Becca

The party was held in the lobby of the hotel and it was breathtakingly beautiful. The floors were a polished white marble, the sound of woman's heels echoing off of them filled the air the entire night, drowning out the soft jazz music that played throughout the lobby

The spacious room was decorated to give off a minimalist look; one wall housed the reception desk, the rest of the space was taken up by couches and chairs. The couches were white leather, flanked by glass coffee tables and funky lamps. Grey plush carpets covered the floors, leading into a large doorway that expanded into the breakfast area, where tables decorated the shiny wooden floors.

The lobby was full of employees walking around, carrying a never-ending supply of  hors d'oeuvres and flutes of bubbly water and champagne. The entire scene was magnificent, like something out of a movie. But by far, the most mesmerizing part were the guests.

Beautiful couples occupied the entire lobby. Women were wearing elegant dresses, with diamonds hanging off their wrists, necks and ears that glinted in the light. The men wore suits or tuxedos, their shoes shining brightly against the white floors. The entire scene seemed too perfect to be real, yet somehow it was.

Parker never left my side, not once. Whenever someone spoke to him, he would introduce me as his friend with a warm smile. The guests were surprisingly friendly and not at all confused by my appearance, everyone smiled and acted as if this were the most natural thing in the entire world.

Even Parker's parents were incredible. His mother was a spitting image of Jenny, aside from her dark, mocha skin, and rich brown hair, falling down her back in tight curls, and did not look a day over thirty. Parker's father had their identical blonde hair and sharp bone structure, the only difference being his light skin, whereas Parker's was a rich blend of both. If they all stood together, they were a picture-perfect family.

"Where's Jenny?" I whispered to Parker as the man he was just speaking to shook his hand politely and walked away.

Parker shrugged and sipped his champagne slowly, pausing for a moment before responding. "She's not coming." His words both comforted and confused me at the same time.

"Why not?"

He laughed lightly, watching me with an amusing smile. "The family business doesn't really appeal to her," he said simply before taking another sip. I could tell he didn't want to talk about it and I wouldn't press him. Still, I couldn't understand why she wouldn't want to be here for her brother.

The sound of glass clinking caught everyone's attention and all heads turned in unison to the front of the lobby where Parker's parents stood, hand-in-hand. A hush fell over the guests and his mother smiled, satisfied.

"My husband and I would like to thank you all for being here with us tonight to celebrate the opening of this new hotel," she paused for a moment as the guests applauded, a brilliant smile appearing on her face. She looked so much like Jenny, it was startling. "Now, my son Parker would like to say a few words."

She signalled for Parker to join her at the front of the room. He removed his arm from around my waist and winked at me quickly before joining his parents. He took the microphone from his mother and began to speak.

Parker had an air of authority about him, it was apparent through the way he spoke and carried himself. His speech was delivered with precision, every guest hanging off his every word. He was captivating, speaking and moving with that air of ease that never seemed to leave him. He wasn't nervous nor flustered, but seemed completely comfortable in front of the crowd.

He ended his speech and everyone applauded. I smiled at him in awe, proud of him and everything he would someday amount too. His eyes met mine and he smiled back quickly before his parents pulled him to their side to take photos.

The rest of the night was spent taking pictures. Parker and his family posed with every guest, never getting tired or annoyed. They embraced their lifestyle and everything that came with it with such ease. His parents were always smiling and never seemed to be bothered. Now I knew where Parker got it from.

He insisted that we pose for several photos together as well. Some were of just him and I, others of his family with myself in the middle. I smiled for every photo, it wasn't forced. I felt happy surrounded by these people I had absolutely nothing in common with, yet somehow they managed to make me feel like I belonged.

* * *

"Did you have fun?" Parker asked as we walked to his car. It was night time and the moon hung brightly in the sky, the air was warm with a slight breeze blowing through my hair.

"I did," I replied honestly, smiling up at him.

"My parents really like you," he said conversationally, taking me by surprise. He noticed my expression and laughed as he held the door to his car open for me. "They're upset that we're just friends." He paused for a moment as I buckled in my seatbelt. "They'll get over it," he shrugged and closed the door before walking over to the driver's side.

The streets were quiet as we drove back to my apartment. The windows were open a crack, allowing in some of the night air that blew through the car.

