Endless Summer Elin Hilderbrand Novels & Stories

She was beaming, her eyes full of dreams for the future. "Let's have a destination wedding, alright? We'll get married in Southpoint, then have another ceremony in Eastwind. I heard the Lumians are very romantic, too… What about having another ceremony in the Lumian capital of Lumiere? I want to wear lots and lots of beautiful wedding dresses and take all kinds of wedding photos, fill up a whole wall with them…" Zach just looked at her, his eyes emotionless. "Annie's dead."

Neither pulled away. Lunch was simple, fresh fruit, bread, cheese, olives. They ate on the shaded lower deck, legs stretched out on the cushioned bench. He asked about the book she had been pretending to read for weeks. “It’s about a woman who leaves everything behind,” she said. “She walks into the sea and disappears.” He looked at her. “Does she come back?” Elena shrugged. “The book ends before we find out.” He smiled. “I hate books that do that.”

Food, clothes, secrets—we had shared everything. Aside from Luke, she was the second person I was closest to. During our freshman year, I introduced Luke to her. Never did I expect myself to bring a snake into my life. I forced myself to calm down, logged out, then logged back in with an alternate account no one knew about. Then, I searched her username again. This time, her profile opened. Countless feeds flooded me as if they had been anticipating me. One photo showed a man's hand resting on a swollen belly. The caption read, 'The baby is kicking! He put his hand on my belly, and his eyes turned red when he said this was the fruit of our love.'

I had spent years chasing after her, begging for even the smallest piece of her affection. I had cherished her above everything else. A single smile from her had once been enough to make my heart race. But now, all of those beautiful memories seemed to have faded away. What remained was only the bitterness of summer's end. Firmly, I shook my head. "No, thanks." It was all in the past now, and I should let go. The distant voice let out a soft sigh and opened the gate of reincarnation for me. Beyond the radiant doorway stood a little girl holding a teddy bear.

And then there were Marianne and Elena—inside, carrying the weight of summer storms long past, and secrets that stretched across years like invisible threads. Gemma opened her notebook, pen poised above the blank page. She didn’t know what she was about to write—an observation, a story, a warning. Maybe all three. But she knew one thing: this summer wasn’t just fleeting warmth and careless laughter. It was a convergence, a delicate balance of past and present, of choices and consequences.

She sat down across from me and propped her chin on her hand as she asked with a smile, “Dr. Summer, did you enjoy the show last night? I even brought my purse into the bedroom on purpose so you could hear more clearly. Oh, but there were probably some parts that you missed. After all, John doesn’t just like to do it in the bedroom. He enjoys other places even more.” Looking at the smug smile on her face, I finally understood. She had known the whole time. When I did not respond, Anna helpfully pulled out her phone and tapped play on a recording. “John, between me and Summer, who do you love more?” “She could never be as naughty as you.” John’s movements grew rougher. His voice turned hoarse

“Then today is a good start. She glanced at the book in his hands. “Are you actually reading, or are you just holding it for dramatic effect?” Atlas flipped the book closed, revealing the title. The Art of Letting Go. Lily snorted. “Did you pick that on purpose?” “Fate,” Atlas said with a grin. Lily shook her head, but she couldn’t deny the irony. Maybe it was fate. Maybe she was meant to be here, right now, learning how to let go. A comfortable silence settled between them as she sipped her coffee. She wasn’t sure how long they sat there, lost in the quiet, but for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t in a rush to be anywhere else.

He was about two feet shorter than Ezra and a face of excitement that reminded me of a carnival. “I got your favourite brand.” He picked up a bottle of whiskey and handed it to Ezra. “And for the lovely lady the finest bottle of wine.” Ezra placed a hand on my waist. “Summer doesn’t drink. She just turned twenty-one.” “Ezra, you robbed the cradle. Just like your old man.” Ezra winked at me with a grin. “Oh, you here,” Ellen said. She wore an attention-grabbing red dress with sparkles at the bottom. She elevated her look with pearl earrings and a necklace. She eyed me up and down but proceeded to give Ezra a huge hug.

No one has found the bodies yet, though, so theres still a lingering hope out there that they're alive. I sigh as I crawl under the thick quilt, flicking on the lamo beside me as I pull out my latest find at Barnes and Nobels: The Winter Garden by the famous Kristin Hannah. This woman's books are truly amazing. Then, after an hour long reading session, I find my eyes beginning to shut against my will, so I set down the book on the bedside table and shut off the lamp. ~ The next morning...