The last thing she needed right now was a Bennett wedding. They were stressful and taxing, and would leave her no time to spend with Jared. That was if she could even convince him to go.
She could already feel Jared slipping away. Last night he’d seemed distant when he kissed her goodnight. She’d chalked it up to him being tired from the game. But that’s why spring break was so important. It was her plan to reconnect and take things to the next level—or lock him down, as Caroline would say.
Beth was still confused by Jared’s attention. Growing up the youngest of five gorgeous girls, Beth was used to being overlooked. She never felt like the pretty sister. They all had boobs and booties while she still felt like the gangly teen in comparison. But Jared had been the first person to see past all of that . . . to really want to get to know her. He was the first guy who was wholly hers.
Jared made her feel girly and sexy and she didn’t want to lose that. He’d been patient, but Beth knew he wasn’t going to wait around forever. She needed to give him some incentive to stay with her. Especially since she knew there were plenty of other girls at Stanton who would be happy to step up to the plate if Beth didn’t. And that’s why going to Aspen was perfect. Or it would’ve been if Brenna hadn’t ruined everything.
Beth blew her nose, wallowing in self pity. She was just beginning to mourn the loss of Aspen. Besides her plans to connect with Jared there, Beth had been truly excited to finally visit Caroline’s Aspen house. The place looked like a French chalet. Its scenic views and snowcapped mountains reminded her of ‘White Christmas’, with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Of course it was more modern with its state-of-the-art hot spring lagoon, heated floors and massive two-sided fireplaces.
She’d been looking forward to this trip for years. Getting invited was like winning the lottery. Being friends with Caroline wasn’t always easy but this was a major perk and Beth hated that she was going to miss out. Especially to go to her family’s stuffy southern estate in Georgia.
Beth had been there a million times as a kid. Her mother’s great, great so-and-so was once someone important and owned a big old mansion, called Bellemora, on Tybee Island. The estate was on a private beach and had been converted into a resort for wealthy tourists. The Kennedys were rumored to have vacationed there which kept the resort full year round. It was pretty enough, but it was no Voss Aspen chalet. And more importantly, Jared wouldn’t be there.
“Beth?”
Beth peeked through the space between the bathroom door and partition when she heard Caroline call her name. She was leaning against the sink and scowling at an underclassman that wisely scurried from the bathroom. When they were alone Beth finally came out from the stall.
“You okay?” Caroline asked.
“No! This is so unfair! Brenna did this on purpose. She hijacked our trip. We’ve been planning Aspen since ninth grade and now everything is ruined, and Jared is mad at me.”
“Okay, you’ve gone supersonic, Beth. I need ya to take it down a notch, okay?”
Beth took a deep breath and tried to bring her voice back to a normal level. “What do I do, Car?”
“So there’s no way you can get out of this wedding?”
Beth shook her head.
“C’est la vie.”
“That’s it?”
“It’s life, kid. What do you want me to say? I have the cabin for the whole week. The wedding’s only one day, right? Come up when it’s over.”
Beth laughed dryly. “You’ve obviously never been to a Bennett wedding. There’ll be at least three days of ridiculousness planned. My sisters all try to outdo each other when it comes to weddings.”
“Okay, so that leaves four days. You won’t be able to ride the bus out with us but you can fly out when the wedding crap is over.”
Beth sighed. That was at least true. “But what about Jared?”
“What about him?”
“How do I get him to come to the wedding with me?”
Caroline laughed. “Oh that boy’s not gonna skip Aspen for a wedding. Have you heard how he and the guys have been talking about the bus?”
Beth frowned. Of course she had.
Jared and the lacrosse team had cleverly nicknamed the road trip to Aspen as the ‘broad trip’. A bunch of the guys from Jared’s team rented a house in Aspen when they heard Jared was gonna be at Caroline’s, hoping they’d get to crash at least one of her legendary parties. And luck was on their side, because when Caroline found out her brother was going to be at the Aspen house part of the time she was, she’d decided to invite the lacrosse team to stay at her place. Caroline was never good at sharing and she knew her brother would hate the idea of partying with a bunch of high school kids. She hoped maybe he’d be so pissed he wouldn’t show up. She’d even gone as far as to charter a tour bus for the team to Aspen, spawning the ‘broad trip’ craze.
