“I really can’t allow you guys to do this,” I said, waiting on the tarmac for the private jet to arrive with Casey and her parents. Casey’s mom, Alice, was one of my favorite people—she was a character, with long, greying hair in a braid, loose clothes, and a house full of plants that she talked to every morning as she watered them. Casey’s dad, Bruce, was the corniest person I had ever met. They were perfect for each other, and I could definitely see each of them in both Casey and Travis.

“Travis is paying for everything,” Alice insisted. “We told you that. He has no problem with paying for you, sweetheart.”

“But—”

“No arguing. It’s my birthday and I demand you be there. Besides, if you want to pay your way, you’d have to take it up with Travis. And there’s no way he’s going to let you pay him back.”

I sighed. I felt guilty about the thought of going on the expensive trip for free, especially considering all Casey’s family had done for me throughout my life. My own parents had been distant, both of them doctors, both workaholics who spent long hours at the clinic they’d opened together right after I had been born. There had been many nights I’d spent at Casey’s house for dinner because my parents had warned me they wouldn’t make it home in time to feed me anything.

Casey reached over to pat my hand, then wrapped her arm around my shoulders and hugged me to her.

“You’re family,” she said. “You’re like a sister to Travis.”

I swallowed hard, a lump in my throat when I thought of that. Of course, that’s all I was to Travis. We had shared one parting kiss, one that hadn’t even allowed me to taste him fully. It had been nothing. I felt embarrassed for lingering on Travis as if there was something between us, though there had been a certain look in his eye on the phone that had suggested interest in my mind.

“Is Travis going to be on the jet?” I asked them, hoping I didn’t sound overly curious. Casey shook her head.

“He’s flying in from Los Angeles later. He won’t be there until dinner.”

“Oh,” I said, relief running through me. I was so nervous to see Travis that I had butterflies in my stomach. I was determined not to show any affection or interest. Doing so would just embarrass me in front of Travis and make Casey suspicious of my relationship with her brother. He was completely off-limits in every way, and I would have to control the way I reacted to him.

It was then that I saw the jet fly in, beginning its descent. We backed up on the tarmac, going inside to shield ourselves from the wind as the jet landed in front of us. It was sleek and small, nothing like the giant airliners I was accustomed to. I looked at it in wonder as the staircase descended and Casey started to climb it. I followed her and almost gaped at what I saw. Inside of the jet was absolute luxury, with several comfortable-looking chairs in the middle. Each chair had a small table next to it that had already been arranged with individual plates of fresh fruits and what looked like mimosas. Casey grinned at me when she saw my face.

“Travis likes to show off,” she said as she made her way to the center of the plane and took a seat in one of the chairs. I sat down, immediately relaxing into the cushions. I picked up the mimosa and sipped at it, immediately feeling the bubbles of the champagne in my stomach. I couldn’t help but to start to feel excited for the trip.

“I think this is exactly what I need,” I told Casey. I felt my troubles at school melting away already. I knew that I would feel energized by the beach and this vacation, something that I desperately needed to get through the rest of the semester with my sanity intact.

“I think we all need this,” said Alice. “I’m so glad you decided to come with us.”

I smiled at her, eating some of the fruit and drinking the never-ending mimosas throughout the flight. I was slightly tipsy by the time we got to the island, which appeared breathtaking even from the air. I looked down to see the blue of the ocean, the white sands on the beach, and colorful old houses that dotted the island. There weren’t very many—I could tell that it was an exclusive place, beautiful and quiet, even before we landed.

We made our way through the airport and outside. I felt the moisture on my skin in the air, and an immediate warmth that hugged my body. It was beautiful outside—sunny and hot, but not unbearably so. There was a car waiting for us outside, a stretch limo that comfortably sat us all, with even more champagne cooling in a bucket in the center. I decided to wait a little bit on drinking anymore—I was already excited enough as it was as we drove through the streets of the small island.

It took us a while to get to the house, which awed me almost as much as the interior of the jet had. It was massive and modern, all sharp angles and glass. It was on the beach, too, one side of the house leading right up to the water. We went inside and it was even more beautiful there. I had never seen anything as opulent and luxurious as the things I had already experienced on this trip.

“So we’re going straight to the beach, right?” Casey asked as we went upstairs to our rooms. “I’m going to change right now.”

“Absolutely,” I said, hurrying into my room and changing into my bikini, one that I may or may not have bought to look especially good on this trip, knowing Travis would be here. We grabbed our bags and made our way out to the beach, where there were tables and lounging chairs set up under umbrellas, as well as several to lie in and sunbathe. The water was gorgeous, crystal clear and blue as we sat down in our chairs. After a few moments, a waiter came up to us dressed in a suit. He was carrying a tray of sandwiches along with fruit and salads, and placed it on the table for us as he pulled out a bottle of wine.

We drank and ate in the shade, warm and perfect. Then we spread lotion on our bodies and laid in the sun. It was after only a few moments that I fell asleep, dozing off in the sunlight and comfort of the lounger.

I didn’t know how much time passed before something woke me, the soft touch of a hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Travis in front of me, his hazel eyes soft on mine. I scrambled out of the chair, startled by seeing him.

“Travis,” I said from the ground, sinking into the warm sand. I stumbled over my words, mixing them up in my grogginess. “Where—how did you come from?”

He gave a soft laugh. My heart did a flip in my chest at the look on his face, the look in his eyes as they held mine. He reached his hand out to help me up and I took it, feeling the heat of his soft skin. It made a shiver run up and down my body, felt almost electric as his hand lingered on mine. We were standing close together, neither one of us speaking, and I found myself looking at his lips, the memory of our kiss vivid in my mind. He was staring at me with the same look on his face that I’d imagined I must have had when I’d first seen his house—something like wonder and interest, something that made me feel light and airy.

“Hey, guys,” said Casey, calling from a distance as she made her way toward us. I jumped away from Travis, tearing my eyes away from his. I knew that we had been standing much too close for comfort. It would have been obvious to Casey that Travis and I were drawn to each other, and it would do more than ruin the whole weekend—it could ruin my friendship with her.

We started to head inside as Casey came into eyesight and waved us in. As we walked, Travis bumped up against me on purpose, giving me a sly smile when I looked up at him. It felt as if no time had passed, although I saw something in his eyes—a hint of mischief that told me he was very well aware of how much time had passed and how much I’d changed. I hadn’t missed the fact that he’d taken a few seconds to look me over in my bikini when he’d first seen me. It meant that he was interested, and it meant that I was in for a lot of trouble on this trip.