“Meet me in my room?”
Parker nodded. And then the dance began all over again as Helen ordered them to line up in their places.
31
Beth
Helen finally moved on to the ceremony after making the wedding party walk up and down the taped off section of the lawn acting as the aisle a dozen times. But when Helen called Brenna up to the run through the motions of the ceremony she down right refused.
Brenna was sitting in the front row of white folding chairs that had been set up to resemble tomorrow’s arrangement. Beth’s parents and a few other family members were in attendance, quietly chatting. But when Brenna crossed her arms and shook her head like a toddler, a hush fell over everyone.
“Brenna, sweetheart,” their mother coaxed. “What’s the problem?”
“The problem is my fiancé isn’t even here for our rehearsal. I don’t want to stand up there without the groom. It’s bad luck.”
Beth’s heart went out to Brenna. For as tough as she acted, she was still human. Brenna had already been through the heartache of her first love walking out on her. The thought of standing up at the altar alone must’ve been humiliating.
“Sweetheart,” their mother pressed. “It’s not bad luck. Eric will be here tomorrow. This is just so everyone knows their queues for the big day.”
Brenna looked near tears, an experience Beth had never witnessed. And maybe it was the necklace or perhaps it was the pure terror of hell freezing over if the most badass woman Beth knew started crying. But either way, something prompted her to step forward. “Mom, we’ve all been to a wedding before. Brenna doesn’t need to stand up here if she doesn’t want to.”
And that’s when it happened. Brenna’s eyes locked onto Beth’s and they weren’t full of relief or sisterly love. Instead, Brenna had that mischievous twinkle in her eye that Beth had come to loath. Brenna perfected her pout and said, “Bethy, can you and Parker stand in for me? I just don’t think I’m up for it.”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Helen said running with Brenna’s suggestion. “Then our lovely bride can see how it will all unfold tomorrow.”
Brenna grinned wickedly at Beth. “Perfect.”
Parker
Parker honestly didn’t know how he got roped into it, but suddenly he was being pushed up the stairs to the gazebo stage by the dictator in a power suit. His only salvation was that Beth was at his side. Parker took her hand, his heart pounding in his throat.
He couldn’t stop thinking about what she wanted to talk to him about in her room after dinner. Was she about to break his heart? Or was she going to choose him? His pulse raced and he could feel tiny beads of sweat forming on his brow. His glasses slid down his nose and he itched to push them back where they belonged, but Beth’s hands were in his and he couldn’t bring himself to let go.
That notion made his heart twist. He couldn’t even let her hand go for a second to fix his glasses. How the hell was he going to cope with rejection if Beth’s lucky shoes weren’t meant for him?
Beth gave Parker’s hands a squeeze and it breathed life back into him. He tried to smile at her but it felt more like a grimace.
“Are you okay?” she whispered while Helen droned on in the background.
“Yeah.”
“You’re shaking.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t realized he was, but now that she mentioned it . . .
“I’m sorry,” Beth murmured. “I know you hate being the center of attention.”
Normally he did, but right now, that was the least of his worries. All Parker could think about was that this could be the last time he held Beth’s hands. That last time he was this close to her.
He studied her with the eyes of a painter—memorizing her down to the finest details. The way her hair looked like spun gold dipped in honey. How her eyes resembled dark chocolate, but in the sunlight he could see thin veins of bronze spinning out from the center like a starburst. And her lips . . . they looked bee-stung, plump and the color of barely ripe watermelon flesh.
Parker wished it was just the two of them in the gazebo so he could kiss Beth one more time before she broke his heart.
Beth
Beth was worried about Parker. He looked like he was going to pass out. His hands were trembling in hers. A fierce protectiveness bubbled up from inside her. She never should’ve let Brenna make them do this. Her stupid sister may think she was helping, but Beth would not let it be at Parker’s expense.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Beth asked again.
“I’m fine,” he said gently squeezing her hands. At least this time his smile met his eyes, but Beth still wasn’t convinced.
Finally, Helen was finished explaining the music and order of things to Brenna and the rest of the wedding party. Beth just continued to be the good little placeholder until Helen would eventually shut up and dismiss them.
Any minute now, Beth thought to herself.
Helen came up to Parker and Beth smiling garishly. “Thank you stand-ins. You did splendidly.”
Beth let out the breath she’d been holding. Surely that had satisfied Brenna’s game of matchmaker. Beth was slipping her arm through Parker’s preparing to exit the stage when she heard Brenna’s voice.
“Wait! What about the vows?”
Helen looked between Beth and Brenna. “Don’t you want to save those for tomorrow, dear?”
“Yes, but I’m curious if anyone out here will be able to hear me.”
“The minister will have a microphone, dear.”
Brenna scowled, obviously furious that her event coordinator was thwarting whatever scheme she had up her sleeve. “I don’t want my vows to be broadcast over a microphone,” Brenna scathed. “I want them to be private.”
“Oh, why of course. We can definitely arrange for that. I’ll just inform the minister to turn off the microphone while you and Eric exchange your vows.”
