Summer Together (Summer #2) Read online

  There’s no way two people on this earth have the exact same gorgeous eyes. “Yeah, about Park,” I say, leaning in and talking quickly so they won’t hear. “Remember that guy I told you about who came into the BMX park and he was so freaking hot?”

  Her eyes go wide. “No way. There’s no way.”

  I nod. The guys are just a few feet away from us now. My eyes meet Park’s for a split second before I look away, choosing to stare at Bayleigh’s sparkly eyelids instead. “The very same,” I whisper. “I’ve been talking to him on the phone this whole time and I didn’t even know it.”

  Her fingernails dig into my arm. “This is so amazing,” she says so quickly it sounds like one rushed word. Her eyes light up with mischief. “Go talk to him,” she says, nodding toward him. “Get your flirt on.”

  “Are you kidding?” I hiss under my breath. “I’m not going to embarrass myself at your wedding.”

  She rolls her eyes but can’t finish her thought because Jace slips into the conversation, wrapping both of his arms around her from behind. He nuzzles against her shoulder and kisses the crook of her neck. She squirms and grabs his hands, leaning into his embrace. “There you are,” she says, twisting back to kiss him. And just like that, she’s forgotten about our conversation from just a few seconds ago. She’s lost in the eyes of her new husband.

  Whew.

  Park watches them with a slight smile on his face. Not that I’m looking at Park long enough to know what he’s doing, of course. I only took a small glance his way and then I got really interested in looking at my fingernails. Yep. My fingernails. They appear to be the same color and same length as they were earlier tonight…so that’s good.

  When I look back at my friends (and my massive crush) they’re involved in a conversation that started without me. “I’ve heard tons about you,” Bayleigh says. “Seriously, all Jace ever talks about is motocross and Park.”

  That’s funny because all he ever talks about to me is Bayleigh and…well, Bayleigh.”

  Bayleigh’s hand goes to her chest and her mouth falls open. “Awww,” she coos, bumping into Jace with her shoulder. “That’s so sweet.”

  “Man, you can’t say that,” Jace says with a smile. “She’ll realize how much power she really has and I can’t let that happen.”

  It goes on like this for a while. Two best friends talking about old times and the one girl who finally got one of them to settle down. I don’t really belong in this conversation, but I’m standing in the circle of the four of us, and suddenly walking away would be awkward. Almost as awkward as standing here without a damn thing to say.

  I try to pop into the conversation by thinking of something clever to say at exactly the right moment, but the moment never comes and all clever thoughts evade me. I spend exactly all of the time looking right at Bayleigh and no one else because I can’t bear the idea of looking at Park and finding what I already know must be true: that he hasn’t even realized I exist.

  And why would he? He’s from California. Bayleigh already told me about the California girls she saw when she visited Jace’s family and how they’re no match to us regular Texas girls. So yeah…I have more than enough reasons to drop the idea of ever talking to, crushing on, or hanging out with Park. It’s just not going to happen. He’s gorgeous and I’m…me.

  “Hello!” Bayleigh’s hand waves in my face, followed by her sparkly eyes popping up in my field of vision. Startled out of my internal monologue, I jump. She laughs. “What?” I say, faking a smile the moment after I realize I’ve been standing here for God knows how long without answering whatever she just asked me.

  “You alive in there?” Bayleigh asks. Though her question is thoughtful, she doesn’t look the least bit concerned for my wellbeing. In fact, I think she’s enjoying herself.

  “I’m fine,” I say. “I was just…remembering something.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Okay well you have to remember this too: I left a key in your makeup bag in the front room.”

  “A key to what?” I ask. Bayleigh’s eyes bulge out of her head. “Seriously, Becca. He’s not even here anymore so you can stop daydreaming about him.”

  I feel the blood rush into my cheeks but I shrug and act like I don’t really know what she’s talking about. In the middle of shrugging, I glance around to confirm what she just said. Yep. The boys aren’t even standing next to us anymore. Ugh. I managed to daydream myself out of one scene and into another without even realizing it.

