Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Weston
I stare down at the Shakespeare letter Brittany sent me weeks ago, the corner soft from the number of times I’ve unfolded it.
Buddy pants excitedly from the passenger seat of my rental car, bouncing around because he’s ready to get out and enjoy the Fourth of July weekend.
Well, that and he’s probably anxious to go find something smelly on the beach … and then roll in it.
“I guess I have to avoid her?” I ask Buddy for advice, which has become a norm for us. I mean, I tell my dog everything, and I’m pretty sure that him never saying anything back has been one of the best forms of therapy.
Buddy’s tail slaps the leather seat, and his head tilts.
“I just don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.” I lean back against my own seat, eyeing the massive rental property that Parker and Amy have secured for the weekend. I didn’t even know Brittany was coming until this morning, and now that I do…
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.
“I don’t know if I can play it cool,” I continue, running my fingers along the leather steering wheel. “But I don’t want her to think that I can’t just be friends with her either, no matter how much I wish we could redo that kiss from my birthday.”
Buddy lets out a low-pitched whine, his big body shaking the car.
“Yeah, I know, you want to get out.” I let out a sigh, shaking my head. “I think I’m just trying to kill time. What if she brought someone?”
Buddy’s whine intensifies.
“Okay, okay.” I hold my hand up in a light surrender. “Let’s go in.” I grab the leash and clip it to his collar before I open my door. As I slide out, Buddy barrels over the console and out the car. I chuckle at his excitement, and then guide him around to the back, opening up the hatch.
I sling my overnight bag onto my shoulder and grab the cooler with my other hand, Brittany’s letter still clutched between my fingers. I use the tip of my nose to hit the close button.
“That’s some real skill.” Parker’s voice catches me off guard as he appears from just about nowhere. “Did you have to psych yourself up for that? Because I noticed you spent a long time in the car.”
“Ha ha.” I snort, shaking my head and following him into the house. “I was just trying to get myself ready for this crazy Fourth we’re about to have.”
“Yes.” Parker hums. “Because me, you, Amy, Brittany, and three of her friends are going to equal a crazy weekend.”
“You really never know with Amy,” I point out, laughing. “She’s a ball of fun.”
“She’s all the fun I never was.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“Yeah, cool.”
Buddy jerks on the leash, his tail wagging like crazy as Amy steps out of the towering white beach house.
“Aw! You brought Buddy!” Amy squeals, and three other women step out of the house behind her. I recognize them, but not enough to actually remember their names. It doesn’t matter though—they head straight for Buddy.
He’s a ladies’ man, obviously.
“You are the sweetest!” one of them coos, scratching behind his ears.
Everyone is all decked out in their beach dresses and floppy sunhats. Meanwhile, I’m in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I might be from the Golden State, but clearly, I’m not beachy enough for the Hampton’s vibes. But as the women dote on the dog, I notice that one in particular is missing.
I turn to Parker. “Where’s your sister?”
He gives me a weird look—like he didn’t even realize that she wasn’t there. “Oh … I don’t know.” His eyes drop to his watch. “I think she said she was running late. She wanted to bring some friend of hers, but there wasn’t enough room.”
“Oh yeah? A boyfriend or something?”
He shakes his head. “No, it was the girl that took her to Florida.”
“Oh, cool.” I don’t bother mentioning that I know what friend he’s talking about—it’s Harlee. Instead, I just slip through the mess, handing the leash to Amy when she offers to take it.
I follow Parker inside the beach house, letting him lead the way to the room I’ll be staying in for the weekend.
I follow him up the grand staircase and down the hallway, stopping at one of the back bedrooms. Swinging the door open, he nods to the queen-sized bed in the middle of the room, all decked out in sea-breeze blue and white.
“Will this work for you?”
“Sure.” I chuckle, stepping inside and tossing my bag onto the bed, setting the letter beside it without thinking. Then I head for the surprising set of French doors. “I guess I have a balcony?”
“Yeah,” Parker says as I toy with the door handles, pulling them inward. “Two of the rooms have access to the balcony. Yours and mine.”
“Sweet.” I turn to him, wiggling my brows. “You wanna have a late-night rendezvous out here? I’ll meet you at midnight. It’ll be a grand time.”
“Yeah…” His voice trails off as I step out onto the balcony overlooking the water, and I take in the placid ocean waves and bright sunny morning skies. The rays glimmer against the blue waters, and I take in a deep breath of salty air.
Man, I missed the ocean.
“Uh … What’s this?” Parker’s voice calls me back to reality, and I tear away from the ocean to face my friend.
And my heart drops.
“This is from my sister?” Parker holds up her most recent letter—the call for a truce. “And it sounds very complicated.”
