"So I hear you have a joey in the pouch?" Aimee chuckles while greeting Ana with a warm hug.

She caresses her belly in response with a smile.

"How are you feeling?" Aimee asks.

"You know the feeling of hungover mornings but without the string of alcohol the night before?"

Aimee laughs heartily.

"Apart from that, I'm doing good."

"Except she's hungry like... all the time." Tessa interjects. "She's out-eating me and Callum."

Aimee raises her eyebrows and laughs. "Now, that is a feat, Ana!"

Callum locks the car. "You will be okay while I have this meeting?" he asks Ana and gently places a kiss on her lips.

"I'll be fine. I'll be with Tess and Aimee."

"Overprotective..." Tessa sings amusedly while walking slowly towards the beach.

Ana snuggles Callum. "Don't listen to her. I think it's endearing. Say hi to Liam for me."

Aimee's eyes dart to Ana in surprise. "Liam?"

Callum's face contorts, and he steals a glance at Josie that gives him an encouraging nod.

Callum walks towards his sister and stands with his hand in his pockets while rocking his body softly sideways.

"He's the investor. We're in business with Liam..." He shuffles his feet on the ground. "I... I didn't know how you would react."

"I mean, you left things with him in a pretty awful state..." Josie intervenes to help her cousin form a justification that appeases Aimee. "And, we are totally on your side, Aimee, on the whole thing, but the fact is, Liam is not the same guy and..."

"He's changed for the better. And, although I hate his guts for what he's done to you..." Callum clears his throat. "He's also been there for me when I needed, and he's shown me how much he has changed every day for the last two years." He raises his eyes to his sister. "So, I hope you can be okay with him being part of this."

Aimee's eyes are steady on her brother and her cousin. It feels as if her favourite portrait has come to life and suddenly changed. The colours are different; the images have swayed position... everything about that still frame stuck in her mind is now repositioned. Everything has moved forward, expect her.

Aimee takes a deep breath and lowers her eyes to the ground.

"I'm fine, and I'm glad he's changed. I saw him this morning..."

"You did?" Callum asks while Josie eyes Tessa curiously.

"I took her there to take care of the surfboard and Liam showed up... I thought he would be in the Northern by that time. He usually is..." Tessa justifies herself to her fiancee.

"The Northern?" Aimee cocks her head to Tessa inquisitively.

"He also invested in the Northern..." Tessa says. "Liam told her he owns the surf shop." She clarifies to the other three people in the parking lot.

Callum nods. "He invested first in the Northern, then the surf shop, and a music shop..."

"A music shop?" Aimee opens her eyes.

"It's a cool place for new musicians. It's actually more of a studio, but also sells instruments," Ana clarifies.

"When Josie and I came up with the idea when the place went for auction, he was the only one willing to invest. He believes in our vision," Callum states.

The overload of information takes Aimee aback. Her head spins with questions swerving in her mind. But, mostly, she wants to see him again. Her heart leaps at the possibility of exchanging a few more moments. Like everyone else, his still frame in her mind has also shifted.

"Please say something." Callum pleads and interrupts her thoughts.

"Go to your meeting." Aimee plasters a grin like a Cheshire cat, avoiding disclosing the clouded sentiments swirling through her. "I need some sun, beach and surf, and I can't wait to see your project." She walks over to Callum and kisses him on the cheek and embraces him tightly. "So proud of you."

"Thanks, sis. It means the world."

Aimee walks away with Tessa and Ana towards the beach while Josie and Callum make their way towards the hotel where Liam is waiting for them.

The hotel is a short walk away from a secluded bay where the pristine water invites everyone to enter. The hotel itself is a white building that encompasses a grand entrance, a restaurant and bar that leads towards the beach, and 50 rooms across 3 floors.

Josie and Callum walk inside the building.

"Where's Liam?" Callum asks one worker.

He points towards the bar.

Liam is sitting at the bar counter that overlooks the beach. His back is towards them. He has his laptop in front of him, but Josie can see that his eyes are lost in the blue ocean ahead of him.