  “Sorry,” I say, letting out a sigh. “You’re right. I was daydreaming. But not in the way you think.”

  “Then what way were you daydreaming? I’m pretty sure there’s only way to daydream.”

  I shake my head. “I was thinking all the bad things that come with having a crush on Park and therefore I’ve decided to immediately end that crush before it goes too far.”

  Bayleigh puts a hand on her hip. “Seriously? That’s lame.”

  “It’s not lame. It’s practical.”

  She shakes her head, per lips pursed together. “So about the key,” she says. “I put a key to my apartment in your makeup bag in the front room. So you can water the plants and get our mail and stuff.”

  “Cool,” I say, remembering that she had asked me a few days ago if I minded stopping by their apartment once or a twice a week while they were on their three week honeymoon. “How often do the plants need watering?”

  “Honestly, I have no idea,” she says, biting her bottom lip. “Jace always does it and he’s told me the watering schedule so many times that I’m too embarrassed to ask him again.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” I say with a laugh. “What’s Jace going to say when he gets home and finds all the plants dead because I screwed up the watering schedule?”

  She shrugs. “That sounds like your problem to me.”

  I groan. “Some best friend you are!”

  Her eyes light up mischievously. “If you want to stay on Jace’s good side, you should probably just go ask him yourself.”

  “Yeah that’s a good idea,” I say, turning to find him in the crowd of wedding guests. “I’m not going to be a plant murderer because you suck at remembering how to take care of them.”

  “That’s the spirit!” she calls after me as I leave her to an older woman who has been waiting patiently to talk to her.

  When I find Jace, he’s talking with who I can only assume are his parents because he looks a lot like them. I wait for a break in their conversation before stepping in and asking to talk to him. I don’t have to wait long. As soon as I get there Jace is looking at his watch. “Sorry guys, I have to go,” he says, hugging both of his parents.

  “What’s up?” he asks me.

  “You’re leaving?” I ask, confused.

  He nods. “Yeah, Bayleigh and I have to get to the airport soon or I’ll piss off my pilot.”

  “Your life is amazing,” I say, shaking my head with the wonderment of it all. A private pilot to take them on their honeymoon. Seriously. Bayleigh’s life is completely perfect.

  “Walk with me,” he says, as we make our way through the crowd and toward his new wife. “What’s up? You look worried.”

  I laugh. “More like concerned. I need to know the plant watering schedule since Bayleigh…well, she got so busy talking to people that she didn’t have time to tell me.”

  “You mean she forgot,” he says with a snort of laughter. “Sure, here’s the deal.”

  He tells me about the plants near the window, the plant on their balcony and the one bonsai tree they keep in their bedroom. Apparently the bonsai only needs to be watered once every two weeks or so.

  “Thanks for helping with all of this,” he says, gesturing to the wedding reception around us. “I really appreciate it.”

  “Hey, it’s my pleasure,” I say. “Anything for my best friend.”

  Bayleigh is all smiles when we finally find her standing near the band. “Look!” she says, holding up a plastic CD case. “The band gave me a
n early copy of their album. And they all signed it!”

  “Awesome,” Jace says. “But we gotta go.”

  “Already?” Bayleigh says, her eyes lighting up.

  “Yup.” He wraps his arm around his bride and they head off into the sunset.

  Well, it’s not exactly like that. They head off to the front yard and then go next to do where his truck is parked and then they head off into the sunset, leaving me alone at a wedding that I still have to stay and clean up.

  Chapter 3

  As much as I like to think I’m a sane and normal person, I really start to question that idea as the night goes on. The wedding guests are dancing, eating, drinking and enjoying themselves all around me, but I’m walking around in a blur after Bayleigh leaves. I know a lot of these people, but I don’t really want to talk to anyone. I kind of want to go home and stop thinking about Park and how he totally hasn’t even said hello to me yet. But that’s a three hour drive I’d really rather not think about right now. I’m already exhausted from the day’s events. Driving home late at night will be a nightmare.