“Uh yeah…” My brain immediately starts slipping, and I struggle to get it into gear. “We were just … We, uh … It’s a…”
His brows are lost in his hairline now. “You’re not helping your case right now, because your face is the color of a lobster, and I know how you are. I know it. You have the hots for my sister, and clearly something happened.”
“It’s not what it looks like,” I say, sounding just as stupid as I feel. I can’t come up with the right thing to say. “I don’t really know what we were doing…”
“Well, I don’t like the sound of that.”
“We’re just friends,” I finally breathe out. “It was a truce because I kissed her at my birthday party, because I’m falling for her.”
Wait, did I just say that out loud?
Parker blinks three times, slowly, and with a completely blank expression.
“I mean, we were just pen pals…” My voice trails off, because I’m utterly confused and lost, trying to decide if Parker is about to lose his mind. Or if I’ve already lost mine.
“You were pen pals? What the heck does that even mean?” Parker suddenly erupts, his hands finding his blonde hair.
“I told you to stay away from her! And now all of a sudden you’re falling for her?
That doesn’t happen over…” His eyes drop to the letter in his hand.
“Whatever this is? This is just weird. Who even writes letters anymore?”
“I mean, it’s kind of a lost art, and actually … Yeah…” My tone is weak and my words come out stilted as Parker shakes his head at me.
“I just don’t get it. You’re my best friend. I asked you to stay away from my sister, because she’s going through heartbreak, and you do the opposite—behind my back.” His eyes meet mine, and guilt furls in my gut. “What were you thinking? What was she thinking?”
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly. “It was just a friendly letter thing at first, I promise. I wasn’t trying to get her to fall for me.
I just liked who I was when I was talking to her, so I let it become more.
Brittany didn’t do anything. I’ve always had such a crush on her. The party—the kiss—that’s on me.”
He falls silent, and the mixture of emotions flooding his face is difficult to read. Parker runs his fingers down his face, and I brace for whatever is to come from it all.
But he doesn’t get a chance.
There’s a knock on the door, and my heart skips a beat, imagining Brittany walking right into the middle of the mess. I hold my breath as the cracked door swings open, but only Amy walks in, her brows furrowed.
“What’s going on?” Her eyes bounce between the two of us. “I could hear Parker all the way down the hall. The only time he talks loudly is if he’s….” She narrows her eyes at him. “Mad.”
“I am mad,” he grits out, then holds out the Shakespeare letter to her. “I’m going to get some air.” He gives me one last glare and then slips from the room, his footsteps heavier than before. I wince at every single one.
Amy’s eyes are focused on the letter as she lets out a sigh. There’s not much relief that comes from her taking Parker’s place, but at least I don’t have to worry about her pushing me off the balcony or something.
“I know I shouldn’t have—”
“This is the sweetest thing ever,” Amy cuts me off, looking up. “I had no idea you and Brittany were close.”
I sigh, rubbing my jaw. “Parker’s pissed, and he has every right to be, but we’re just … I guess we’re just friends. Even though I’m totally falling for her.”
Amy is quiet for a few beats, her eyes settling on my face as her body remains still. “That’s literally so cute.”
Of course she’d think that.
“How does Brittany feel?” she asks when I don’t immediately open my mouth and reply. “She seems pretty smitten based on this … whatever it is.” She laughs lightly.
“It was a truce.” My jaw tightens. I never meant to have anyone else read what she wrote me. “I don’t think she feels as strongly about me as I do about her. She just went through a breakup—”
“That was months ago.” Amy stops me, holding up the letter. “Cal broke it off with her over six months ago. That’s plenty of time to fall in love again.”
“Yeah, well, I just don’t want to rush anything with her.” I shrug. “And I think she just wants to be friends. I have a reputation for chasing love.”
Amy gives me a sympathetic smile. “Me, too. I was so desperate for love, and I was determined to find it. We’re the kind of people who want to fall in love and build a life around it.
There’s nothing wrong with that, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
” As the words leave her mouth, Buddy comes bounding into the room, dragging his leash behind him.
I kneel down, greeting him with a laugh and smile. “You’re right.” I look up at Amy, who’s grinning at the two of us. “But I still owe Parker an apology. I never meant to go behind his back about any of it, you know? That wasn’t my intention.”
Amy dismisses it with a wave of her hand. “He’ll get over it. Brittany is a grown woman who’s already lived a lot of life. Who she chooses to love is her choice.”
“Well, I don’t think she loves me.” I let out a dry laugh, trying to mask the way that statement burns deep in my chest.
Amy shrugs. “You never know.”
“I guess I’ll just be here … and see what happens.”