Girl Online (40 page)

On cue, people start to pour out of the bandstand café and onto the beach below us. They look up at Alex, Elliot, Noah, and me standing up on the bandstand's main stage and they all begin to shout and cheer, big smiles on their faces. Immediately I spot Alex's parents along with Elliot's and mine.

Noah pulls out a microphone, seemingly from nowhere, and plays one of his more upbeat songs. Everyone down on the beach starts dancing. Alex turns to Elliot and says, “I want to show the world that you're mine. But, until it can be the world, how about just our friends and family?”

Elliot throws his arms round Alex's neck and they kiss, to the raucous applause of everyone down below on the beach. I try to clap the loudest, adding in an extra-loud wolf whistle for good luck.

After Noah finishes his live set, music comes on over a sound system, and Alex and Elliot walk hand in hand down the gangway to join the revellers on the beach.

I linger behind, watching as Noah puts his guitar away. He keeps on smiling up at me, and each time he does I feel the
butterflies in my stomach take over. Those dimples get me every time.

“Hey, Penny. You don't mind that I texted Alex to ask if I could join the surprise, do you?” he asks.

I shake my head, unable to trust myself to speak.

“Good. I wanted to do something special for him and Elliot. And I thought it might give us a chance to talk again. Is that OK?”

I nod. He places his hand on my lower back and guides me down towards the beach without saying another word. I'm suddenly very aware of the fact that I am wearing a crop top as his hand caresses the skin on my back. When we reach the end of the gangway, I catch sight of Larry, who is leaning up against the metal railings that separate the promenade from the beach.

“Hi, Larry!” I say. I walk over to him and give him a big hug. He has a tear in his eye.

“Oh, Penny, it's good to see you. I'm sorry for the tears—I'm just such a sucker for a happy ending.” He wipes his cheeks and gestures over to Elliot and Alex. “I hope you get one too,” he adds, winking.

“Thank you,” I say with a small smile.

Noah patiently waits for me to return, then we move away from the party. He offers his hand to help me down a steep slope of stones. The beach is blissfully empty and the warm glow of the sun lingers even as the moon is rising in the sky. I turn and look at Noah. His eyes are dark but so inviting and he has a bit of stubble along his chiselled jaw. I look over my shoulder at Alex and Elliot's party and spot them with their arms wrapped round each other. They look so happy.

Noah and I sit down on the beach, settling in among the pebbles. Noah reaches up and brushes a loose curl off my face, his fingertips lingering on my cheek.

“I want to stay here with you, Penny. I want this. I want us.” He places his hand down on the warm stones and I put my hand on top of his. We sit in silence as I breathe in the fresh sea air and the seagulls dive and swoop above us. We sit and watch, hand on top of hand, as the waves roll in. It reminds me so much of the beginning of the year, when he turned up and surprised me with Princess Autumn on the beach. It's funny how things come full circle.

My heart drops as reality hits. “You can't stay here—I can't let you give up on your dream. You're doing what you've always wanted to do. What you were born to do.” I look at him now and he's looking back at me, biting his lip.

“And I can't ask you to give up your life for me either,” he says with a sigh. “I don't want to have to drag you along with me. It's not fair. You have your own life to live. Imagine all the things you'd be doing if you'd never met me.”

I feel a sense of sadness roll over me like the waves. If I'd never met Noah, we wouldn't be sitting here now. I wouldn't have all these exciting memories, and my anxiety would be so much worse. Noah has helped me to come to terms with myself, and everything I've experienced with him has contributed to the way I live my life in this very moment.

“You're so talented, Penny, and one of the things I love about you is that you are so brave. Sure, you have your clumsy moments, but I love those too.” He chuckles, and I join in. There's no tension between us, and everything feels relaxed and easygoing—just like when we first met.

“What do we do, then?” I say, with slight hesitation. Normally I'd be scared of Noah's answer. Is he going to tell me we'll never see each other again? Is this the last moment we'll share together? But something inside me feels like it's the right thing to ask. We can't carry on the way we are, constantly battling to make our lives head in the same direction.

“I don't know. All I know is that I just want to stay in this very moment, with you.”

“Me too.”

Noah picks up my hand and kisses my fingers lightly, then clutches them in both his hands as he looks back out over the sea.

“You'll always be my Inciting Incident,” I say, as he grips my hand tighter in his.

“I guess now it's kinda like the end of the film . . . but it's not the closing credits. I told you before, Penny. You're my forever girl. I mean that.” Tears are building up in his eyes as he smiles at me. Then he pulls me into a hug. We hold each other, eyes shut, listening to the sounds of the waves and the faint cheers rising from Alex and Elliot's party in the background.

I can feel his heart beating on my chest as his finger traces an ant line on my back and I let myself melt into him. As we break apart, we both smile at each other and turn back to watch the sea crashing on the stones. I feel a lump in my throat as a wave of understanding and serenity crashes over me.

Two tears escape down my face. I wipe them away and sigh as Noah stands up and extends his hand to me to help me. Our moment is over.

I put my hand in his and they fit together perfectly, like a jigsaw. As he lifts me to my feet, I feel my heart lift at the same time.

Our eyes connect as I take a step towards him, the decision made in my mind. It might be the end of this chapter. But, for us, our story is only just beginning.

Acknowledgments

After the success of my first novel, starting on book two was a daunting prospect—especially with so many of you eagerly awaiting the return of Penny and Noah. I wouldn't have been able to do it without my editor and now friend, Amy Alward. Our “Writing Wednesdays” were filled with plenty of snacks, reams of notes, the constant sound of tapping at the keyboard, and lots of laughter. Amy has helped me grow as an author but also as a person; she encouraged my crazy ideas and always knew the right things to say when things got a bit hard. Wednesdays just won't be the same from now on!

To the rest of the amazing team at Penguin who have helped bring the
Girl Online
books to life: thank you to Shannon Cullen, Laura Squire, Kimberley Davis, and Wendy Shakespeare for their editorial support; Tania Vian-Smith, Gemma Rostill, Clare Kelly, and Natasha Collie for their amazing marketing and publicity skills; Zosia Knopp and the rights team for getting
Girl Online
translated into so many different languages around the world; and the entire sales team for their continued belief and enthusiasm.

My managers, Dom Smales and Maddie Chester, are two of my biggest cheerleaders. (I'll give you a moment to imagine Dom in a tiny skirt with pom-poms.) Their continued support and endless encouragement meant I was able to stay focused. Thank you, Maddie, for being a constant positive influence and a best friend. I'm very happy that you are by my side, giving my hand an excited squeeze when all these crazy things happen.

Thanks to my amazing family for always being my biggest supporters, especially Mum and Dad for constantly allowing me to do whatever my heart desires and being by my side through both success and failure. Knowing you are always proud of me means I don't fear any outcome. Joe, thank you for always being that one person that brings out the absolute best in me, and for challenging me to push harder when I feel like I can't. My Brighton family, Nick, Amanda, Poppy, and Sean, thank you for your continued support, constant stream of laughter, and always being there for me with open arms.

My amazing friends who inspire and encourage me with their creativity and share in my excitement. There is nothing more heartwarming than a group of people who are supportive of everything you do. Thank you for the laughter and the hugs.

Lastly, to my boyfriend, Alfie, for being a calming influence and keeping my head above water. I would not be able to function half as well without you. I'm very happy that I get to share this whirlwind life with you (even though you fell asleep when I read you the first chapter).

Zoe Sugg

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