Bonus Chapter

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Ten minutes before the new year.

Sparkly tinsel and gold paper signs hung from the rafters at Boomers, sagging slightly as if exhausted by the effort of celebration. The tables hadn’t been cleaned. Rings of condensation slicked the tabletops, and the bar glistened with spilled drinks and melted ice. The floor—perpetually sticky—had been baptized anew by champagne and cheap beer. The bar had closed early, but a small group lingered inside anyway, clustered together, talking close, laughing louder than necessary, drinks and memories flowing like the nearby river.

A large TV on the side wall glowed with a countdown. Performers sang. Hosts recapped a year no one in the room cared about. No one was interested in watching people they'd never meet talking about celebrities or events that barely pertained to them. Instead, they traded stories of Misty Springs: how Old Man Keller had finally sold his farm to developers—and the memories of the high school parties once thrown there. How the diner was under new ownership, and the rumors that the ‘mile-high pies’ had dropped a few inches. Despite everyone’s desire to keep things the same in Misty Springs, time propelled change forward.

Change that even this tight-knit group of friends weren't immune to.

Sophia leaned into Corbin, his arm anchored firmly around her waist like he was afraid she might float away. Her black dress hugged her curves, the material was smooth, and the cut looked more expensive than the dresses she had worn in the past.

“We’re leaving soon, right?” Corbin murmured against her ear.

She smiled without answering.

“I really like that dress,” he added. “Do you need any help slipping out of it later?”

Sophia laughed softly. “Hmmm… probably not.” She stood on her tiptoes, her lips brushing the shell of his ear. “But you can do it anyway.”

His fingers tightened around her hip. This woman was his undoing. As much as he was enjoying himself tonight, he couldn’t wait to celebrate the new year in his own way—one involving far fewer people and far less clothing on Sophia.

The calendar marked the end of the year, but for Corbin, it marked the end of an era too. The end of the life he once thought he wanted and the beginning of one he never dared to imagine could exist.

Five minutes until midnight.

Nearby, Devyn practically vibrated with excitement, her engagement ring flashing as she talked with her hands.

“I already booked the venue,” she said. “It’s perfect. And I’ve planned the walk down the aisle—who’s paired with who and everything.”

Sam blinked. “Great. You need me to do anything?” he asked.

“Just show up on time,” Devyn said with a smile. Then she froze, snapping her fingers. “Oh! Right. Sam. You were supposed to ask Corbin something.” She nudged Sam forward.

Sam nodded at her before turning, suddenly serious. A rare flush colored his defined cheekbones. “Yeah. Corbin—would you be my groomsman?”

For a moment, Corbin said nothing, the question catching him off guard. He hated being caught off guard. But ever since Sophia walked into his world, that’s exactly how life had felt—new and full of surprises.

Being part of this group, of her, felt less like stepping into something unfamiliar and more like finally finding something that had been waiting for him all along.

"Yeah,” he said finally, a smile tugging at his mouth. “I’d be honored.”

Devyn clapped. “Perfect. It’ll be Trevor and Cassie, Lana and Brent, Sophia and Corbin, my cousin with Sam’s brother. Everyone together. It just works.”

Sophia smiled as she gripped Corbin’s arm. Six months ago, she couldn’t have imagined this version of her life—her dream job, the man beside her, and the feeling that maybe everything had finally fallen into place.

After everything she and Corbin had been through, the idea of a new year filled with fresh possibilities—and leaving their old lives behind for good—felt almost too good to be true.

One minute to go.

Glasses were refilled. Couples instinctively paired off.

Devyn’s fingers intertwined with Sam’s.

Sophia wrapped her arm around Corbin’s waist, pressing her body against his.

Ten. Nine. Eight.

Brent clinked his glass against Lana’s. “Here’s to being two of the singles in a group of way-too-happy couples.”

Lana smiled, her heart warming as she surveyed the room full of her friends. After the year they had, she relished the quiet contentment of them settling back into a new sense of normal.

Three. Two. One.

Midnight.

Devyn and Sam kissed long and deeply, the kind of kiss that promised permanence.

Sophia and Corbin followed suit, laughter caught between them, a new love blossoming into something deeper.

 Brent quickly kissed Lana’s cheek, more habit than anything else, easy in the way longtime friendships often were.

Lana’s fingertips brushed the spot where his lips had touched her skin, a blush warming her cheeks despite the kiss being innocent enough to mean absolutely nothing.

Somewhere near the back of the room, tucked safely outside the glow of everyone else’s celebration, Trevor and Cassie stole a moment while the rest of the group lost themselves in midnight kisses and champagne.

Trevor’s lips met hers, the drinks blurring the line of friendship they toed every other day of the year. Slow, familiar, yet charged with something deeper.

When they finally pulled apart, Trevor stayed close enough for his breath to brush her ear as he whispered something only meant for her.

“We still on for our pact?”

Cassie nodded, champagne buzzing in her veins, blurring caution and resolve.

Everything looked perfect. Pieces falling neatly into place—new jobs, new love, new promises made under reused décor and shimmery tinsel.

But nothing in the unsuspecting town of Misty Springs stayed still for long.

Far from the quiet streets and fogged windows of Boomers, an old enemy still held his grudge, untouched by the turning of the year. Distance hadn’t softened it. Time hadn’t erased it. If anything, it had given him room to plan.

This New Year would be more than a fresh start.

More than new love.

More than celebration and champagne and midnight kisses.

More than any of them were prepared for.