Lord how she wished she could just have his arms wrapped around her, if only for a moment. She needed his laughter, his voice... his touch again. She'd give anything for him to be here with her.

Carly had called her earlier in the day to wish her a happy eighteenth birthday and she had cried, pouring everything out to her. She needed her best friend back.

I can't do this.

She'd become a fake and she knew it. Being with Daniel had made her see so many things about the person she'd become. But Carly had simply told her to take a deep breath and calm down, before really speaking her mind. Raleigh knew she had told Carly everything because she was the one person she could really count on to tell her the truth and not sugar coat anything. The words she had spoken only two hours earlier were still ringing through her mind.

"Are you completely insane, Ray? How could you have even thought about doing any type of drug? Do you want to become an addict and completely ruin whatever shot you have right now? And Please don‘t even get me started on the whole Dan/Effron thing." Raleigh tried not to let more tears fall as she listened to her friend's tirade. "Josh is at NYU on the other side of the country and there is no doubt in my mind he's being faithful to you. I know you two aren't together right now, but seriously. How could you being screwing around with two different guys? One being your professor no less!"

"Carly, I know all this! You don't think I feel bad and guilty enough?"

"Raleigh, I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I just can't believe that you would do something like this. That's not the Ray we all know."

Wiping away her tears, Raleigh pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her free arm around them. "I know. I have to end it with both of them. I just needed something to take the pain away. I've never been away from home, away from you. I couldn't stand thinking about it all the time anymore. The drugs allowed me to separate myself from my old world."

"Is that really what you wanted? To forget about everyone who really cares about you? Ray, you know whenever you miss one of us, we're always just a phone call away. I know its not as great as being in person but it sure beats drowning yourself in drugs, booze and sex."

"I know. I'm so sorry for who I've become. I just want to go home."

"I won't let you. Just remember, at the end of the week you will be up on that stage doing your thing and you'll be happy. You'll get that natural high that performing has always given you and you'll remember that you're in LA for a purpose, and you are going to make it. We all have faith in you."

"I love you, Carly."

"I love you too girl. I wish I could be there for you birthday and the show, but I can't be. But you should be getting your present later on today from all of us here. Should have a big "We love you, Good Luck" on it." Carly laughed and Raleigh smiled. She really was the best friend she could have ever asked for.

"Well, as much as I hate to say it, I have to go get ready. Everyone wants to take me out for lunch and maybe go to the beach later on. I just want to sit in my room and wallow in self pity but they won't have it."

"I'm starting to like them now. You deserve to have fun on your birthday, just not too much fun."

"I know. Bye Carly. I'll call you whenever I get this present in and thank you all."

"Alright, bye girl."

They had hung up and Raleigh had cried even more throughout her shower. When everyone had shown up at the dorm and did a line, Raleigh had been entirely too tempted to take one herself, but she couldn't. She had to deal with the homesickness in a healthy way. Plus too she hadn't wanted to go to the beach high off her ass.

Effron had his arm draped around her as they sat on the sand in a circle, telling stories of past birthdays and she could only think of Josh. He had always been there with some sort of gift for her. Except for last year though. He had gone off to college and hadn't been able to come home. But he still managed to make her love him even more with a bouquet of tulips and a song he had made just for her.

God how I wish he could be here right now.

Feeling Autumn nudge her, Raleigh pulled out of her thoughts and looked at her. "what?"

"There's a hottie over there checking you out. I don't even know how long he's been standing there."

Rolling her eyes, Raleigh wasn't even going to bother looking in the direction Autumn had nodded, but inevitably her curiosity got the best of her. Feeling as though the world had suddenly gone into slow motion, she turned her head and felt her heart leap into her throat as her lilac eyes landed on the man standing there, gazing intently at her.

His hair was a little longer now, blowing in the wind and Raleigh felt herself shiver at how gorgeous he had looked.

Oh my god...

Jumping up as fast as she could, Raleigh immediately ran full speed at the man and jumped into his arms, hugging him to her tightly, not even caring if she had hurt him at all.