"Liam!" Callum calls, and Liam turns around. He waves at his partners and pours himself a drink.

"Hey," Josie greets Liam.

"Hey, Jos." Liam smiles. "Callum..." Liam nods at Callum.

Josie and Callum sit by the counter. "Sorry we were late. We were leaving the girls by the beach," she says pointedly, avoiding names.

"You saw my sister this morning?" Callum interjects.

Liam sighs. "Yes, Tessa took her to the surf shop. We talked for a few minutes only."

Callum and Liam exchange a glance. Liam peels his eyes from him and towards the laptop. His voice is cool and collected.

"You need to renegotiate the stonework. These are ridiculously high rates. If he continues to push, let me know and we'll find a new vendor."

Josie opens her tablet but continues to look at Callum's stoic face towards Liam. She senses something is amiss between them.

"And we need to discuss branding," Liam says while Josie takes notes. "I have some mocks that I designed. I'm sending these to you and let's meet tomorrow and discuss."

"Sounds great, man. You didn't have to do that..." Josie speaks and stares at her cousin that is still stonewalling their only investor.

"What's my degree for then?" Liam smirks. "Also, let's get the contractor to give us a firm date on the completion of the work so we can start working towards a date for a soft opening. Eva is thinking about using the space for the launch of her new line. That will be great PR for the hotel."

Josie squeals in excitement. "Oh, my god! That would be awesome. I'll get on the contractors back first thing tomorrow and won't let go until we have a firm date."

Liam closes his laptop. "I guess we have everything aligned." He looks at Callum. "How is the menu planning going?"

Callum gets up. "Fine. I'll have something to show by the end of the week."

Liam also gets up and nods. "Maybe you can also consider something special for Eva's event?"

"Sure," he replies dryly.

Josie notices the increasing tension between the two of them.

"How is everything else going?" she asks.

The three of them walk further towards the beachside.

"All good. We had a minor issue in the Northern this morning but it is resolved now. I also need to come here tomorrow early morning to talk to these guys about the bar layout."

"You're overworking." Josie says. "Before it was all play and no work, and now it's the opposite. You need to find some balance, man."

"I'm sure he still has fun. Just last week, he was missing in action for three days." Callum retorts. "And the month before that, it was an entire week." He stands away from Liam. "I'm sure that involves some long legs..." Callum states.

Liam raises his eyebrows in response. Josie looks at Liam and then back at Callum.

"What is this about?"

"Don't listen to him..." Liam mumbles. The sun shines in his eyes, and he takes his sunglasses to shield the brightness from his eyes.

"You disappear for days?"

"I have other things to take care of. Other..." He stops as if trying to compose the right words. "Investments," He finally says.

Callum scoffs in response.

"Where are they?" Josie asks to disrupt the disagreeable mood between the two men. "Oh, I think I see them. I see Tess and Ana but where's..." she trails off, suddenly avoiding her name once more.

"She's surfing." Liam blurts out. He sees her manoeuvring the board on the horizon.

"Oh, yeah, there she is..." Josie's eyes dart between Callum and Liam. "Let's meet them, Cal?"

Callum stares at Liam with his jaw clenched. "Yeah, let's go." Callum stands in front of Liam and offers him his hand. "See you tomorrow?"

Liam returns the handshake. "Of course." He eyes Josie. "See ya 'round."

Josie nods and walks away towards the beach, with Callum following her. Liam puts his hands in his pocket and looks in her direction once again, where Aimee is currently positioning her board to ride another wave.

"Liam?" Callum's voice brings him back.

"Yeah?"

Callum leaves Josie's side and walks back to him. "You haven't forgotten your promise?"

Liam's face falters. Her sight was enough to make him forget his past misdeeds. He lowers his eyes.

"I've kept my distance and will continue to do it. I didn't know she was there today. You can't expect me to ignore her."

"I expect you to keep your word to me and Eva."

