SUMMER OF 2015, HOPE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
"I need to go, Mom. Jack and Tom are waiting."
"Where are you going?" Grace asked.
"Just down to the lake." Beth refrained from saying, "Like we do every summer and have for the last ten years." She knew her mother wouldn't appreciate the impatience that would likely bubble out with those words.
"Try not to be late. We are going to the Kensington's barbecue."
"I really don't want to go. Jack invited me to his parent's lake house for dinner." Not to mention, the last person she wanted to see was Charles.
"Sweetie, the Kensington's party is something we are expected to attend. You know that. Your father told you its mandatory."
"Can I bring Jack?" He would be the only one that could make the experience bearable.
"You can't invite someone to a party you aren't throwing. That's rude."
"The Kensington's will not care if I'm not there, Mom."
"Charles will."
"He can keep wondering where I am then. I gotta go." She kissed her Mom's cheek and ran out the door to her black Jeep Wrangler. As she drove, the sun felt so good on her cheeks and shoulders. The air flowing through the topless Jeep was freeing.
It wasn't that she had a bad life. Maybe a bit restrictive because expectations about every little thing were there, but not bad. Yes, she had a jeep that Daddy paid for and yes she was leaving for college in two months. But she had earned the full ride scholarship. She had worked hard and her grades proved it.
Now though, it was summer. She was eighteen and she had two months before everything would change. She wanted to enjoy it. Starting with seeing her best friend, Jack Thornton.
"Beth!" Jack waved from the upper part of the diving spot. "It's about time you got here!" He dove in feet first, yelling as he fell. She giggled and shook her head.
She walked down to the sand on the private beach and took off her flip flops. Then she took a seat, took off her t-shirt/cover-up, revealing her bikini top, and sprayed on her sunscreen. As long as she didn't get wet for a few minutes, she was good.
"Beth, what took you so long?" Tom, Jack's younger brother, asked, walking over.
"Mom."
"Nuff said."
Jack watched his brother talking to Beth. Good grief, she was beautiful. The sun bouncing off her dark brown curls, her lightly tanned skin, perfect. Her long legs… "Snap out of it, Thornton! She's your best friend," he told himself as he dove underwater to clear his head. He knew her parents would never be ok with them in a relationship, as much as he wanted it.
The trouble was, the older they got, the harder it was to ignore his feelings. And the closer it got to Fall, the closer it got to them separating and heading to different schools, about two hundred miles from each other.
They had gone to the same school since they were eight and he loved knowing she was just down the hall during the day, just across the classroom, or eating her lunch right next to him.
Eight weeks from now, he wouldn't be able to say that anymore. She was leaving.
He walked up and Tom stood, making a beeline for the water again. "Hey."
"Hey, yourself," she said with a smile as he dropped on the towel next to her.
"Mom's making German chocolate cake for dessert."
"That's sweet of her." Her favorite.
"You're still coming, right?"
"Mom said I'm expected to show at the Kensington's."
"Oh." The Kensington's and the Thatcher's were close, Jack knew that.
"I can maybe come after. You're still doing fireworks, right?"
"Yeah." Elizabeth could see the disappointment on his face. She hated hurting him.
"I'll try to come after, then." He didn't respond, so she nudged him with her shoulder. "Ok?"
"Sure." He hadn't told her the real reason for the dinner was a graduation party for him. It didn't really matter. She couldn't come anyway.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I wanted to come but you know how my Dad is. He expects certain things."
"I know." And that was why the overwhelming urge to kiss her soft, perfect lips couldn't be acted upon. He stood and started walking and then turned back.
"Coming?"
She smiled, removed her shorts, and headed toward the tubes. Floating on the water with Jack was her favorite thing to do.
Once they were in their tubes, they laid their heads back and just talked, soaking in the sunshine, occasionally bumping into each other and laughing.
Elizabeth watched Jack as they floated. Something about him was different. She couldn't put a finger on it. Maybe it was just disappointment that she wouldn't be at his house for dinner, but she had a feeling it was more than that.
…..
As Elizabeth slipped her pink sundress over her swimsuit, which was also pink, her sister Julie chattered. Elizabeth wasn't listening to her though. She was thinking about Jack.
All through their afternoon together, he had been quieter than normal and when she hugged him goodbye, he didn't return it. His hands stayed at his side, as if the thing they always did, now made him uncomfortable.
It didn't make sense. Did he suddenly not want to hang out anymore? She would talk with him later about it.
"Beth?"
"Huh?"
"I asked if you think I look ok. I'm not sure I like this dress."
"It's fine."
Julie had a major thing for the Kensington's youngest son, Richie. Elizabeth thought he was cute but in an immature, fifteen year old boy kind of way.
"I'm changing," Julie said, ripping off her dress with an exasperated groan.
"I'm going to wait for you in the Jeep, ok?"
"Yeah, fine," she called from the depths of their walk-in closet.
….
KENSINGTONS HOUSE
Elizabeth kept to herself at the barbecue. It was outside on their massive patio/deck and there were about twenty people there so she could easily find a corner to lose herself in.
She thought about in the Fall when she was going to UCLA. It would be the first time that she and Jack wouldn't be together at the same school since they were eight. She didn't know what she was going to do without being able to talk to him every day at lunch or sit next to him in History class. She was going to miss him so much.
She wondered if that's what he was feeling and that's why he had been so quiet.
It wasn't typical of him not to tell her what was on his mind. That's what she liked about their relationship the most. They were honest and forthcoming with whatever was going on. Now, she felt as if he was holding back and it felt strange.