“Stupid broad trip,” Beth muttered.
Caroline snorted. “My dad would absolutely flip if he knew his vintage tour bus is being referred to as the broad tripper.” Then she grinned wickedly. “Too bad he’s out of the country for the next two months filming yet another reality show.”
Beth sighed. “You really think there’s no hope of me convincing Jared to go to the wedding?”
“Beth, boys like Jared don’t do weddings. Especially not with girls that aren’t even putting out. You honestly need to be happy that you’ve made it this far. How long have you guys been dating?”
“Six months.”
Caroline’s eyebrows arched. “I’m pretty sure that’s the longest relationship he’s ever had. Trust me, you don’t want to push him on this. If his guys hear he’s considering bailing on Aspen for a wedding they’ll give him hell and you’ll get all the backlash. You gotta just give him some freedom. Or maybe it’s time to cut your losses. Then you’d be free to snag a hottie at the wedding.”
“Car! I’m not breaking up with him.”
She shrugged. “Just a suggestion.”
“Not a good one.”
“Okay, I get it. You’re not dumping Jared. Let’s move on.”
“I don’t know how to. Weddings are kind of a big deal in my family and it would be awesome to go to one with a boyfriend for a change. Plus, I go to all his lacrosse games and I never ask him to come to my stuff.”
“That’s right, your stand-in boyfriend does that stuff with you,” Caroline said with a smirk.
“Please stop calling him that.”
Caroline ignored Beth’s plea. “Why don’t you just ask Parker to go to the wedding? You know he will.”
“Because I want Jared to go.”
“I wouldn’t push him,” Caroline advised.
“Why not? Shouldn’t a relationship be two-sided?”
“Yeah, but you and Jared don’t have a real relationship. You haven’t had sex with him. That’s how guys judge if they’re in a relationship.”
Beth rubbed the heels of her palms against her eyes, groaning. Arguing about relationships with Caroline was useless. They had two completely different views of the world. But what scared Beth, was that in this instant, Caroline might be right. How could Beth ask Jared for something she wanted when she still hadn’t given him what he wanted?
Sadness crashed over Beth in heavy waves. She was so tired of getting her heart stomped on. It made her feel like a doormat—and not at all like she thought falling in love should feel.
Parker
Parker waited for Beth after school, but she didn’t show up. He noticed her car was already missing from the parking lot. That wasn’t like Beth at all. If she wasn’t staying after to watch one of Jared’s lacrosse games, she was tutoring, or in the auditorium helping the juniors paint the set for next season’s play.
Beth’s high school acting days were over, but Parker thought she’d gone out on top with a captivating performance as the lead in ‘Into the Woods’. It still blew Parker away when Beth sang. He could listen to it for the rest of his life and never grow tired of
her voice. She was so charismatic when she was on stage. It was almost like she was a different person. Parker always envied the bravery Beth possessed to get up there and reveal that hidden side of herself to complete strangers.
She didn’t give herself enough credit. Growing up she always told Parker he was the brave one. But Parker thought it was the other way around. And that’s why this was so hard. Parker always tried to protect Beth when he could. But he’d seen the true hurt on her face today when Jared told her he wouldn’t skip Aspen to go to Brenna’s wedding with her. What an idiot.
Parker would skip his own damn wedding if it meant he had a chance with Beth. But jealousy aside, Parker was worried about Beth. He knew Jared had hit a nerve.
Being an only child, Parker didn’t know what it was like to grow up with the pressures Beth did. She was constantly comparing herself to her older sisters. And no matter what Parker told her, Beth never thought she measured up. She was so hard on herself to be perfect, to shine brighter, to be more.
