The Beach House • JB

EPILOGUE PT. I

5 MONTHS AGO. . .

Winnie sat in the limousine that was taking her to the private jet, she bit her bottom lip softly and shook her head with her hands still in her lap.

What did I do? Winnie thought.

Winnie sharply inhaled a breath and shook her head as she pulled her phone out of her purse and pulled up Justin's ID in her call log and pressed the call button and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello? Winnie? Are you okay?"

"No. . .no I'm not. . ."

"What's going on?"

"Justin. . .I made a mistake. . .I want to be with you, god. . .I'm so stupid."

"Winnie. . .no you're not, okay? You were thinking about your book, don't forget that."

"But Justin. . .I'm in love with you too."

There was a moment of pause between the call making Winnie blink away the tears forming in her eyes and crease her eyebrows.

"Justin?"

"Y-Yeah. . .I'm here. . .I just. . .I love you too, Winnie."

Winnie giggled softly. "So I've been told."

"But. . .you can't let this stop anything, okay? You need to go to New York and sell the hell out of that book, do you hear me?"

"But—"

"No no, remember? We're those star crossed lovers you talked about."

Winnie couldn't help but giggle as a single tear rolled down her cheek making her sniff and wipe it away.

"Yeah. . .we are."

"We'll see each other. . .I just don't know when."

"How about I give you a call. . .we don't talk for a while to get our lives together, but when I give you a call. . .then that's when we move forward with us."

"Yeah. . .I like that. . .listen, Winnie, my brothers on the other line. Call me when you're ready?"

"Of course."

"Winnie?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Winnie felt her heart flutter. "I love you too."

5 MONTHS LATER. . .

Winnie let the sound of her stilettos click as she walked past a screaming crowd in the lobby where her interview was taking place.

Smiling wide, she walked over to them and past her security to hug some fans, autograph a copy of her book, and take pictures.

After a few moments, Winnie felt a tap on her shoulder by her security guard making her turn around and see him tap his watch.

Winnie sighed softly and turned back to the crowd. "I must go, I love you all, thank you for reading my book!"

"Ms. Stone! Will there be a sequel?!"

Winnie stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at the teenage girl that was near the left side of the crowd and smiled softly.

"No. . .this was a special book to me, but can only be written for one special moment. Thank you."

Winnie heard the crowd go wild again as she walked off and headed to the elevator where Sydney waited for her with a wide smile on her lips.

"Hey, Syd."