"Oh my God, you're here..." Moving her head back a little, Raleigh looked into his beautiful blue eyes that she hadn't been able to look into in far too long. Disregarding all the eyes she felt on her at that moment, Raleigh leaned her head down and kissed him with everything she had in her. She felt his arms tighten that had been wrapped around her waist holding her up and he responded fully to the kiss. She knew he had missed her just as much as she had missed him.

Watching Raleigh jump to and kiss another man had made Effron feel a burning within him right down to his core. He wanted nothing more than to jump up and punch this guy in the face.

"Who the hell is that?"

Autumn opened her mouth then closed it once again, completely at a loss for words at how Raleigh had just jumped on the stranger. But he wasn't a stranger at all to her.

"I'm thinking that's the infamous Josh."

"I figured."

"Boy if looks could kill, he'd be dead right now. Don't let Raleigh see you look at him like that."

Putting on his sunglasses, Effron tried to hide his emotion a little better so she wouldn't get upset with him.

After all, they were just having fun right? No reason for him to get so jealous.

Letting her legs fall from Josh's hold, Raleigh broke their kiss and hugged him tightly once more as if she were afraid he would disappear if she let him go.

"Ray, I think you can let me go. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Not for the next ten days anyway."

Finally releasing him, Raleigh bit her trembling lip. "I just can't believe you're actually here."

"Did you honestly think I'd miss another one of your birthdays?"

Raleigh could only shake her head, afraid her voice would fail her if she tried to speak. She ran her fingers through his longer hair, admiring his curls. "You finally grew your hair out. I like it."

"It's all for you." A smile planted firmly on her lips, Raleigh realized she had been there with her new friends.

"Oh! I feel so rude." Taking his hand in hers, she led him over to the group which eyed him curiously. "Josh this is Ember, Airyk, Davey, Autumn, and Effron. Everyone, this is Josh."

"It's nice to meet ya'll."

"Wow you guys really are from the south." Ember chuckled to herself.

"Don't mind her, she's a bitch. It's really nice to meet you finally. Raleigh talks about you all the time." Autumn said, immediately welcoming him into their group.

"Only the good I hope." He laughed uneasily as he gripped her hand tighter.

"Don't worry, Josh. She's made you out to be a perfect guy."

"Great." Raleigh laughed at his sarcasm and pulled him down to sit. She wasted no time in snuggling up against him and he immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him. There in his arms was where she belonged, where she wanted to be.

She was done with Daniel and Effron as of now.

Throughout the remainder of the night the group had played Frisbee, made s'mores, and listened to Josh and Raleigh's stories about their years together. Raleigh knew Effron had been tuning them out nearly the entire night, shooting daggers through his eyes whenever he looked at Josh and she was getting fed up with him. He had absolutely no right to be this way. They‘d had agreed once this had gotten started that they were nothing more than friends with benefits. They weren't dating, nor would they ever be.

The group had begun to dissipate around eleven and Raleigh found herself nodding off under the warmth of the blanket and fire. She couldn't help it though, she had felt the most comfortable laying in his arms. How was it possible to miss and love someone so much?

Raleigh felt Josh's mouth beside her ear and she left her eyes closed as she smiled. "Hey, you falling asleep on me?"

"Not at all."

"Liar." He planted a soft kiss on her cheek before pushing her forward a little, eliciting a groan from her. "Come on, get up."

"Why? I was so comfy."

"Because, you're tired and I am so jet lagged. I should take you back to your dorm now."

Standing up, Raleigh put her arms around his waist after grabbing her bag and leaned into him as they walked on. "I don't think so. You just got here, I'm not leaving your side until I absolutely have to."

"So what? You're just going to stay at the hotel with me?"

Pulling away from him, Raleigh crossed her arms as she walked on. "Well if you don't want me to..."

"No, no!" He grabbed her arm and held her to him. "I most definitely want you to stay with me."

"Good." She kissed him lightly before they continued to walk on to the rental car he had gotten. Once inside, Raleigh found she couldn't rip her eyes from him. He was absolutely gorgeous and right in front of her.

Who knew wishes could come true?

