Beth

Beth showered first. She hurried through her routine, feeling exposed with Parker on the other side of the bathroom door. It’s not a big deal, she told herself. You’ve shared a bed with Parker before. Hell, you used to take baths with him.

But Beth’s conscience wasn’t going to let her off the hook that easily. Yeah, but you were babies back then. Parker wasn’t one of the hottest guys you’ve ever seen almost naked. Does your boyfriend know about your tantalizing daydreams about Parker? How is your boyfriend by the way?

Shit!

Beth toweled off and quickly pulled on a nightgown. She was suddenly wishing she’d packed more modest sleepwear, but she’d already been packed for Colorado and hadn’t anticipated sharing a bed with anyone but Jared. Her thin satin nightgown had been purchased specifically for him. Caroline said he’d love it, so Beth had bought ten of them, in all different colors. The slippery fabric barely covered her ass. Luckily there was a wide band of lace around the bottom, but it still only skimmed her upper thighs. Thank God she’d thrown a robe in at the last second thinking it’d be cold walking around in a skimpy nightie in Aspen.

It certainly wasn’t cold in Georgia. Beth didn’t know if it was the balmy ocean air blowing in from the balcony or the fact that Parker was about to see her half naked, but her core temperature was definitely rising. Maybe she should’ve taken a cold shower?

Beth tied her pale blue robe tightly around her and quickly opened the bathroom door before she lost her nerve. “All yours,” she called, swiping her phone from the nightstand and scurrying past Parker. “I’m gonna call Jared on the balcony. Don’t wait up.”

Once on the balcony, Beth took a deep breath trying to steady her nerves. ‘Don’t wait up?’ Who says that? It’s not like Parker was going to be sprawled on the bed waiting to pounce on her when he got out of the shower. What the hell was wrong with her? It was Parker. They were P and B. They were platonic. There’d never been anything between them, even back when Beth had wished there could’ve been. She took another steadying breath. She adjusted her robe, cursing her lingerie. The damn clingy fabric had her all sexed up.

Beth glanced at the time on her phone. What time was it in Colorado? She did a quick calculation and decided to call Jared. He was better at answering calls then texts. Sometimes he went days before replying, claiming he misplaced his phone or the battery was dead.

The phone rang a few times then went to voicemail. Beth frowned. Jared never checked his voicemail. She disconnected the call and sent him a quick text.

Hey babe, just got to the hotel. Wanted to say night and I hope you’re having fun. Miss you. xoxo - Beth

Now what? Beth was hoping to get Jared on the phone to kill some time. Now she’d have to go back into the bedroom and face Parker. Maybe she could just slip into bed before he got out of the shower and pretend to be asleep? Ugh! She needed to get a grip.

She couldn’t do that to Parker. He was sacrificing his spring break to be an amazing best friend. Beth needed to shape up. She could lock away her feelings for a few days. Besides, she hadn’t let herself have feelings for Parker since she started dating Jared. Beth was honestly confused why her crush had resurfaced so suddenly. Maybe it was the nostalgia of being back at Bellemora. Or perhaps she was getting swept away with the romance of the wedding.

Beth frowned and tugged at the hem of her scandalously short nightie. Most likely the problem was that she was wearing the damn lingerie that had been meant for the first time she had sex.

She sighed and looked out over the sprawling grounds. The moon was nearly full and the sky was speckled with stars—way more stars than she ever saw in Boston. The sea breeze caressed her wet hair. Beth inhaled the salty scent in the air. She could just make out the sound of the waves crashing in the distance. No wonder she felt swept away. She’d never been to Bellemora as nearly an adult. She felt like she was in ‘Gone with the Wind’.

The notion was unsettling. Things hadn’t worked out so well for Scarlett O’Hara. Beth was hoping her story would be better. She wanted to avoid drama this week, not incite it. But as she looked around the romantic setting of her suite, she had a sneaking suspicion she’d be more likely to follow in Scarlett’s fateful footsteps. It would certainly be easier to set Georgia ablaze than to keep herself from falling for the boy she was sharing a room with. Especially when that boy was Parker.

Parker

Parker toweled off and slipped on his pinstriped pajama pants. He’d forgotten how humid it was in Georgia. He tossed his t-shirt back into his suitcase. He wouldn’t be needing that tonight. He knew there was air-conditioning in their room, but it seemed like it couldn’t keep up with the humid air that hung over Tybee Island. Bellemora was just past the South Carolina border in an area of Georgia referred to as the low country. Everything around them was flat and swampy, and the weight of the thick air made Parker wonder how the moss-covered live oaks could grow so tall blanketed in such heaviness.

