Beth

Beth’s sleepless night turned into a nightmare of a day. She walked downstairs to grab a bagel on her way out the door, but stopped when she noticed her mother merrily addressing a stack of purple envelopes at the breakfast bar. When Beth realized what she was doing her heart sank. Purple envelopes only meant one thing in the Bennett house—a wedding.

“Mom?” Beth asked, timidly stepping into the kitchen. “Whose are those?”

“Oh, good morning, sweetheart. I thought you’d left for school already.”

Beth had walked close enough to read the names printed in elegant script across the lavender paper. And when she read it, she wished she’d just stayed in bed.

“Who the hell is Eric Mason?” Beth asked swiping an invitation from the bar.

“Apparently, Brenna’s fiancé.”

“Since when?”

“You know your sister. She’s always been a bit impulsive.”

Beth was about to respond with a snide comment when she noticed the date of the wedding. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “Is this a joke?” Beth hissed. “The wedding is two weeks away.”

“Oh it’s no joke. I spoke to Brenna last night. Eric’s in the military and they have to work around his strict schedule. This was the only time he has leave.”

“But it’s in the middle of my spring break!” Beth yelled.

“Yes, I’m sorry about that, sweetheart. But I know I can count on you to understand that family comes first.”

“But this is so unfair, Mom! I’ve been planning my trip for years and Brenna just met this guy. It’s not my fault she probably got herself knocked up and now has to rush a wedding.”

Her mother put down the envelope she’d been stuffing and arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Beth, quickly shutting her down. Beth knew better than to argue when her mother gave that look. To make matters worse, her mother spoke in a soft calm voice. “I’m going to excuse that childish outburst, Beth. But understand me when I say I will not tolerate my daughters speaking about each other that way. You will be at your sister’s wedding and you will celebrate graciously. After the wedding if you’d still like to go to Aspen with your friends, you may. But I don’t want to hear another word about it. Am I understood?”

“Yes.”

“Good, now go to school. We can discuss the rest of the wedding details tonight.”

* * *

Beth took a deep breath at her lunch table waiting for the storm she’d known was coming the moment she’d seen Brenna’s wedding invitations. All day Beth was dreading breaking the news. By the time lunch rolled around she knew she couldn’t keep it in a moment longer.

Beth blurted out her bad news. “I can’t go to Aspen.”

Silence followed her declaration and Beth carefully surveyed the expressions on her friends’ shocked faces.

Caroline was the first to speak. “What do you mean you’re not coming?” she growled. “We’ve been planning this forever, Beth!”

“I know the concept of decency is foreign to you, Car, but Beth can’t skip her sister’s wedding to party with you in Aspen,” Parker replied.

“Which sister is this?” Jared asked.

“Brenna,” Parker replied in his ‘try to keep up’ tone.

Beth said nothing. She continued to stare at the lavender invitation that sat unassumingly on their lunch table. It was like a pretty paper bomb, slowly counting down to an explosion that would dismantle the course of their futures.

Beth massaged her temples. She couldn’t believe this was happening. It still felt like a bad dream. But she knew from the moment she’d seen Brenna’s name on the ominous purple invitation that her sister was going to blow a bridezilla-sized hole in all of Beth’s perfect plans.

Of course Brenna would still find a way to ruin Beth’s life from a thousand miles away. Brenna had spent her childhood tormenting Beth as only a big sister could, so it was fitting that it was Brenna’s wedding that was ruining everything Beth had planned for spring break.

It wasn’t just that it was her last high school spring break, but it was the first time she and Jared would be going away together. It was also when Beth had planned to finally sleep with him. She knew Jared was counting down the days. It’s not that he was pressuring her. Honestly, Beth was pleasantly surprised that he’d been willing to wait this long. But from the way Jared was glaring at the invitation, Beth had a sneaking suspicion that there was an expiration date on his patience.

Beth was trying to keep a lid on her emotions as Caroline and Parker squabbled over whether or not there was any hope of saving their epic spring break plans. Beth wanted to scream at the injustice of it all, but more than anything, she wanted Jared to say he’d skip Aspen to go to Brenna’s wedding with her so they could still have their romantic weekend. Had he not seen that as an option?

So far, Jared remained uncharacteristically silent. Beth reached over and took his hand. “I’m really sorry,” she whispered. “I know the timing sucks.”

Jared huffed. “That’s the understatement of the year. How did you not know about this?”

“No one did. Brenna just sprang it on us.”

Parker snorted. “That’s Hurricane Brenna for ya.”

Beth ignored Parker and continued to plead her case. “Jared, I know a wedding in Georgia isn’t an equal trade for what we had planned in Aspen but—”

Jared cut her off. “Wait. You don’t actually think I’m skipping a snowboarding trip in Aspen to go to some wedding, do you?”

“Not some wedding,” Parker corrected. “Her sister’s wedding.”

Beth felt her cheeks heat as the boys glared at each other across the table, filling the air with tension. Parker and Jared had been doing this a lot lately and it wasn’t doing Beth any favors. She gave Parker a pleading look before turning to Jared. “I know it sucks, but I have to go. Weddings are non-negotiable in my family.”

“Well it’s a good thing I’m not family then,” Jared muttered.

Beth stared at him, at a loss for words. The fact that Parker and Caroline were witnessing this argument made it that much worse. Jared seemed to notice everyone staring and slammed his sandwich back into its wrapper. “What? This is total bullshit. You’re all thinking it, but I guess I’m the only one with the balls to say it,” he accused, fixing Parker with a glare before storming from the table.

Parker

It took every ounce of restraint Parker had not to stand up and deck Jared for speaking to Beth that way. But one look at Beth’s crestfallen face had stopped Parker in his tracks. Her dark brown eyes were etched with hurt and the tiny crease between her pale eyebrows was deep with worry. It was a good thing Parker was sitting across the table from her or he didn’t think he’d be able to resist pulling Beth into his arms to console her.

Parker was finding it harder and harder to hide his feelings for her lately. It was like everything about Beth was designed to lure him in. Her golden hair smelled like citrus and coconut, and every time she flipped it over her shoulder he wanted to run his fingers through it. And her damn dimpled smile had the ability to make his heart stop. Then there was her smooth ivory skin that begged for his touch. And the way she bit her lower lip when she was nervous made it impossible for Parker to think of anything but kissing her. Beth lit up his world and she didn’t even know it.

Sometimes, Parker wasn’t even sure how it had happened, but it had. The line between friendship and more had completely dissolved. It left Parker feeling like he was suddenly free falling anytime Beth laughed or casually brushed his hand. It was maddening, and a tiny part of him wished he could go back because it was painfully obvious that Beth didn’t have those feelings for him.

It was also painfully obvious that Caroline was loving this. The girl thrived on drama and Parker couldn’t help noticing Caroline was smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary. It didn’t escape Parker, that Caroline couldn’t have orchestrated this plan to keep Beth and Jared apart any better if she’d tried.

Beth stood up, mumbling an excuse about needing to go to the ladies room before fleeing the lunch table. Parker’s heart went out to her. He’d thought by keeping an eye on Jared he’d be able to keep him in line, but from what Parker had just seen transpire, it wasn’t going to be good enough. Not by a mile.

Beth didn’t deserve to be treated that way and it was about time for Parker to do something. He stood to follow Beth from the room, but Caroline put a hand on his chest to stop him. “I’ve got this one.”