Parker didn’t get it. Beth was perfect the way she was. Anyone who couldn’t see that was a moron. Being a son or daughter wasn’t a competition. But growing up in her sisters’ shadows had done a number on Beth’s self-esteem. And Jared had basically opened old wounds by saying he’d rather go to Colorado with his friends than Georgia with Beth. He might as well have said, “You’re not good enough.” Because from the look on Beth’s face, that was all she heard.
Parker checked his watch. If he hurried he could make it to Fritz’s in time. Fritz’s was foolproof, and the only thing guaranteed to cheer Beth up after the day she’d had. As Parker got into his Range Rover, he muttered to himself. “Come on, Fritz. Don’t let me down.”
11
Beth
Beth was lying on her bed when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. She rolled her eyes and pulled one ear bud out and yelled at the door. “I don’t want to talk about it, Mom!”
All Beth wanted to do was listen to ‘Evita’ and feel sorry for herself.
Even though she’d known it was useless, Beth had begged her mother to let her out of going to Brenna’s wedding when she got home from school. Of course her mother didn’t even entertain the idea. So Beth didn’t feel inclined to entertain her mother just now. But when her door creaked open Beth sat up, hopeful for half a second that her mother had reconsidered.
But it wasn’t her mother standing in the doorway, it was Parker and he was holding a pale blue box with her favorite name on it.
“You didn’t!” Beth said jumping out of bed.
“I did,” Parker replied.
Beth ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. “And this is why I love you!” Beth exclaimed.
Parker set the box of macarons down on Beth’s bed and they began systematically sampling them. They each only took one bite so they could share the other half. Beth was already through the first row when she sighed and smiled up at Parker.
“There she is,” he replied, grinning back.
“Thanks, I needed that.”
“I guess they’re magical after all,” Parker said, quoting her.
Beth laughed. “You’re never going to let me forget that are you?”
“Nope. Not ever.”
“I was like eight when I said that,” Beth protested.
“Fritz’s macarons are magical and as long as I have them in my life there’s no problem I can’t solve,” Parker recited in his annoyingly perfect imitation of Beth’s little girl voice.
Beth couldn’t contain her laugher. “God, even at eight, I was a drama queen.”
“I’ll give ya that.”
“So was it as bad as it felt today?” Beth asked referring to her argument with Jared.
“Bad enough that I went to Fritz’s.”
Beth nodded and held up a lavender and earl gray macaron to Parker, who clinked his Madagascar vanilla bean macaron against hers like they were sharing a toast. And perhaps they were. Sadly, it was to Beth’s family drama and failing relationship.
She popped half of the macaron into her mouth and let the sugary goodness dissolve on her tongue. The flavor was divine. And for the entire four seconds it took to enjoy the perfect pastry, she didn’t think about Jared or Brenna once. If that wasn’t magic she didn’t know what was.
“Have you talked to him?” Parker asked warily.
“No. But I talked to Caroline.”
“Yeah? What great wisdom did the queen of bad choices have for you?”
Beth popped another bite of macaron in her mouth. This one was blood orange and spice. “She thinks I shouldn’t push Jared to come to the wedding because it’ll make him look lame in front of the team. She says I need to give him his freedom because guys hate it when girls get all clingy and demanding.”
Parker made a scoffing noise in the back of his throat. It was his not so subtle way of disagreeing completely without having to say so. Beth hated when he did that. She cut her eyes at him. “I’m guessing you have a different opinion?”
“That’s for sure.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“I don’t think you want to.”
“No, I honestly do, Parker. Tell me what I’m doing wrong because I can only eat so many macarons before I feel sick and I-I . . .” her voice warbled. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Hey,” Parker said soothingly. He slid closer to her on the bed and she leaned into him. Before she knew it, she was sobbing into his shoulder.
