I thought having the answers would give me closure. That, when the truth was finally unearthed, it would be a sweeping victory borne of bloodshed and triumph. A grand plot of revenge and restitution, doled out on those who stole my parents from me.

In reality, having the answers doesn't change anything not really. The bad guy is already rotting in jail. Knowing how they died won't bring my parents back to me.

But maybe I don't need to bring them back.

Maybe, the whole point is, they never really left. They're inside me in my heart, my soul, my memories.

And as long as I hold them close... I'll never be alone.

22.

The Happy Ending

A week later, I'm standing on the dock with my hands on my hips, glaring at my grinning boyfriend.

"You're not serious."

"As a heart attack, darling."

I stride across the narrow gangway onto the boat, brush past him, and clamor down into the cabin. When my eyes land on the navigational station, I feel them go wide.

"You like it?" Parker's voice is warm and close. I turn to find him standing directly behind me, still smiling wide.

"You shouldn't have." My voice is dark. "This equipment costs a fortune! Parker..."

He shrugs and winds his arms around me. "You're leaving everything behind to go on a crazy adventure with me. The least I can do is provide a computer to keep you busy and let you stay in touch with everyone here at home."

I feel my throat starting to close. "How inconsiderate and terrible of you."

He laughs and pulls me closer. "Just the reaction I was expecting."

"Really. I hate it."

"Excellent. Then you'll be relieved to hear it's got satellite coverage and will perform at high speeds even in the middle of the ocean or on the most remote of tropical islands."

My eyebrows lift. "Which islands would those be, exactly?"

"Darling, the whole point of an adventure is to enjoy the ride. The destination doesn't matter."

"But-"

"No buts." He kisses my forehead. "I want to show you the world, Zoe Bloom. You plan on letting me? Or you want to ask a zillion questions so there's no surprise when we get there?"

I press my lips closed. "I suppose I can let it be a surprise."

He grins. "There's my girl. Now, come on. We have to say goodbye."

My brows lift. "To...?"

"You didn't think Phoebe and Gemma would let us sail off into the sunset without a grand farewell, did you?" He laughs. "Oh, my nave little snookums."

I glare at him. "Call me that again and I will tie an anchor to your feet and throw you overboard as soon as we're in shark-infested waters. Just try me."

"Aw, darling!" He ruffles my hair, then releases me to climb up on deck.

I roll my eyes and follow him. As soon we enter the cockpit and the dock comes into view, the breath catches in my throat.

Everyone's there, waving and grinning at us.

Nate and Phoebe, holding a huge BON VOYAGE sign.

Chrissy and Mark, each carrying a kid.

Gemma and Chase, toting large bottles of champagne.

Lila and Shelby, already drinking glasses of said champagne.

Colton and Luca, towering like giants on the edges of the group.

"Come on," Parker whispers, tugging me toward the gangway. "I want to show you something."

I walk onto the dock, grinning at everyone as I make my way down the line. Phoebe kisses my cheek, Gemma hugs me close, Lila passes me a paper cup brimming with champagne, Shelby slaps my ass, and Chrissy waves while bouncing a baby on her hip. The boys nod and smile, Nate reiterating his offer of a job while Chase assures Parker for the hundredth time that WestTech will be safe under his management. They both press polite kisses to my cheeks and wish us well on our trip.

Luca shows less restraint.

He wraps both arms around me, lifts me clear off my feet, and gives me the biggest bear hug imaginable.

"Gonna miss you, babe."

"You too, Luke."

"Check in, you hear me? I want to know you're safe."

"I will," I whisper, feeling my throat get tight. "And you fight smart. Fight fast. Don't let them pin you."

"Hey, coaching is my job." Colton's voice cuts in. "Don't worry, Zoe I'll look out for our boy."

"Don't let them break his nose again," I say, suppressing a laugh. "He'll never find a girl to love him if you get him too banged up."