"Beth, come over and meet Mr. Pratt. He's your father's newest associate at the firm." Grace came over and grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards Mr. Pratt. The last thing she wanted was to meet yet another stuffy lawyer friend of her father's. The guy wasn't going to remember her, so what was the point?
She couldn't wait to get away from the crazy expectations that her Father held over her. This wasn't her. The fancy parties and stuffy people weren't what she was comfortable with. She needed her own life. Starting with figuring out how to sneak away without her parents noticing.
….
THORNTON LAKE HOUSE
"Dude, what is wrong with you?" Tom asked. "This is your party. Did you see the stack of envelopes over there? That's all cash, bro. It's all yours."
"I saw, yeah."
"She said she was coming later, right?" Tom knew Jack was missing Elizabeth. He knew how he felt about her.
"Yeah. For the fireworks."
"Perfect time to tell her you love her."
"I'm not telling her that."
"Why not? Dude, you've been in love with her forever. She deserves to know."
"Tom, its complicated."
"No, Jack. It's really not. I bet she feels the same."
"What if she doesn't? What if all it does is ruin our friendship? I couldn't live with that."
"What if it doesn't? What if it turns out to be the best thing that ever happens to you?"
"She's leaving, Tom. And her parents….they will never allow her to be with me."
"I don't think she would let that stop her. If she loves you, she will not let anything get in the way of that."
Jack stared out at the lake wondering if that could possibly be the case. Would she defy her parents to be with him?
"Dude, take her to the lookout to watch the fireworks. Trust me." When did his sixteen year old brother get so wise?
….
Elizabeth sneaked away after the food was served. She had strategically parked at the end of the drive so she would be able to leave. She sent a quick text to Jack to let him know she was on her way.
As she drove, she turned up the music and took her hair out of its ponytail. As she drove up to the lake house, she was surprised at how many cars were there. She had assumed it was going to be just her and his family.
When she walked in the door of the kitchen, it felt like home. More than her own house did. She felt warm and comfortable.
"Beth, honey, can you take this tray into the living room? It goes right next to the cake." Charlotte, as usual was buzzing around the room taking charge of things.
"Of course." Elizabeth hung her keys on the hook by the door and carried the tray of mini cheesecakes to the table by the….cake? She saw the cake and gasped. "Congratulations, Jack!" it said.
He hadn't told her it was a graduation party. She didn't even have his gift with her. Now she wanted to find him even more than before.
She finally found him standing on the dock, staring at the water. She watched him as she walked toward him. His shoulders were low. He looked sad.
"Hey," she said quietly as she approached, not wanting to startle him.
"Hey, yourself," he said, turning around. "You're here."
"Yes. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell what?"
"It's your grad party? Your gift is at home. I could have brought it."
He bit his tongue, instead of blurting, "The only gift I need is standing right in front of me."
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
He shrugged. "It didn't come up."
"Whatever, Jack. What is going on? You are acting so weird."
"Because I love you!" was right on the tip of his tongue, but he was too chicken to blow everything on three little words.
"Nothing's going on, Beth."
"Yes there is. I hugged you earlier and you didn't hug me back. That isn't normal. You always hug me back and I am pretty sure you smell my hair too." The last little bit she used to tease him. She knew he would react.
"I don't smell your hair!"
"Whatever!" she said, laughing.
"Ok, I do, but you smell good." He honestly couldn't help it.
"Jack, my point was, there was no reciprocation on your part. What's going on?"
"Ohh, looks who's using her big words."
"Jack."
"Beth, if you really want to talk, go with me to the lookout for the fireworks."
"Ok. You'll talk to me? Promise?"
"Promise."
A few hours later, they walked down the street to the rocky spot that he jumped off earlier when she met him and Tom at the lake.
They spread a blanket on the edge and sat down, shoulder to shoulder. "So…"
"So…" he repeated.
"Jack, are you mad at me?"
"Of course not. I never get mad at you." It was true. The last time he had gotten mad, they were ten and she had gone to see Meet the Robinson's without him. He had a bad cold and they were supposed to see it together but she went while he was sick in bed. "Come to think of it, I am still mad at you."
"Oh brother, the Meet the Robinson's thing? Let it go, dork."
He grinned at her. He loved her so much and it scared him that he might lose her if he opened his mouth.
She put her head on his shoulder and they watched the ducks landing on the water and the sun setting. "Jack, we promised to always be honest and I feel like you are keeping something from me."
He turned his head and took a deep breath in, her coconut shampoo filling his senses. "I'm worried."
"About what?"
"Us. I don't want to lose you, Beth." He gently turned her hand and placed his palm against hers.
"That won't happen. I will come home on Thanksgiving and Christmas and then spring break."
"It's not enough."
"What do you want me to do? Not go to college? I want to be a teacher and to do that I need to leave."
He turned to her and their eyes met. "I need you to know that…." Before he could finish his sentence, there was a giant boom and the fireworks started.
Their perch on the lookout rock was perfect viewing for the fireworks. They could see everything.
Elizabeth laced her fingers with his and then put her head back on his shoulder. She really wanted to know what he was going to say.
She lifted her head and looked at his profile. He was watching intently but the muscle in his cheek was pulsing. He was thinking hard about something. She nudged him with her knee.
He looked back over and his heart skipped a beat. She was staring at him. "Tell me."
He took a huge leap of faith and leaned toward her, hoping she wouldn't push him away. He needed to know.
Just before his lips touched hers, Elizabeth turned her face. "I'm sorry."
She stood and walked away into the darkness.