Brenna ignored Helen’s response and settled her gaze on Beth. “Bethy, would you and Parker be dears and recite some vows so I can gauge the volume?”
Beth laughed. “You’re joking, right?”
“No, I really need you to do this for me, Bethy,” Brenna whined.
“Well, sadly I missed the memo about preparing vows for tonight so it’s not gonna happen,” Beth replied sarcastically.
“That’s okay. Just speak from the heart,” Brenna encouraged.
Even her mother was nodding like she thought this was a good idea. Beth was seething. This was too much. She was not going to let her family push her around or subject Parker to anymore of Brenna’s crazy whims. She was about to say exactly that when Parker squeezed her hand.
“Let’s do it,” he said.
“What?”
He shrugged. “It’s for the bride, right?”
“Parker, you don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
Beth gave him a confused look, but Helen didn’t miss a beat. She shoved a wedding program into each of their hands. “Just read from the back,” she said shooing them back into the center of the stage.
“Parker . . .” Beth started.
“It’s okay. Besides, when else am I going to get to tell you all the ways I love you?”
Beth felt her breath escape in a whoosh. Was Parker seriously about to profess his love for her in front of her entire family?
Parker must’ve caught the worry in her eyes because he smiled and tapped the back of her program. “Corinthians.”
Beth flipped the program over and saw the popular bible verse on the back. Her heart started beating again as feeling returned to her limbs with the tingle of pins and needles. He was only joking.
“When you’re ready,” Helen called from the front row of chairs. “The groom starts.”
Parker nodded and Beth watched his throat bob as he took her hand. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud . . .”
Beth was entranced as she listened to the words Parker
spoke. She lost herself in the moment and everything else faded away. All she saw was the beautiful boy before her. She could feel the last shreds of hesitation guarding her heart fall away, and with it, all of her doubts.
A sensation of all consuming love seared her. It was Parker. It had always been Parker. He was the one. It was so blindingly clear that she was in love with him that it nearly brought Beth to tears. But she blinked them back, not wanting to miss a moment of her perfect boy saying such perfect things.
God, he was so devastatingly beautiful that sometimes it hurt to stare at him for too long. But she sighed, knowing she’d never look away. He was the sun and she was Icarus. She knew what it could cost to be this close to him, but she would take the risk, because feeling this way was worth it. She couldn’t lock her love away now even if she wanted to. She felt like it was shining from her every pore. And perhaps the most incredible thing Beth felt was freedom. She didn’t want to hide how she felt anymore.
Parker finished the verse with conviction. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
Beth had never heard truer words. They bolstered her, and for once she didn’t resist the emotions that swelled in her chest. She let her program flutter to the floor and took both of Parker’s hands in hers, finally knowing without a shadow of a doubt what she needed to do.
Beth spoke from the heart, and as the words poured forth, they didn’t shock her. They felt natural and true. Until yesterday, Parker had never told Beth he loved her with words, but as he’d been reciting Corinthians, she realized he showed her how he felt every day. Parker was always patient, always kind. He never showed envy, never was prideful. He’d spent a lifetime by her side, protecting her, sustaining her . . . And her feelings for him had always been there, simmering below the surface. It was the reason she’d always felt so connected to him. They were more than friends. They’d always been. But it wasn’t until he read the verses out loud that Beth knew it clearly. Parker loved her beyond doubt, beyond reason.
Parker had always shown her love. And because it was always there, building slowly, layer upon layer, it had been harder for Beth to recognized. But now that she had, she was blinded by it. Beth’s own heart burst forth, answering Parker’s proclamation with resounding love of its own.
As Beth began to speak, she should have been scared. She should have been reluctant to profess such things in front of her family. But she was none of those things. With Parker’s strong hands in hers, Beth was confident that she was finally right where she belonged.
“Love is patient, love is kind,” she began. “Love is gradual. At least our love is. It shouldn’t have taken me this long to see it. No one has been more patient or more kind than you, Parker.”
Beth watched Parker’s eyes dart around the gazebo as she strayed from the verse. She squeezed his hands in reassurance before continuing. “Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Love is true. Just like you. And I want to be true to you. I want to promise you my heart, my future, my everything. No words can ever express what you mean to me, Parker. But I can promise you that I will always try.”
When Beth finished speaking, Parker stood still as a statue. They stared at each other. Brown eyes meeting blue—earth converging with sky. Beth’s breath hitched as her heart sped up. She knew she’d gone to a place she’d never dared to dream of and now she couldn’t let go.
It wasn’t until Helen clopped up to the stage that their spell was broken. “Lovely, just lovely,” Helen said collecting the program from Parker as well as the one Beth had dropped on the floor.
Helen leaned in. “We couldn’t hear a thing in the front row and the bride is happy,” she whispered with relief. Then Helen turned to address the rest of the wedding party. “I think that concludes the rehearsal portion of the evening. Now on to dinner.”