Taking her hand in his, he brought it to his mouth and planted a kiss on it as his eyes remained on the road in front of him. "Happy birthday, Raleigh Jean."

"I love you, Joshua Scott. And this was by far the best one yet. Thank you."

"Thank everyone back home. They got me here."

"I'm going to have to call them tomorrow after my classes." Finally pulling into the hotel's parking lot, Josh grabbed her bag and together they walked up to his room. Raleigh couldn't wait to curl up in bed with the man she had always loved. There was nothing like sleeping in the arms of the man who holds your heart.

Once they were behind the door, Josh wasted no time in pulling her to him and kissing her the way he had been wanting to all night. He unzipped her white hoodie and threw it off into the room somewhere forgotten. Raleigh pulled away and Josh let out a low groan.

"I'm sticky, salty, and sandy. I need a shower." Stopping at the entrance to the bathroom, Josh watched as she dropped her white skirt to the floor and looked back at him. "Care to join me?"

She didn't have to ask twice.

----

During her Music Theatre class, Raleigh found it incredibly difficult to pay attention. Her mind kept wandering throughout the entire lesson to Josh and how she couldn't believe he was actually there, in LA. She knew she had been smiling like a fool through the whole class and she could feel Dan's eyes on her through most of it. He had been probably trying to figure out what she had to smile so much about.

That or he was thinking she was a lunatic.

"Ok, our time is up for today but I want everyone to practice this piece and learn what each and every note is. See you tomorrow." Standing up, Raleigh collected her papers and books as fast as she possibly could. Music Theatre was her last class of the day and she wanted nothing more than to go and spend the rest of the night with Josh.

"Raleigh, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Damn.

She had almost been home free. "Of course, Mr. Cooper. What's up?"

Her last classmate had just left and she watched as Dan slowly walked to the door and closed it. Turning around, he looked at her curiously before walking back to where she had been standing. Sitting on his desk, Dan reached into the top drawer and pulled out a pink envelope.

"Happy Birthday, Raleigh."

"Thank you, Dan." Like a little girl, Raleigh smiled and tore open the card, smiling as she read its words. "Oh, you have a gift for me, huh?"

"I do. Couldn't really bring it here though."

"Dan, you didn't have to get me anything. But thank you."

"You're more than welcome." Leaning forward, Dan met her mouth with his and Raleigh immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. After a moment, Raleigh pulled away, realizing what she was doing. "Hey, you ok?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. I just..."

"What is it?"

"Josh is here, in LA." The surprise was evident on his face as he backed away from her a little more.

"Oh." Looking into his eyes, Raleigh couldn't read his emotion there. Was he upset? Relieved? Disappointed?

"Yeah, he came in last night for my birthday and he's leaving the Wednesday morning after the show."

"So that's what you were smiling about all during class. Your meant to be is here."

"Yes. So I would feel a lot better if we, if you and I didn't..."

"Raleigh." He silenced her with a hand placed gently on her cheek. "It's fine. I completely understand."

"Thank you." Raleigh kissed him on the cheek then turned away, grabbing her books before leaving the classroom, Dan watching after her.

After leaving the classroom, Raleigh had only made it around the corner before Effron was behind her.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm going to meet Josh for lunch then we're just going to hang out, why what's up?" She saw the fire burn in his eyes the moment Josh's name had left her lips but she had chosen to ignore it for the time being.

"Well, tomorrow we're going to be in dress rehearsal all night and then the next is opening night. We were all going to go out to dinner, maybe invite the instructors, take them out for getting the workshop together."

"Oh, well that's a sweet idea. But I think I'm going to have to pass. I just want as much alone time with Josh as I can get before he has to go back to New York. You understand, right?"

"Yeah, of course I do." No he didn't. Not at all. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

Effron watched as Raleigh left the building and ran down the stairs to jump into the arms of Josh once again. The boy seemed to be everywhere. He hated it but at the same time he couldn't blame him. If it had been him who had grown up with her and had loved her all his life, he'd be doing the same exact thing.

But that didn't mean it didn't piss him off any less.