"When was your last relationship?" I asked Parker curiously.

"Never," he told me simply, keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him. I felt my mouth open in surprise. He looked over at me quickly and laughed. "I'm glad that surprises you," he said, the corners of his mouth pulling up into a smile.

"I guess I just assumed you've had a girlfriend before," I told him truthfully. Parker was a great guy, his positive attitude was infectious and he was always smiling. That paired with his good looks, I thought for sure he would have been in several relationships.

He shook his head. "I was always focused on school and work, trying to better myself so that I was good enough to follow in my parent's footsteps. I never dated in high school." He shrugged and looked at me briefly. "I never met anyone that caught my attention," he admitted, returning his eyes to the road.

"Neither have I," I told him.

"Until Brett," Parker said, voicing the exact words that I was thinking.

I turned my head and looked out the window, thinking back to all the times Brett and I had driven around in his car and how vastly different it felt being with him. I missed that.

"Are you okay, Becca?" Parker asked, pulling me out of my head and back into reality.

I nodded slowly, turning my face back to his. "I think I pushed him away too far this time," I whispered.

Parker laughed beside me and gave me a pointed look like I was a complete idiot.

"Becca, I don't even think that's possible," he said, laughing again.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused, not following along.

Parker pulled into my apartment lot and parked the car, then turned his body so he was facing me.

"The dudes in love with you, Becca." He said simply. I stared at him in disbelief, his words flying over my head before I could catch them and make sense of it. Parker sounded so sure, but I wasn't convinced. I knew Brett cared about me, the same way I cared about him, but it was simply to early for him to be in love.

But then again, what the hell do I know about love?

Nothing, I answered myself.

"I want you to be happy and if Brett makes you happy..." Parker trailed off, smiling at me sheepishly. "I don't blame him for punching me. If the girl I loved was going out with another dude, even as friends, it would make me jealous as hell too."

"So what am I supposed to do?" I asked him, feeling helpless and unbelievably stupid.

"You need to reassure him that you care about him," he said simply, shrugging as if it was the most obvious thing.

I raised my eyebrows. "For someone who's never been in a relationship, you seem to know a lot about love," I teased him.

"I have a younger sister who has dated more guys than I can even count. I've learned a thing or two," Parker said, making me laugh in understanding. He paused for a moment and looked at me seriously. "Fix things with Brett before it's too late, alright? You deserve to be happy," he said gently, his voice low.

I thought back to Cassie who had said the exact same thing earlier tonight. "Cassie told me the same thing," I admitted.

Parker smiled at the mention of her, his face lighting up momentarily. "Smart girl," he said, nodding as if he were impressed.

I watched him knowingly and he rolled his eyes, laughing while he shook his head.

"Goodnight, Becca. Thanks for coming with me tonight. It was nice having a friendly face by my side," Parker said, leaning in and giving me a quick hug.

"I had a good time, Park. 'Night," I stepped out of his car and into the warm air, shutting the door behind me before strolling up the walkway into my apartment. My feet began to ache from my heels. I couldn't wait to get upstairs and take a long bath.

Taking off my shoes, I took the elevator barefoot, smiling to myself in relief. My mother was already sound asleep in bed when I got inside, so I crept to my room slowly to not wake her up. Stripping off my dress, I ran a warm bath and sat in the tub, letting the water wash away every trace from tonight.

Spending the evening with Parker had been refreshing. It was a nice change of pace that allowed me to momentarily forget about Brett and the upcoming week of school. I wasn't sure where we would go from this but what Parker and Cassie said was right: I couldn't keep running from my problems.

Brett made me happier than I had ever been. What I felt with him was incomparable, I knew no one could possibly make me feel that way. It was only him.

I rested my head back on the wall as the water stilled around me, surrounding me with warmth and comfort.

The dude's in love with you. Parker's words slid back into my mind and I smiled. The thought of that being true made me feel warmer than this water possibly could.

I wasn't sure what the upcoming week would bring, but I knew one thing. I had to resolve the loose ends between Brett and I, for real this time. I couldn't keep living like this and our conversation in the hallway, the look in his eyes, told me more than his words ever could - that he was hurting just as much as I was, maybe even more.

I had to fix things with Brett while I still had the chance to, before our relationship reached a point of no repair.

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