Becca
I barely slept at all last night. I couldn’t stop thinking about seeing Parker today. I know Ashlynn is just as excited to see Chase. Probably more so than me seeing as Parker flew to Athens to see me last month, but she hasn’t seen Chase since we left Myrtle Beach last summer.
It’s been a crazy eight months. Some days it feels like we were all together just yesterday, and then other days are hard to get through. It feels like it’s been an eternity since we were with the men who stole our hearts in Myrtle Beach.
My friends call me crazy for doing a long distance relationship, but for me there’s no one else out there who compares to him. He’s worth the tears, the struggle of getting through months apart with nothing but text messages, phone calls and random FaceTime chats.
When the thought that life would be easier if I was dating someone on campus crosses my mind I think of Parker. There’s been no one else who makes me feel the way he does. The thought of me being with someone else or him with another girl makes me sick to my stomach and want to be violent when I’m not a violent person.
I still can’t believe one random summer road trip to Myrtle Beach brought this amazing man into my life. Same for Ashlynn, but with her and Chase seems to be coasting in their relationship. They’re together but not together.
They agreed to date openly and lord knows Chase has. It kills me every time I see Ashlynn torturing herself reading the shit these gossip magazines publish about him and his many conquests. She keeps dating too, but I never seen her go home with anyone or vice versa besides one time when we first came home. I feel bad for her because I know she wants more than what he’s giving her.
I’m lucky that Parker is such an amazing man. We discussed where things would go with us once we went back to our normal lives. We both brought up the idea of casual dating like Chase and Ashlynn have, but after talking more we agreed that we both wanted to be exclusive with one another.
It sounds insane and way too fast, especially seeing as in eight months we’ve only really spent maybe thirty or so days together—but I feel it deep in my heart that I’m in love with him.
I wanted to tell him on Valentine’s Day but thought it would be too cliché. Plus, he didn’t make any attempts to say it to me so I chickened out.
But I plan on telling him this week. Plus, I have another big secret to tell him that I know is going to shake the very fragile foundation we are already attempting to build our lives on. I’ve only told Ashlynn and she has sworn herself to secrecy, promising me that she wouldn’t breathe a word of it to anyone.
Especially Chase.
I know guys hate to admit it, but they gossip just as much as girls do. I know if she told him he wouldn’t be able to keep his big mouth shut. I want to break the news to Parker myself.
I’m terrified of how he’s going to react, but I can only hope that he loves me as much as I love him, and won’t freak out too much when I finally break the news to him.
“I just heard a car pull in!” Ashlynn squeals with excitement as she jumps up off the lawn chair she’s sitting in beside me.
We’re waiting on the deck of the beach house we rented for the week with a group of friends from college for the guys to get here.
Parker and Vance flew in on Parker’s father’s jet and waited at the airport for Chase to fly in from Las Vegas. He had a race in Vegas Sunday but has the entire week off to spend with Ashlynn. So we’ve been waiting here on the deck for the last twenty minutes since they texted us saying they were on their way.
It’s going to be a week we’ll never forget as the whole gang gets together again.
The sound of car doors shutting makes my heart jump in my chest and my stomach flip flop as we run down the tall wooden stairs leading down to the beach below.
Turning, we run towards the large driveway filled with cars from all of our friends carpooling to Daytona, and spot a SUV with rental plates along with three men climbing out of it.
“Oh my God! You’re here!” We scream in unison as we run into the arms of the men who’ve had our hearts with them for these last eight months.
I leap into Parker’s arms wrapping my arms around his neck and beam down at him with the biggest, cheek aching smile. “I’m so happy you’re finally here!” I say before crashing my lips to his.
I don’t give him a second to respond. I’ve missed him too much to waste time talking. The feeling of his lips pressing against mine makes my heart flutter in my chest and butterflies invade my stomach as I open my mouth eagerly excepting his tongue.
“Thanks for making me feel like chopped liver,” Vance says jokingly beside us breaking our moment.
Jumping down from Parker’s arms I spin around and pull Vance in for a hug laughing, “Sorry, Vance. We missed you too.” Releasing him I step back grinning as Ashlynn breaks away from Chase and gives Vance a hug too.
“Is Vance feeling left out?” Ashlynn teases. “Luckily for you we have a lot of hot single friends who we’ve told them all about you and they can’t wait to meet you.”
A cocky smile appears on his lips as he looks from Ashlynn to me. “That definitely is making this trip sound a whole lot better.” Walking ahead of us towards the stairs he yells over his shoulder, “What are we all standing around here for? Let’s get this party started and introduce me to all these hot college chicks.”
It may be a different beach—but it feels like the same goofy group all over again.
“Everyone’s down on the beach tanning and surfing. So I suggest you turn your direction towards the water and not the deck unless you plan on partying alone,” I shout to him as I leave Chase and Ashlynn to catch up for a few minutes alone.
Parker laces his fingers with mine and pulls me once again into his arms as our feet hit the sand.
“I’ve missed the hell out of you,” He says pressing a kiss to my very welcoming lips. It’s a short and sweet kiss but I’ll take anything I can get.
“I’ve missed you too. It sucks we only have a week, but we’ll make the most of it.”
He kisses me one more time and then tells me, “Jump up onto my back. I’ll carry you down to the water, baby.”
Jumping up onto his back I snuggle tightly against him and squeal with excitement as he takes off sprinting down the jam packed beach laughing as he blows past Vance.