One summer when Parker was at Bellemora with Beth and her family, the air-conditioning unit in his room failed. He’d felt like he was suffocating lying in his bed and resorted to sleeping in his underwear on the balcony. He could get away with such things as a ten year old. But now . . . not so much. He sent up a silent prayer to avoid such occurrences this trip and walked over to check the temperature control on the wall but Beth’s moonlit silhouette stopped him in his tracks. Good God she was beautiful.

The moonlight illuminated her slim figure, casting a milky glow over her pale satin robe. Her blonde hair danced as the salty air kissed it into golden waves as soft as the gentle surf breaking just on the other side of the dunes. Parker had the sudden urge to take a photo of her like that. Instead he stared at her a moment longer, locking the stunning image away with all the others he’d compiled over the years.

Sometimes they were the only things that kept him going. The memories of times they’d shared together. It felt pathetic when he thought of it that way. But he’d rather have loved Beth from afar, than never felt such powerful love at all.

Parker joined Beth on the balcony. She startled at his presence like she’d been lost in thought.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful it was out here,” she said when Parker stopped next to her at the white columned railing.

“Me too,” he admitted drinking in the coconut-lime scent of Beth’s shampoo as it mixed with the fragrant smell of magnolias and surf. “Did you get ahold of Jared?” Parker asked.

“Nope.”

“Sorry,” he added, not quite sure why he brought the jock-wad up in the first place.

Parker couldn’t deny he was glad Jared decided not to come to the wedding, but he felt bad Beth was upset. She only shrugged and turned back to face the sprawling beauty of the moonlit scenery.

They stood on the balcony in comfortable silence for a while, but the nagging guilt in Parker’s gut wouldn’t let him truly enjoy himself. He couldn’t forget that no matter how close he and Beth were, Jared still had his hooks in her heart. The best thing Parker could do was stay out of their business and just focus on being Beth’s friend.

A memory crept up on Parker and he grinned. “Hey, do you remember that giant vase of sea shells we collected?”

Beth’s eyes brightened. “I forgot about that.”

“I bet it’s still here.”

“It has to be. They never get rid of anything at Bellemora. This place is like a time capsule.”

Parker grinned. “We should go find it.”

“Maybe tomorrow,” Beth said. “I think I’m ready for bed. Rain check on Scrabble and our hunt for lost treasures?”

“Sure,” Parker said trying to hide his disappointment. He wasn’t the least bit tired. The damn energy drink mixed with the prospects of sharing a bed with Beth were enough to spike his heart rate through the roof.

“You don’t have to go to bed if you’re not tired,” Beth said misreading his hesitation to follow her inside.

“Nah, I probably should. Will it bother you if I stay up and read for a little while?”

“Not at all.”

Parker followed Beth into the room and watched her climb into bed. She was still wearing her robe. “Are you gonna sleep in that?”

“Why?” Beth asked looking self-conscious.

“Won’t you be hot?”

“You know I’m always cold.”

Parker shook his head. He would be stripping off his pants if Beth weren’t in the room. There was no way she could be cold in the barely air-conditioned room. Plus, the comforter was the heavy quilted kind. The minute he looked at it he suspected it felt like one of those lead X-ray aprons. Pulling it back confirmed his suspicions. Worry lanced through Parker’s gut. Did Beth think he was going to try something since they were sharing a bed? Was that why she was still wearing her robe?

“Beth, are you sure you’re okay with sharing a bed?”

“Of course,” she said a bit too quickly.

He’d been sensing the electric charge between them growing since they stepped into the room. He’d thought it was all him, but for a split second he let a hopeful thought make him consider maybe Beth felt it too. Before Parker could let himself get carried away, he grabbed his laptop from his bag and slipped into bed, careful to stay as far away from Beth as possible.

“Whatcha reading?” Beth asked.

Parker adjusted his glasses. He felt slightly more nerdy than usual admitting his current reading material. “I started reading ahead on my freshman courses.”

“Are you serious?”

“I know it’s crazy, but Cornell’s pre-med program is advanced. I want to make sure I don’t fall behind.”

“You’d never fall behind,” Beth said. “You’re graduating top of our class.”

“You can never be too prepared,” Parker replied. He instantly cringed realizing he’d just quoted his father.

“So you’ve decided on Cornell then?” Beth asked.

Parker shrugged. “You know it’s not really my decision.”

This made Beth sit up and Parker instantly regretted starting this fight again.

“Park, this is your decision. I know your mom would’ve wanted you to do what makes you happy.”

“Yeah, but my dad won’t let it go. I’ve tried talking to him. But every time I bring it up he acts like he’s failing if he doesn’t make my mom’s dying wish come true.”

“It wasn’t her dying wish. It was something she probably thought of before she even had you. Just because Cornell was right for your parents doesn’t mean it’s right for you. She didn’t even get a chance to get to know you. If she had she would’ve realized you’re brilliant and can make your own informed choices about where you go to college.”

