Andy is the new boy at the most exclusive school on the coast, shy and out of place in a sweater two sizes too big. Santiago, Oliver’s golden boyfriend, can’t stop noticing him. Gwen, who never forgave Oliver for pushing her away, sees the perfect chance to stir things up. A plan, a party, a kiss in front of everyone, and suddenly Oliver’s relationship is breaking in public.
With his heart in pieces, Oliver turns to the one person who has always been there: James, his best friend since they were kids. James has never needed Oliver to explain himself. He knows when Oliver needs silence and when he needs to laugh. And lately, he looks at Oliver one second longer than he should.
As heartbreaks heal and friendships are rebuilt, Oliver, Lindsay, Andy, Santiago and the whole group head into a summer by the sea where nothing is simple and no one is quite who they were. Because the hardest thing Oliver has to learn isn’t how to fall in love. It’s how to see that it was already right beside him.
A warm, funny, bittersweet story about first loves, second chances, and the person who was there all along.