Parker held her, stroking her hair while she shook in his arms. He was so good in a crisis. Beth couldn’t think of anywhere safer than in Parker’s arms. He always knew to let her cry it out. It was rare that Beth let herself get this upset. And even rarer that she let anyone comfort her. But when she did, it was always Parker. When their dog Muffy had to be put down. When Beth’s nana died. When her father got a job offer in California and she was convinced they were going to have to move.
Each time, no matter what the reason, Parker had held Beth without question, gently stroking her hair while she cried out all her worries. It was one of the things she loved most about him, his quiet strength. And the way he always made her feel like she could take her time. He didn’t rush her to get over things the way the rest of her family did.
After a few more minutes of crying, Beth collected herself. She sat back, untangling herself from Parker and wiping her eyes. “I’m done,” she said sniffling.
“First of all,” Parker said in a voice full of kindness, “You aren’t doing anything wrong. Your boyfriend is the one with the problem.”
Beth huffed a laugh. “So my boyfriend is my problem?”
Parker stiffened and for a second he looked like he was going to say something, but instead he got up and walked across Beth’s room to her bathroom. He came back with a box a tissues and he seemed more relaxed.
“What do I know, Beth? I’m not really an expert on relationship advice. But if I had a girlfriend like you, you wouldn’t have to ask me to come to a wedding. I’d want to be there. I’d want to be anywhere you were. Otherwise what’s the point of being with somebody?”
Beth blinked at Parker, her heart pinching painfully at his words. Why couldn’t Jared be more like Parker? Or why couldn’t Beth be the girl Parker wanted to be with? Life was so unfair.
“Beth, you’re amazing. Any guy who doesn’t see that doesn’t deserve you. And believe me, they’re the one with the problem.”
“Thanks, Park,” she whispered.
He waved her off. “All I did was bring Fritz’s.”
“You know that’s not true.”
Parker smiled. “Well, if Jared doesn’t get his head out of his ass, I’ll go with you to the wedding.”
Beth laughed at the irony. “That’s actually what Car told me to do.”
“What?”
“She said I should ask you to go to the wedding with me.”
Parker rubbed his neck. “Well, I guess not all her advice is horrible.”
“
So you’d really go with me?”
“Of course I would.”
Beth smiled. “Just like old times?”
“Just like old times.”
Parker
Parker went for a run after he left Beth’s. He needed to clear his head, and all the sugar from the macarons was making him jittery. That or maybe it was being so close to Beth. It was nearly impossible for him to be around her. His chest physically hurt when they were in the same room. And holding her while she cried had been excruciating. All he wanted to do was kiss her and tell her that she was the most amazing girl in the world, and if she was his she’d never have to beg him to do things with her.
He hated hearing Beth doubt herself. Especially because of some prick like Jared who didn’t appreciate her. What the hell was wrong with Jared? He was dating Beth Bennett for God’s sake. She was easily the most perfect girl in Boston, if not the world. All she wanted to do was spend time with him. Didn’t Jared realize there were guys who would die to be in his shoes?
Parker shook his head, still in shock that he’d just offered to go to Brenna’s wedding with Beth. It was a terrible idea but he’d done it anyway.
He scoffed at himself. ‘Like old times?’ Yeah right! Nothing about what Parker felt for Beth was like old times. He envisioned the other Bennett weddings he’d attended as Beth’s plus one. There was dancing and hand-holding and walking down aisles. Bennett weddings were bonafide romance fests, and the thought nearly crippled Parker. He had no idea how he’d ever survived four weddings without telling Beth how he felt about her.
It would be pure torture to do all the things he longed to do with Beth as a placeholder for Jared. It would be like getting to live a dream for a few days, only to have it violently ripped away. Because Parker knew the instant the wedding was over the illusion would evaporate and Beth would go back to Jared, leaving Parker alone and more broken than ever. He couldn’t survive that. He was barely getting by as it was. He had to find a way to make Jared go to the wedding with Beth.
The Boyfriend Series Box Set (Books 1-6): YA Contemporary Romance Novels Page 85