When this had all started, Effron knew it was just to have some fun. To be their careless teenage selves. But somewhere along the line he had begun to care about Raleigh, so seeing her there, in the arms of another man...it tore him apart inside.

---

As Josh helped Raleigh into his rented Chevy Impala, he could feel Effron's eyes on him. Josh wasn't stupid, he knew there were some hidden feelings there and he couldn't blame the guy for them. He knew Raleigh better than anyone and he knew she could be a tease, sometimes unintentionally. But the way Effron looked at him, it were as though he was trying to re-aquire what belonged to him. As if he was marking his territory with the daggers he shot his way.

Ray wouldn't be with him.....would she?

No. She was his and he was hers, that's how it had always been and that is how it always would be. They belonged together. In the words of everyone back home, Raleigh and Josh were Ross and Rachel. They just fit. But lately it had seemed like something was off with them...with her. Raleigh suddenly wasn't as close with him as she had once been. She didn't call him as often as she did when school had first started

Is something going on I don't know about?

No. She had been so excited to see him last night at the beach. If she didn't want to be with him anymore, she wouldn't have acted that way when she saw him.

"So where are we going?" Her voice breaks his thoughts and he can insantly feel himself relax when he sees her relaxed form in the passenger seat. Her head was back against the head rest, her body was turned toward him slightly, and her leg was up on the seat. He felt himself smile as he gazed into her lilac eyes.

"Is there anywhere in particular you wanted to go?"

"As long as I'm with you, I really don't care where we are."

See? You were worrying for nothing. She loves you, always has, always will.

"All right. Then a surprise for you it is." Straightening out, Raleigh rolled down the window and put her feet on the dashboard.

There was nothing like riding in a car with the man you love with the wind blowing your hair.

About twenty minutes had passed before they pulled up to a large wooded area.

"The woods? You're not going to chop me up, are you, Josh?"

"Ray, if you think I could inflict any bodily harm on you, you are seriously senile." Laughing as she got out of the car, Raleigh opted to leave her purse there and just grabbed her cell phone. Meeting Josh by the hood, he instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her into the woods

"So, what exactly are we doing here?"

"You'll see." The way he looked down and smiled at her made her so weak, she'd follow him anywhere.

It had seemed as thought they'd walked about a mile before Raleigh noticed a large building type thing a little ways up the trail. "What is that?"

"That, my dear, is where we are headed."

"But what is it?"

"Raleigh, be patient! You'll see soon enough. Now, close your eyes."

"What?" Stepping away from him, Raleigh looked at him as if he had completely lost his mind. "I'm not closing my eyes and walking through thick grass and sticks. You're nuts."

"Just do it. I won't let you trip over anything." Putting his arms around her head, Josh lay his hands gently over her eyes and nudged her forward before whispering into her ear. "Just trust me."

Allowing him to guide her through the mulch, Raleigh hadn't even felt like she was going to fall once. Finally they had come to a stop and Josh slowly took away his hands before telling her she could open her eyes. When she did, her mouth fell open in shock.

"Oh my....Josh this is beautiful."

"It hasn't been used in about ninety years. But this used to be one of the most popular spots for Shakespearean theater. I knew even you could respect that."

Slowly walking forward, Raleigh reveled in the beauty of the old stage and the time and effort it must have taken to build it. Everything had been hand carved and only the best oak had been used. Of course the brush and trees and vines had overgrown it, but it was still stunning.

Raleigh walked up the six steps and stood in the center of the stage, looking outward to Josh. She could feel the long since dead excitement for the stage once again and she wished she could go back into history to see one of those plays played out on that very floor.

Josh walked up the stairs and stood directly in front of her. "You would have made a stunning Juliet."

"I already have my Romeo. Thank you for this, Josh. I had no idea anything like this existed."

"Anything for you. I knew you'd love it." Putting his hand on her neck, Josh softly planted his lips on hers. She responded and he felt like nothing had ever changed.

Pulling away, Josh rested his forehead on hers and left his eyes closed with his hand remaining on her neck. "Ray, I have a confession to make."

This couldn't plague him any longer. He had to tell her, she had the right to know what had been going on.