"Who says I want a girl?" Luca grumbles, setting me gently back on my feet.

I peer up into his face. "You want a girl, Luke. And you'll find her. I know it."

"Don't get sappy, babe. Not your style."

I punch him on the arm. "We'll Skype after every match. I want all the details."

"And I want to hear about your adventures." His eyes soften. "Don't forget about me."

"Never," I whisper.

He looks down at his feet so I can't see how red his eyes are getting. But, as Parker's hand twines with mine and he leads me down the dock, I do see a certain curvaceous strawberry blonde sidling closer to Luca.

He'll be fine.

More than fine, if Lila has anything to do with it.

"Where are you taking me, playboy?" I ask as he pulls me along, the whole group following behind us.

Parker drops my hand only to circle behind me and cover my eyes with his massive palms. "No peeking."

"Hey!" I protest as he pushes me along blindly.

"Shh. Almost there." We take a few more shuffling steps and then I feel him pivot my body so I'm facing the other direction. "Okay." His hands drop away. "Now you can look."

My eyes fly open... and immediately fill with tears.

I'm staring at the stern of the boat, which used to say the word Folly in blocky letters. Instead, the name-plate now reads Neverland in beautiful black script.

"You renamed her?" I choke out.

He nods.

"For me?"

Parker's lips hit my cheek. "For us."

I hear the pop of a cork as Chase opens the second bottle of champagne and suddenly, everyone's there beside us laughing, drinking, hugging, smiling. I look around at all these beautiful people who've come to mean so much to me and feel unbelievably lucky. My heart is so full I worry it might burst.

Turning, I lean into Parker's chest and tilt my chin so he can hear my whispered words above the revelry happening on all sides.

"I love you, Peter Pan."

His voice is rough when he replies, "I love you more, Tinkerbell."

I stretch up onto my tiptoes and kiss him until I'm breathless. When his lips pull away, he looks down at me with shining eyes. "You about ready to fly off into the stars with me?"

I'm not sure where we're headed.

I'm not sure when we're coming back.

But I know, with Parker by my side, life will always be an adventure full of love and trust and more laughter than I can handle. And that's the only reason I need to justify the answer I give him.

"Absolutely."

THE END.

Acknowledgments.

I never planned to write a rom-com series. I sat down at my computer in the dreary months of early 2015, fully intending to pen another angsty, suspenseful standalone novel.

Instead, a quirky brunette started speaking to me... and she refused to shut up until I'd written 100,000 words. A few months later, NOT YOU IT'S ME came out. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Three books later, the BOSTON LOVE STORIES are international bestsellers. That genuinely blows my mind every time I think about it.

It's not lost on me, even for a single moment, that I have you to thank for the success of this series. You are the reason I get to spend my days with this crazy cast of characters. You are the reason my life is full of so much laughter and love.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I could say it a million times; it wouldn't be enough. It brings me such joy to receive your messages, your videos, your picture collages. It means everything to know you share my enthusiasm for these characters, this city, this series.

Chase, Gemma, Nate, Phoebe, Parker, Zoe.

Each of them holds such a special place in my heart. I hope you've enjoyed reading their stories as much as I've enjoyed writing them.

Huge hugs to the fantastic ladies in my reader group, the Johnson Junkies. Your support and positivity is beyond lovely!

Big thanks to my family and friends for sticking with me - even during the crazy weeks when I retreat into my writing cave.

And, lastly... thanks to all the boys out there who (intentionally or not) provided inspiration for the love between these pages. If you weren't such idiots, my fictional men wouldn't be half as appealing.

JUST KIDDING.

(Not.).

About the Author.

JULIE JOHNSON is a twenty-something Boston native suffering from an extreme case of Peter Pan Syndrome and an obsession with fictional characters. When she's not writing, Julie can most often be found daydreaming, drinking too much coffee, striving to conquer her Netflix queue, or stalking Goodreads for new books to add to her ever-growing TBR list.