Jessica's Secret Love

  JESSICA'S SECRET LOVE

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  The stranger's dark eyes burned into hers. Jessica was almost gasping for air; her skin was tingling all over. Where his arms held her her skin felt on fire. "Jessica," he said hoarsely.

  "Yes," she answered, not caring what the question was. She leaned closer to him again for another kiss, but suddenly he was on his feet, staring down at her.

  "Jessica—I'm sorry," he said. He raked a hand through his honey-colored hair. "Jessica—I can't."

  "Can't what?" she asked. An icy sensation coiled itself in her stomach. "You know we're supposed to be together. You know it."

  "Maybe we—No. We don't know that. We just met. I'm sorry, Jessica. We can't be together. I can't—I can't ever see you again." He took one of her hands and pressed a searing kiss into her palm before turning and striding quickly away from her across the sand.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 1

  "Pass me the sunscreen, please," Jessica Wakefield said to her best friend, Lila Fowler. They, along with Jessica's twin sister, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth's best friend, Enid Rollins, were spending the hot Tuesday morning at the Sweet Valley beach. The summer sun was almost too much to take.

  "Since when do you use sunscreen?" Lila asked in disbelief, passing Jessica the bottle. Jessica started slathering the cream lavishly over her darkly tanned legs.

  "Since we got back from England," Jessica said. "Tans weren't the thing over there—the paler-than-pale look is in. It looked kind of romantic. Kind of European. I thought I'd try lightening up a bit."

  Elizabeth smiled and put down the book she was reading. "It's true. So many women there had beautiful peaehes-and-cream complexions. But trust Jessica to use sunscreen for beauty purposes instead of health reasons!"

  "Well, some of us take pride in our appearance," Jessica said smugly, admiring her long legs. "And rightly so."

  Elizabeth tossed a handful of warm sand onto her bare feet.

  "Hey! That stuff burns my dainty feet," Jessica said in mock outrage.

  "Well," Elizabeth joked, "I wouldn't want them to get too much of this damaging California sun. I'm just trying to protect their European pallor."

  Jessica and Elizabeth enjoyed being the only set of identical twins at Sweet Valley High. At sixteen, they each had long, sunstreaked blond hair, blue-green eyes, and identical dimples in their left cheeks. They also had slim, athletic figures, but that's where their similarities ended.

  "I know you guys got all mixed up with that psycho who thought he was a werewolf—but did you manage to have any fun at all?" Enid asked. "Or was it just work, work, work at your London newspaper internship?"

  Elizabeth forced a smile. She hadn't had a chance to tell Enid the whole sordid story, and if she were honest with herself, she knew that part of her was still pretty confused and embarrassed about what had happened. During their month in England, they had served as cub reporters for the London Journal. Although for a while it had looked as if they each found a romantic Englishman to fall in love with, Elizabeth's had turned out to be a serial killer. She was still having nightmares about it.

  "It was pretty much mostly work. I learned a lot about police procedure," Elizabeth said tightly.

  "It's too bad that Todd left just as you got back," Enid sympathized.

  Elizabeth nodded and rolled onto her back, holding her book above her to keep the sun out of her eyes. "Yeah. Though in a way, I don't mind having the break—I don't really feel like being with anyone right now."

  Enid nodded, a look of concern crossing her face.

  "When's Todd coming back?" Jessica asked her sister.

  "A little over two weeks. His family went to visit his grandmother, as they do every summer."

  "Well, you have two whole weeks to get yourself together," Jessica said cheerfully. "In the meantime, what could be better after all that London drizzle than good old California sunshine?"

  Elizabeth smiled faintly. "You're right, Jess. It's good to be home."

  "Speaking of getting yourself together, I feel as if I need a little exercise. Lila, care to join me in a quick jog along the water?"

  Lila wrinkled her nose. "Ugh. It's too hot. I think I'll just stay here and take a nap."

  Jessica gave Lila a meaningful look. "Lila. I said, let's go for a little jog." Jessica felt sorry for her sister, but listening to Elizabeth's boring theories about what went wrong in London didn't really figure into her plans for her first day back on the beach.

