Page 1 of Once Upon a Star

Prologue

Upstate New York

Twelve years ago

“It’ll be fine. Just go to bed and don’t make any noise. No one will be the wiser,” Aracely said to her two best friends, Ella, and Layla.

“I don’t like it. What happens if you get caught?” Layla asked. Concern and worry evident on her face.

“That isn’t going to happen. You’re going to cover for me if Stacey comes and checks on us, which she never does,” Aracely assured her friends.

“You’ll be back in less than an hour?” Ella asked. She didn’t like the plan any more than Layla but she knew enough not to argue with Aracely when she got an idea in her head.

“Yes. I promise.” Aracely looked at the door and tried to will her friends to agree to her late-night rendezvous. It was reckless and she knew if she was caught, her father would be really mad at her. But it was worth the risk.

“It’s kind of romantic,” Layla admitted.

“This isn’t one of your romance novels,” Ella countered.

“It could be. This could be the first night of forever for them,” Layla said dreamily.

“Possibly, but it won’t be anything if you two don’t let me go. I’ll be careful. I’ll be back before you know it. Just go to bed and everything will be fine.”

Layla threw her arms around Aracely, her brown hair falling over her shoulder. “Be careful but have a great time. We’ll want to hear all about it when you get back.”

Ella and Aracely’s eyes locked as she hugged Layla. Aracely could see the concern on her friend's face but she could also see the hint of excitement. Aracely didn’t want Ella to worry about her, she had enough going on in her life but Aracely needed this night, she needed what might happen. She gave her friend a quick nod of reassurance and Ella nodded back.

“Deal,” Aracely said.

She turned and walked out the cabin door before her friends could change their minds. It was late, close to midnight as she walked toward the lake and her destination. She had been coming to Winslow Creek Camp for years but she had never seen it like this. The moon was high overhead and with the few lights along the path, she was able to see fairly well. The stars and the moon lit the night sky and reflected off the lake. The light and colors, the ripples of the lake, the trees and plants and grass made it seem almost magical. Still, it was a bit spooky and as she drew closer to the edge of the lake, she started to second guess herself.

But when she got to the lake, she could see Sebastian standing there. His back was to her but his blonde hair almost glistened from the glow of the moon. He was taller than her at almost six-foot-two. He had the body of a man who worked out or at least surfed a lot, which he did back in California. As Aracely approached, she thought that even in the moonlight, he was still the sexiest man she had ever seen.

She had fallen in love with him the moment she had seen him. He had been walking toward her on the first day of camp. He had a backpack over his shoulder and he was carrying a duffle bag in his other hand. His blonde hair covered part of his face but she had seen the brilliance of his eyes and the mischief that they held. It was like her heart had stopped when she saw him. She felt an instant connection to him and it had only grown since.

He had felt it too and they had done as many activities together that they could. Whether it was rock climbing, kayaking, or hiking. He had even come along with her as she had done arts and crafts, something she didn’t think he would have liked. He had accepted that Ella and Layla came with her as a package deal and became friends with them, too.

The attraction had only grown the longer they were together. It hadn’t been easy to get away, to steal some moments alone to kiss, much less do anything else. When Sebastian had asked her to meet him on their last night at camp, she hadn’t been able to say no.

“You came,” he said as she approached him.

“Of course, I did.”

Sebastian’s hands went to her hips and held her. She could feel the warmth of his hands and the need coming off them as they stood in front of each other. The wind blew softly around them and caused Sebastian’s hair to move around his face. It made him look even sexier to Aracely and her heart raced.

“Layla and Ella didn’t give you too bad of a time?” he asked.

“They did but they understood I wanted to see you. I needed to see you. This might be the last time for a while.”

“Don’t think like that. We will see each other again. Just because we’ll be on other sides of the country doesn’t mean we can’t.” Sebastian tightened his hold on her, pushing her next to him. Aracely put her head on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, fast yet steady, as he ran his hands up and down her back.

Aracely laughed. “That is exactly what that means.”

She had come to get reassurance; she needed to know he cared for her as much as she did him. She needed to know that this wasn’t just some summer fling for him. It certainly wasn’t for her.

“I will never leave you. You will never leave me. I never thought I would find someone like you and now that I have. I don’t plan on letting you go. I’m certainly not going to let something like distance come between us,” Sebastian said.

“You make it sound so easy,” Aracely admitted.