Liam stopped walking, turning to face her. His eyes were filled with a mixture of sadness and understanding. "I know," he said, reaching out to cup her face in his hands. "But summer always ends."
He leaned down and kissed her, a long, lingering kiss that tasted like salt and sunshine.
"Promise me you won't forget me," Maya whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.
Liam smiled, a sad but genuine smile. "Never," he said. "And promise me you won't forget me either."
As Maya boarded the bus back to the city, she looked back at Seabrook, a tiny speck on the horizon. She knew that she would never forget Liam, or the summer they spent together. It was a summer of firsts, of self-discovery, and of a love that, while brief, had changed her forever.