Turns out, fairy tales lie about the happily ever afters. After wasting almost two years on a guy my parents don’t know about, the clock strikes midnight, and I’m left staring at a different tale as old as time—the one called he cheated on me with his secretary. Curses. Unwilling to return home and admit I’m a catastrophic failure, I strand myself in Golden Shore, New York with nothing but a hastily-packed duffle bag, my cat, and a determination to figure things out before I’m kidnapped. Enter prince charming. Elliot Carter—my brother’s best friend and the man who completely broke my heart as a child—finds me in my lowest moment, offers a chivalrous hand, and takes me home to his little castle off the coast. He’s a cop. I know it’s just his duty to help damsels in distress. But if fifteen-year-old me thought the twenty-two-year-old man wove dreams out of clouds, nineteen-year-old me does not stand a chance against twenty-six-year-old Officer Ellie who is freshly scruffed and tattooed. In spite of his rejection before, I still want him. All I need to know is if he’s changed his mind about wanting me. Could Have Been Closer is a laugh-out-loud, age-gap, closed-door romcom with grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, and fairy tale happily ever after. Also, a cat in a tux, which is very important to mention.