𝕻acking up her final box of new decorations she bought for hers and Emma's apartment, June releases a contented sigh and surveys her childhood bedroom as well as the packed luggage waiting in the corner for her flight back to New Jersey the following day.

It's been a wild Summer for sure and heading back to NJ this year, she feels hopeful. The painful yearning inside of her has subsided to give way to a lazy adoration; her heart is open to every kind of joy and so full of love and optimism that she could run for miles without exhausting herself.

Two days ago, she had been dreading seeing Jack. Then he showed up and everything changed. They'd both sat back and talked for a while before making their way downstairs, hand in hand, to tell her mother.

Maureen had been busy reading a book on the couch and startled at the sound of footsteps, her eyes going wide when she saw her daughter biting her lip to contain her smile and leaning into Jack's side, their hands firmly intertwined.

She had laughed and quickly walked up to them only to stand back and scrutinise Jack before asking, "Is this official?".

June can never forget the wide grin that took over his face as he glanced down at her at that moment and the way he looked at her, God, she could drown in the love those eyes held.

"Absolutely. She's my girlfriend now".

Girlfriend. The word sent a flurry of butterflies through her and she calmed herself to keep from squealing or possibly suffering cardiac arrest.

Next stop was Jack's house. It seemed that the entire Hughes household had been waiting for them with bated breath because the second Quinn opened the door and noticed their locked hands, he exclaimed, "It happened!", and all but dragged them over to the living room where both Jim and Ellen had come out of the kitchen and Luke was on his feet anxiously eyeing the two of them.

"Explain", June's best friend immediately stated. 

And they did. 

"We are now dating", June proudly announced, squeezing Jack's hand and laying her other hand over his arm with the biggest smile on her face.

"Oh my god, finally!".

Ellen rushed over to them, Jim in tow and pulled them both in a tight embrace gushing over how excited and how tired they have all been seeing them dance around each other over the years but never laying out their cards on the table, never being brave enough to be honest.

Quinn laughed and hugged both of them, "You two are going to be so sickening now. I love it", and Jack kissed the top of June's head in response eliciting a series of 'aww' from his parents.

Luke had tentatively stepped up to them and June had worried, for just a second, that maybe this would affect their friendship after all and that paying Luke as the price for a chance with Jack could never be worth it in any universe and she should've simply minded her own business, not let things get this far-

He threw his arms around her and pulled her into his chest, crushing her in the tightest hug.

She chuckled in disbelief and returned the hug, pushing up on her tip toes to embrace him tighter.

"You sure you're okay with this?", she whispers and he pulls back slightly to look down at her with a soft smile.

"Your happiness matters more to me", he glances at Jack over her shoulder before turning back to her, "Yeah, it will be a little weird to see you two together at first but...as long as you're both happy, I'm happy".

Jack steps up, clasping a hand over his shoulder, "Thanks, bro".

Luke snorts, throwing an arm around his shoulder and pulling him in, "Come here".

Back in her room, June picks up the final box and turns to the door ready to go downstairs and set it aside for the movers to pick up in a few hours.

Her gaze catches onto her book shelf and the small set of signed books on the topmost shelf. Her own signed copy of Beach Read sits there, happy in its place and her home. 

Yeah, Summer is over. June's new life though? It's only just beginning.

***
my plans for today got cancelled so i finally made myself sit down and write i hope this was good enough i'm just so tired these days i literally pass out from exhaustion every night 😭🙏