  I take a seat on one of the benches inside of the gazebo and smile pointlessly out at the rest of the back yard. One good thing about tonight is the cool breeze that keeps blowing through the trees, keeping me from sweating on this otherwise warm August day. Mom smiles at me from the dance floor where she’s slow dancing with Dad, and I smile back. It’s weird seeing them slow dancing. It’d be weird seeing them do any kind of dancing. I know my parents love each other, even after a million years of marriage, but it’s still weird. Mom tucks her cheek into Dad’s shoulder as they sway to the music. I look away.

  A buzzing vibration on my leg scares the complete crap out of me for a few seconds until I realize the buzzing comes from my phone. Bayleigh and I had chosen this bridesmaid dress partly because out of the two purple gowns that were our favorites, this one had a hidden pocket that blended in with the lines of the dress.

  “It’ll be good to keep your phone on you during the wedding so you can snap pictures!” Bayleigh had said.

  “Uh, isn’t that what the photographer is for?” I had said, making her roll her eyes.

  I slip my hand into the secret pocket and retrieve my cell phone. There’s a message from Bayleigh. I hate that when I click on my texts, the name right underneath hers is Park. Along with all the texts we’ve exchanged in the last few days. And now he won’t even talk to me.

  Bayleigh: Still at the reception?

  Me: Yup…

  Bayleigh: You should take that house key and just crash at our apartment tonight so you don’t have to drive all the way back to Lawson.

  Me: You sure?

  Bayleigh: Yeah Jace insists on it.

  Me: Cool. What are you up to?

  Bayleigh: I’m flying in a freaking private jet, can you believe it??? OMGGG

  I reply with a few smiley faces and try really hard not to be jealous. There’s no way I’ll ever land a guy who would treat me as well as Jace treats Bayleigh. I mean, I’m not even sure I can do the first part of landing a guy, much less find a guy and have him be one who treats me like a freaking princess. At this point, I’m not hard to please. I’d settle for a guy just noticing me.

  My phone vibrates again and I look down, expecting to see an onslaught of smiley faces and hearts from my best friend. But her name isn’t on the new text message. Park is.

  I feel my heart leap into my throat and my skin goes cold and clammy. We’re both at the wedding and he just texted me. Maybe that means he didn’t recognize me during the ceremony? Wait, that doesn’t make sense. He knew I was the maid of honor… I take a deep breath and read the stupid text.

  Park: Hey there, gazebo girl.

  I freeze. He knows who I am. He knows I’m sitting in the gazebo. And if he knows all of that then he sees me right now and he knows I just read his text. I close my eyes for a brief moment and compose myself. I will not let him know that I am freaking out on the inside. I will be cool. I will be C&C BMX employee cool.

  Me: Glad you made it on time.

  Park: It’s not that surprising…I had excellent directions.

  He’s talking about the directions I gave him. Is he complimenting me? Exactly how long am I supposed to go on sitting in the same back yard as him, texting instead of having a real life conversation in person? I get bold and look up from my bench inside the gazebo. Almost instantly, my eyes meet his. He’s holding a beer bottle in one hand, cell phone in the other. He sees me staring and lifts his bottle in a hello.

  I drop my gaze back to the phone.

  Me: What’s wrong, California boy? Can’t come talk to me in person?

  Okay that was bold. Way bolder than I usually get. Bayleigh would be proud. I, however, am terrified. I stare at the phone, waiting for some kind of smart-assed reply. A few seconds later, I hear the clomping of men’s shoes stepping up the gazebo stairs. Slowly, I look up.

  And Park sits down right next to me. He smells amazing. He smells like…well, like men’s shampoo. But if you ask me, that’s the hottest smell on earth.

  I smile apathetically and glance over at him. It’s a little dark under the gazebo’s roof, the only light coming from the many clear Christmas tree lights I worked so hard to string up this morning. Hopefully, it’ll be dark enough to hide the rapid beating of my chest.