32
Parker
Parker’s head was spinning. He felt as though he were dreaming. He couldn’t wrap his mind around what happened between him and Beth in the gazebo. All she had to do was recite the verse on the back of the program, but she had done so much more. She’d given him hope. She’d opened up her heart and shown him a piece of herself, a piece that she’d always kept locked away. He’d never heard words so precious. They still echoed in his head.
“I promise you my heart, my future, my everything. No words can ever express what you mean to me. But I can promise you that I will always try.”
That’s all he’d ever wanted, the possibility of a future together—the opportunity to try. And somehow she’d known.
The last thing Beth had done as they’d followed Helen off the gazebo was to whisper in his ear, “In case you were wondering, I wore the shoes for you.”
And just like that Parker’s heart cracked wide open. Now, the trouble was the only thing Parker wanted to do in the world was carry Beth back to her room and show her exactly how much he loved her—exactly how thoroughly he was willing to try. Unfortunately, they were stuck at the seven-course rehearsal dinner party in one of Bellemora’s private dining rooms.
By a small mercy, Beth was seated next to Parker. He kept making excuses to brush her hand, or rest his arm over the back of her chair. And each time he delighted in the fact that she leaned into him.
Dessert was finally being served when Beth linked her pinky with his beneath the table. He grinned at her and she subtly raised her eyebrows, elevating her chin slightly toward her room. Parker nodded and Beth traced the number five in the palm of his hand. Again he nodded.
She excused herself to go to the ladies room and it took every ounce of restraint Parker had left to wait for the second hand to rotate five times around on the face of the grandfather clock.
Beth
Beth sprinted back to her bedroom. She wanted everything to be just perfect when Parker arrived. She’d been so hopeful when she left the room before the rehearsal and things had gone even better than she could’ve planned. Now it was actually happening. She was going to tell Parker that she loved him too!
Breathless, Beth slipped into her room, shutting the door behind her. Everything was as she left it. All she had to do now was light the candles she’d arranged and calm her nerves. Easier said than done.
Her fingers were shaking so badly it took her nearly five minutes to light all the candles. With seconds to spare she snapped a photo of her creation, wanting to capture the moment. Then she glanced in the mirror to check her appearance. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was a mess. Her loose updo had all but fallen out. There was no time to fix it. Impatiently, Beth let her hair down, shaking free a sea of blonde waves.
Just then, there was a knock on her door. Right on time.
Beth smiled at the flutter of excitement that rippled through her. Her hand instinctively went to the strand of pearls around her neck as she moved into position.
Parker
Parker heard Beth’s voice on the other side of the door telling him to come in. He checked to make sure no one else was in the hallway. Assured the coast was clear, he opened the door and quickly stepped inside.
At first, Parker only saw the flames. Dozens of candles blazed on the floor. They’d been arranged in the shape of a heart, and in the center, spelled out with hundreds of tiny white seashells was a sight that stole his breath. The initials. PR + BB gleamed back at him. Parker Reed and Beth Bennett. P and B.
Parker had never seen something so simple and perfect in all his life. That’s when he heard Beth’s voice. “What do you think?” she asked stepping out of the shadows.
Her hands were clasped behind her back and she chewed her bottom lip like she did when she was nervous. But hope shined bright in her eyes and Parker’s heart leapt.
He took an unsteady step toward her. “Does this mean . . .” He paused almost terrified to say his wish aloud. “Are you picking me?”
Beth nodded. “It’s always been you, Parker.�
� She smiled and it was his undoing.
Parker unraveled as he crossed the room in swift, determined steps, not stopping until Beth was in his arms. He scooped her up, his hands gripping her tiny waist, pinning her against him. He kissed her urgently, feeling as if his heart might break free of his body if he stopped. They were a storm of hands exploring, lips caressing. Parker held Beth tightly, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Their lips parted for the briefest of moments and Beth whispered against his mouth. “I love you, Parker.”
“Thank God,” he breathed, his lips finding hers once more.
Beth
Beth had never been kissed the way Parker kissed her now. Urgent and tender, with passion and reverence. And even as he crushed her to him, she felt as if her very bones ached to be closer. He was home and her heart longed to return.
Parker’s kisses stoked wild desires as his lips coaxed hers apart. He tasted of hopes and dreams and endless possibilities. Parker hoisted her higher in his arms. Beth’s feet came off the ground and she clung to him as brilliant sparks of longing erupted in her heart. She gasped as his lips hungrily tasted her jaw, her neck. When Parker’s mouth roamed to the hollow at the base of her throat Beth tilted her head back offering him more. And she knew in that moment there was no going back. She wanted to feel like this forever, no matter what the cost.
Parker
Beth’s legs hitched around his waist and Parker carried her toward the bed. Her skin felt like velvet beneath his fingertips and the way she responded to his touch left him shaking. Beth’s hands moved to his shirt. The feeling of her fingers sliding beneath the fabric did wild things to his breathing. He couldn’t get enough of her. His lips burned from kissing, but he couldn’t stop. He engulfed her mouth, her throat. He wanted to wrap himself around her and never let go.
The Boyfriend Series Box Set (Books 1-6): YA Contemporary Romance Novels Page 97