  "Jessica, I said—oh, right. Sure, I'd love to go for a jog." She turned to Elizabeth and Enid. "Will you guys watch our stuff till we get back?"

  "Of course," Enid agreed, and Jessica and Lila got up and headed down the white sand toward the water.

  "What was that about?" Elizabeth murmured, squinting up at Enid.

  "No idea. Guess they just want to gossip without us."

  Elizabeth giggled. "They'll never change. It's comforting, somehow."

  "I know what you mean. Boy, it sure is good to have you home, Liz. Going to the Dairi Burger wasn't the same without you."

  "Thanks, Enid. I missed you, too. It seems as though everywhere I went I saw things I wanted to show you or tell you about. We'll have to go there together someday."

  Enid nodded enthusiastically. "Maybe for our junior year abroad in college," she suggested. "Or we could go there one summer between semesters."

  "Hmmm. That sounds good. But for right now, I just want to enjoy being home."

  "What happened exactly, Liz? I mean, you've given me the general outline, but I still don't understand the whole picture. If you're OK talking to me about it, that is," she added quickly.

  "You know I feel as if I can tell you anything, Enid—it's just that I want to put it behind me." Elizabeth sighed and took a long drink of her fruit juice. "Basically, what happened was that I met this romantic, sweet, unassuming guy, and suddenly I thought he was meant for me, you know? In a different way than Todd. I sort of let myself get carried away by the fact that he was a poet and all. And we really seemed to be on the same wavelength. But if we were so close, why couldn't I pick up on any of his tortured feelings beneath the surface? Now I feel weird inside, as though I can't trust my instincts. Can't trust guys. I just can't believe I made such a huge mistake."

  "I understand," Enid said. "But you can trust Todd, can't you?"

  "Enid, right now I feel as though I can't even trust myself." Elizabeth lay back on her towel and picked up her book again, aware of her friend's concerned gaze.

  "OK, we're out of sight. Can we stop jogging now? I have a stitch," Lila panted. "Now, what's up?"

  The two girls slowed to a leisurely walk, and Jessica glanced back to make sure her sister was nowhere around. She looked over at Lila, whose face was flushed and damp with heat.

  "Speaking of getting in shape . . ." she said teasingly.

  "Oh, shut up. You know I get plenty of exercise," Lila said huffily. "I must have gone around the entire mall twice yesterday, looking for a new pair of sandals."

  "Well, the only exercise I've had recently is rescuing my naive sister from maniacs in London." Jessica shivered, despite the sun's warmth. "No kidding, Li—she was pretty hooked on Luke. Ever since
we got back, she's been moping around, saying she'll never trust anyone again, that there must be something wrong with her to have been attracted to him. I mean, I see her point, but yawn."

  "There is something wrong with her. She's been with Todd Wilkins too long," Lila stated, scuffling her bare feet in the sand. "What a drip. Hey, I read that walking barefoot in sand acts as a natural skin buffer, smoothing away any rough spots."

  "Really?" Jessica started scuffling her feet too, trying to feel the natural sloughing action. "And it's not just her, Lila. It's me, too. I mean, I had a great time with Lord Robert—you should have heard his sexy English accent. I could have sat and listened to him read the phone book, you know? But that's just it—he lives in England, and we knew from the beginning it wouldn't go anywhere. I'm ready to meet someone new—someone who really blows me away." She looked out over the waves. "After Sam died, I thought I'd never want to get close to anyone again. But now I feel—I don't know. That it's time to go on."

  Jessica's only serious boyfriend had been killed in a tragic car accident several months before.

  "Good for you, Jess," Lila said. "Life is for the living, that's what I say. You've been really brave, and really strong, and I think it's great that you're ready to move on and meet some new eligible stud."

  Jessica smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Li."

  "Could you just please make sure that your hunk has a gorgeous brother or friend? I need someone new too. I've been doing a lot of thinking while you were gone—"

  "Whoa. You must have been bored," Jessica interrupted teasingly.