  He pockets his cell phone and takes a sip of his beer. I didn’t realize he was old enough to drink, but Jace is nearly twenty-one himself so I guess it makes sense that his best friend would be around the same age.

  “Hello,” I say. I keep it light and friendly. He doesn’t need to know that I’m analyzing how much sexier he is under the glow of these lights than under the bright fluorescent BMX park lights. Nope. I’ll just keep that information to myself.

  “Hi,” he says. “I was hoping to get here early enough to talk to you before the wedding.”

  “But since you didn’t, you decided not to talk to me at all?”

  His jaw drops as if I’ve just offended him and then he smiles and takes another sip of beer. “Well someone didn’t talk to me, either.”

  “Because you didn’t talk to me!” Now I’m the one looking offended and he just laughs.

  “I’m sorry, Becca.” Oh God, I love when he says my name. “Everything went so quickly, it was kind of a blur.”

  I nod. “Yeah I get that. I’m sorry, too. I could have said hi, but, well I’ve been pretty busy.”

  He lifts an eyebrow, making the silver rod in his ear piercing glint in the lights. “Really? I didn’t realize that walking around alone and then sitting on a bench by yourself was being busy.”

  Instead of allowing him to see how utterly embarrassed I am that he knew I’ve been walking around like an idiot all night, I decide to take a different route. “You’ve been watching me?” I balk. “What a creeper.”

  He shakes his head, slides a little closer to me on the bench. “No, I wasn’t being creepy. I was trying to find an opportunity to talk to you.”

  “There were plenty of opportunities,” I say.

  “Same goes to you.”

  I shrug. “Maybe I just didn’t care.”

  “Ouch, Becca.” He shakes his head and downs the rest of his beer. I may or may not watch the way his lips wrap around the bottle and wish that they were wrapped around mine instead.

  He leans forward and sets the empty beer bottle on the wooden floor, then sits back up, somehow feeling closer than he was a moment before. “Look, okay, yeah I avoided you.”

  Rejection and pain and every kind of hurtful feeling shatters through me when I hear him say that. “And why is that? I don’t bite. People actually like me. They think I’m nice.”

  He smiles. “I’m sure you are nice.”

  A moment of silence and then I just can’t take it anymore. “So are you going to tell me why you avoided me, or...?”

  He draws in a deep breath, like it takes a ton of energy to say what he’s about to say.

  And
then my freaking mother walks up.

  “Hey honey,” Mom says, glancing from me to Park and back. “We’re heading out. Dad’s got work and all.”

  “Okay,” I say quickly, feeling the hot rush of blood pool in my cheeks. “See you later. Love you.”

  “Will you be okay here?”

  I nod. “Yes, Mom. I’m fine. Tell Dad bye.”

  She glances at Park again and then smiles at me. “Okay, sweetie. Have fun.”

  I try very hard not to melt into a puddle of embarrassment, slip through the floor boards and never resurface again. Luckily, she leaves and Dad doesn’t stop by which is really a blessing from everything holy because had Dad came up onto the gazebo, he would have no doubt glared at Park until the California boy burst into flames.

  Once my parents are out of earshot, I turn back to Park and fold my arms over my chest. “Sorry about that. You were telling me why you avoided me like some kind of plague. Go on.”

  “Hey now, it’s not like that.”

  “Then what’s it like?”

  He lifts his hands in the air as if surrendering. “Okay but you’re going to think I’m an asshole.”

  I lift an eyebrow. “I kind of already do.”

  He gives me this sideways smile and even though he just implied that he’s an asshole, it makes him look even cuter than usual. “It’s just that…the second I saw you I had a freak out moment because you look really familiar.”

  I lean back against the bench, arms still folded across my chest. “Oh, do I?”

  He nods. Chews on his lip. “Yeah…like, very familiar. I’ve met you before. I didn’t realize it until I saw you, but I have. I know I have.”