“Beth . . .”

“Don’t Beth me. This is a big deal.”

“It’s really not. It’s four years. After that I’ll go somewhere else for my Masters and then med school.”

“It is a big deal, Parker. Where you go to college can change the rest of your life. It’s where you’ll meet new friends and make connections that you’ll take with you forever. It’s probably where you’ll meet your wife.”

Parker looked at Beth. It felt like all the air was being sucked out of the room, because the way she was looking at him . . . there was longing in her eyes, jealousy even. Parker recognized it immediately, even as it flitted from her face as quickly as it had come. There was no mistaking that look. Parker saw it in his own reflection whenever he thought about Beth with anyone but him.

Beth’s robe shifted and slid down her shoulder exposing the thin spaghetti strap of what she wore beneath. Immediately, Parker understood why she hadn’t taken the robe off. He stared at where her smooth bare skin disappeared under the thin fabric that hid the swell of her breast. Parker blinked. He couldn’t remember what they’d just been talking about.

Beth quickly pulled up her robe, trying to hide her blush. “I just think college is too important a decision to let someone else make for you.”

College! That’s right. Parker cleared his throat. “You’ve made that clear, Beth.”

She frowned at his tone. “Fine, but answer one question and I’ll drop it.”

“What?”

“Why did you apply to Harvard and those other schools if you never intended to go?”

It was Parker’s turn to frown. The answer was simple. Harvard was his dream school. He’d applied there because it was the best and he wanted to be the best. Plus, it was in Boston. He could stay near Beth and his father. Parker and his father were close. They were all each other had after Parker’s mother died. It was hard to think about leaving him all alone. Just as hard as thinking about leaving Beth. With Harvard, he wouldn’t have to. It had everything he wanted. He’d only applied to the other Ivy Leagues at his guidance counselor’s recommendation. But Parker couldn’t admit that or Beth would never let it go.

“I don’t know. I guess I did it on a whim. Just to see if I could even get in.”

Beth huffed. “You don’t do anything on a whim, Parker. If you don’t start going after what you really want in life, you’re gonna be full of regrets,” she said, and then she laid down, turning away from him.

Beth had no idea how right she was. But what could Parker do about it? It’s not like he could just make some grand bold gesture and tell her how he felt and have all his dreams come true. That’s not how life worked—at least not Parker’s life, anyway.

Beth

Beth tossed and turned for hours. Stubborn Parker. It made her furious that he was letting an old musing from his mother force him to go to college at Cornell when that clearly wasn’t where he wanted to be. Beth knew he wanted to go to Harvard. She’d seen the joy on his face when they first toured the prestigious campus as freshman. But if Beth was honest with herself, that wasn’t the real reason she was so upset. She wanted Parker to go to Harvard so he’d stay in Boston and she wouldn’t lose him.

She knew it was selfish and she had no right to want that from him, but she couldn’t help it. Beth exhaled her frustration and tried to untangle herself from the sheets. The stupid robe was making her hot. Its thin satin material really wasn’t hiding much. Plus, it was so twisted from her restlessness that the hem kept bunching up around her middle. Beth was ready to rip it off of her, but first she sat up and glanced over at Parker. He’d fallen asleep reading. Her heart stuttered seeing him that way—glasses askew, hair rumpled, face soft and beautiful. He looked so perfect. Sometimes she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have him in her life.

Beth leaned over and shut Parker’s laptop, placing it carefully on the nightstand next to his side of the bed. His cell phone lay on his chest, battery dwindling. She plugged it in for him on her extra charger, then returned to gently remove his glasses.

Parker’s good looks always took Beth by surprise. She was so familiar with him that for the most part she didn’t let herself give him a second glance. He was just Parker, her best friend—the boy she’d considered family since birth. But on certain occasions, when Beth really let herself see Parker, he stole her breath away. And now, with the moonlight spilling over his handsome angular features, washing his jet black hair with a midnight blue shimmer, her heart squeezed with unrequited longing.

A sudden urge to run her fingers through his hair gripped her. She should fight it, she knew she should, but her fingers moved of their own accord. Beth’s breath hitched as she smoothed a dark lock of hair back from Parker’s forehead. The sensation of his hair slipping through her fingers released a fury of desire. She withdrew her hand quickly, shivering against the bold thoughts pulsing through her.

What the hell was wrong with her? They were Beth and Parker. They didn’t like each other that way. And besides, she had a boyfriend. A moody, egotistical boyfriend, but still . . . Beth glanced at the antique alarm clock next to the bed and groaned. It was going to be a long night. And tomorrow promised to be even longer if she didn’t get at least a few hours of sleep.

Beth shrugged off her robe and settled back under the covers, willing herself to remember it was Parker sleeping next to her and not the gorgeous man he was becoming.