  "As I was saying," Lila continued, "I've decided to turn over a new leaf. This social-butterfly business is getting a little old. I want to find one totally fantastic guy and see only him. The problem is finding a guy who could actually keep me interested for more than three days." She sighed.

  "That's always the problem," Jessica agreed. "Gosh, can you believe this heat? Let's run for a while along the water." She broke into an easy jog, splashing through the very edge of the surf, her long blond hair streaming out behind her.

  "Jess" Lila groaned, but she began to run after her. "Wait up!"

  "Last one to the point is a rotten—Ow!" A white Frisbee suddenly came out of nowhere and sailed right into Jessica's head, hard. Startled, Jessica clapped a hand to her head and stumbled, falling to her knees in the shallow surf of the ocean.

  Lila trotted up beside her. "Are you OK?" Lila asked, panting and out of breath. "What jerk threw that thing? Let me see your head. It doesn't look like you're bleeding."

  "Maybe I'm not bleeding," Jessica snarled, "but the idiot who owns that Frisbee is going to be, as soon as I lay my hands on him. Or her." She rubbed the spot where the Frisbee had whacked her.

  Lila looked around. "I don't see anyone . . . . Oh."

  Jessica looked up through her hair to see a guy sprinting toward her across the sand and her heart constricted painfully.

  "Whoa," Lila murmured softly. "He is hot."

  "Hot" didn't begin to describe the gorgeous guy headed their way. As Jessica gazed at this bronzed Greek god in black swim trunks, his broad, tan shoulders, his muscled arms, her heart slowed to a dull thud. "Who is that?" she choked out.

  "He must be new around here. I'm sure I'd remember if I'd ever seen him before."

  Then the stranger was there, kneeling beside Jessica and putting a warm hand on her bare shoulder. "Oh, wow, I'm sorry," he said in a rich, husky voice. "The wind caught the Frisbee and slammed it into you. I'm really sorry. Are you all right?"

  He was even more gorgeous up close, the most gorgeous guy Jessica had ever seen, heard, thought of, or stood next to in her entire life. She looked up into dark-brown eyes the color of coffee, at his thick, wavy honey-blond hair, damp from the saltwater. His nose was straight, his chin firm. And he was older, maybe college-age.

  "Miss?" He was searching her face in concern, and Jessica realized she hadn't spoken yet.

  "I'm OK," she said, lowering her voice so that it wouldn't tremble.

  "Can you stand up? Let me help you." As the beautiful golden guy put a strong arm around her back to help her stand, Jessica's knees felt even weaker from his touch. She dug her toes into the wet sand and willed herself to stand up straight. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, as though he were made of sunlight itself.

  "Let's see, where did it hit you?" he murmured, his fingers roving over the side of her head, sending tingles down Jessica's spine.

  "Right here." Jessica pointed to the tender bump that was forming. She brushed away her bangs, which covered half her face.

  "Hmm. We should get you—" The stranger broke off with a start upon looking at her face more closely, seeing her clearly for the first time, "—some ice."

  He stepped back a little, though his hand remained tangled in her sea-damp blond hair. For long moments they stood staring at each other, and Jessica's bruised skin tingled beneath his touch. He's my soul mate, the one I've always dreamed of, the one I've been waiting for, she thought. This was meant to be. She knew it as clearly and sharply and definitely as her own name.

  "Uh, you'd better sit down for a moment," the stranger said.

  He looked pale beneath his tan and shaken as he led her over to a wooden beach lounger with an umbrella. Once there, he sank down instantly, as though his knees were as weak as hers. His hand, still entwined with hers, pulled her down next to him. Jessica looked down at their knees, almost touching, and her heart suddenly started beating hard again, as though it had been jump started.

  "So, Jess, are you OK?" Lila asked, standing in front of her.

  "Oh—Lila." She'd forgotten that Lila was with her, that anyone but this golden stranger existed. "I'm . . . fine," she said firmly, and gave Lila a bright smile. "I'm fine," she repeated, turning to smile at the stranger. She was pleased to hear her voice sound almost normal.

  "Wow, are you all right?"

  Jessica glanced up to see another boy looking at her with concern. Not a boy, she amended. He was a little older too. She saw Lila's eyes lock on him like a cat on a catnip mouse.