"I'll keep my promise."

Callum eyes him carefully, "Just checking." And walks back to Josie.

"What happened? Did you forget to tell him something?" Josie asks.

"I was just reminding him of a promise."

"What promise?" Josie enquires.

"It's between us..."

Callum walks towards Ana that talks to Tessa and scoops her off the ground from behind, which results in Ana screaming and laughing.

Tessa runs towards Josie and gives her a sweet kiss on her lips. "All good with your meeting?"

Josie eyes Callum. "Yeah..."

Tessa glances to Callum and then back at Josie. "What happened?"

Josie looks at Aimee, that is still surfing, and then back to where they left Liam and sees him staring at her.

"I don't know, but I think I need to find out."

"Find out what?"

"What is this about a promise Liam made to Callum..."

Tessa's face falters. "Don't be mad..."

Josie's eyes raise. "What do you know?"

Tessa sighs. "I know what is the deal with this promise."

"How?"

"It was a few days after you saw Liam at the pub, and Callum was drunk, and I was curious to know more about Liam. To be honest... your cousin is an open book after a few drinks."

"It's about Aimee, isn't it?"

Tessa nods and looks at her friend that is approaching the shore. "Can we talk about this later? I promise I will tell you everything, babe."

Josie looks back in Liam's direction, but he's vanished. "Hey, peeps. How was the meeting?"

"All good," Callum says while cradling Ana's small belly from behind.

Aimee smiles, "All good, Josester?"

"Of course." She glances at Aimee and notices she is looking around the beach, searching for something. Or someone.

"Want to see the place?" Callum interrupts Aimee's search.

"I would love that."

"And then we'll grab something to eat? I'm starving." Ana intervenes.

Callum chuckles. "I could eat as well. Aimee?"

"I'm so hungry. I had forgotten how surfing takes a toll."

"Quick tour and then some good food." Callum announces. "You guys coming?"

"We'll catch up." Josie excuses herself. "I want to catch some waves before heading there."

Ana gathers her things. "No worries. We'll head first and then you guys catch up. We'll text you where we end up."

"Yeah, you guys go. We'll be there in soon." Tessa waves them off.

Aimee giggles. "They want some alone time, aw." She waves at them with a smile while linking her arms between Ana and Callum's and walking back towards the hotel.

Josie waits for them to be at a reasonable distance. She crosses her arms and stares back at her fiancee.

"I'm waiting."

"We can do this later..." Tessa says.

"Now. We need to do this now." Josie insists.

"When Liam approached Callum to make amends... Eva was also there." She shuffles the sand with her feet. "They both made Liam promise not to engage Aimee. That even if their paths would cross again, that he would steer clear of her."

Josie's face falters.

"Liam agreed. That's why he gave Callum the letter intended for Aimee. He's keeping his promise to your cousin and his mother."

"That's..." Josie thinks about the night at the Northern and the promise Liam made to her. "Confusing."

"Why?"

"Because I made him promise something to me that forced him closer to her, even if this was unbeknownst to her."

Tessa cocks an eyebrow at Josie.

"I told him to bring her back to the piano and the stage. I don't know how he did it, but I know it was him that got her that audition in London. And the agent... And the tour... I know it's all him."

Josie takes a few steps towards the sea. She recalls how Liam taught Aimee to surf, the surfing initiation, how he got her the gig in the Northern... all the good stuff he did for her despite all the shitty stuff he put her through too.

"While my cousin and Eva were busy telling him to move on from her, I pushed him to reconnect with her."

"From what I've seen, this was the first time she's seen Liam since the whole thing..."

"I know it's been the first time she's seen him, but that doesn't mean it's the first time he's seen her ever since..." Josie lowers her eyes to the ground.

Tessa embraces her. "Hey, let's think about our wedding for now. We'll deal with the rest of your crazy family afterwards."

Josie chuckles. "My family is your best friend and her twin brother."

"Potato, potah-to." Tessa leaves a lingering kiss on her bride's lips.