with water soaking through his shirt, his eyes the same bright almost silvery-gray as the bubbles rising to the surface around us. “You gave me back so much. Not just the company. My life. I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you.”

I rise on my tiptoes, clinging to his strong shoulders, fitting myself to him—perfect.

“We’ll think of something,” I say.





Acknowledgments


As always, I want to acknowledge the support and love of my awesome family. First, the “London 2014 Crew”—Lisa, Mustafa, Alex, Elizabeth, Andrew, Dina, Samantha, and Abbey. You make second degree sunburn so worth it. ?El próximo a?o en Israel! And then my Florida family of Brenda and Anna—brilliant, hilarious, resilient women who inspire me all the time. Love you all.

Big thanks, too, to our editor Tessa Woodward for her insights; to Gabrielle Keck for picking up the reins; to Megan Schumann, publicist extraordinaire; and to Molly Birckhead for all she does.

Lastly, shout-outs to all the supportive bloggers and reviewers; to everyone who made such an effort to come out for the Boomerang book launch in Tampa (also to Stephanie and Inkwood Books); and to the BONI Lasses, with special props to Jo Cooper for her generosity in all things and Sylvia Musgrove for her stories—written and told.

—LO

We’re so fortunate to have an amazing publishing team behind us. My deepest gratitude goes to Tessa Woodward and Gabrielle Keck for the editorial wisdom and behind-the-scenes guidance that brought this story to life. Thanks also to Julia Gang and Georgia Maas for making us look great and read well; and to our own Team M&M, Megan Schumann and Molly Birckhead, for their marketing and publicity efforts. We appreciate you all very much.

Thanks to Adams Lit for top-notch agenting, and to my incredibly talented coauthor, Lorin. You’re a treasure, Lolo.

To my family: You’re my heart, soul, and world. Thank you for your love and support. And finally, to readers and bloggers, thank you for taking another journey with us. It’s an honor to write for you.

—VR





About the Author


What do you get when friends pen a story with heart, plenty of laughs, and toe-curling kissing scenes? NOELLE AUGUST, the pseudonym for renowned editor and award-winning writer Lorin Oberweger and New York Times bestselling YA author Veronica Rossi, the masterminds behind Boomerang.

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