  "Sorry about that," he said. "That was my throw. I didn't know old fumble fingers here would miss it."

  "The wind took it," the blond stranger said.

  "It's OK. No harm done," Jessica told the dark-haired boy. No harm at all.

  "Good," he said cheerfully. He turned to Lila and held out his hand. "Robby Goodman. Pleased to meet you."

  Lila laughed and flicked her long brown hair over her shoulder. "Lila Fowler." They shook hands, and then he smiled at Jessica expectantly.

  "Jessica," she said.

  "Jessica," the blond boy said softly, his dark eyes locking onto hers. She shivered. Coming from him, her name sounded like music.

  "Well, hey. How about I buy you guys a soda, sort of make up for bonking you with the Frisbee," Robby offered.

  "That would be great," Lila said. "I'll go with you."

  Jessica shook her head. "I don't need one, thanks." She felt the stranger's hand tighten around hers.

  "No thanks, Robby. You go ahead," he said.

  "OK. Catch you later," Robby said, and turned to walk up the beach to the soda stand.

  "I'll be back soon, Jess," Lila said. "Maybe." She winked at Jessica, then followed Robby across the white sand.

  "Are you sure you're OK?" the stranger asked Jessica when they were alone again. He looked deeply into her blue-green eyes.

  Jessica nodded, drinking in every detail of his face, his blond hair, the smiling glints in his dark eyes.

  "You're so beautiful," he blurted suddenly. "I never thought—" He stopped and turned away, looking toward the ocean, where the waves were tumbling gently against the sand. "I mean, I didn't expect—" He broke off again, not looking at her.

  "Me neither," Jessica said softly. "I never expected to meet someone like you."

  When the the stranger turned back to her, he looked upset, almost angry, Jessica realized. Was it only about the
Frisbee, or was it something else?

  "Exactly," he said. Pain lined his face even as his hand came up and gently stroked the smooth tan skin of her shoulder. Jessica could feel the flare of appreciation in his warm gaze. "I never expected to meet you—not now," he agreed bleakly.

  "Why not now?" Jessica asked softly, leaning a little closer to him. "It feels so . . . right. It feels like fate."

  He looked at her with an intensity she found almost frightening. "Maybe it is," he murmured, lowering his head and claiming her lips in a kiss.

  Jessica gently touched his face and neck as she edged closer to him. Her feelings for young Lord Robert Pembroke in London suddenly seemed insignificant. I haven't felt like this since Sam, Jessica realized instantly. And now, for the first time in the long months since Sam Woodruff had died, the sun had come out. This stranger's kiss had healed the pain.

  The golden head pulled away, and dark eyes burned into hers. Jessica was almost gasping for air; her skin was tingling all over. Where his arms held her her skin felt on fire. "Jessica," he said hoarsely.

  "Yes," she answered, not caring what the question was. She leaned closer to him again for another kiss, but suddenly he was on his feet, staring down at her.

  "Jessica—I'm sorry," he said. He raked a hand through his honey-colored hair. "Jessica—I can't."

  "Can't what?" she asked. An icy sensation coiled itself in her stomach. "You know we're supposed to be together. You know it."

  "Maybe we—No. We don't know that. We just met. I'm sorry, Jessica. We can't be together. I can't—I can't ever see you again." He took one of her hands and pressed a searing kiss into her palm before turning and striding quickly away from her across the sand.

  Jessica sat frozen on the beach chair, as though she'd been struck. What are you doing? Run after him, a part of her cried out. But something stopped her. His eyes looked so . . . tortured. He'd meant what he'd said. Whatever his reasons, they couldn't be together. For the second time in her life, Jessica felt her heart break.

  Chapter 2

  "Well, this experience with Luke has taught me one thing," Elizabeth said to Enid when they'd come back to their towels after a quick swim. "I definitely have some issues I need to work on. For one thing, I need to understand myself more, my motivations. For another thing, I suddenly feel as if I don't have a handle on romantic relationships. But this book I've been reading is a start." She held up her thick, oversized paperback.