Title: The Summer Before College
Genre:Contemporary Romance
Sub-Genre:Billionaire Romance / Coming-of-Age / Summer Romance
Trope: fake relationship, enemies to lovers
Main Characters:
1. Emma Carter
Protagonist, First-Person Narrator
:
• 18 years old, independent, witty, practical, and adventurous at heart
• Approaching college, experiencing both excitement and fear of the unknown
• Strong-willed yet vulnerable, learning to trust and open her heart
• Faces personal growth as she navigates romance, social differences, and self-discovery
2. Alexander “Alex” Sterling
Hero
:
• 22 years old, heir to Sterling Industries, confident, charming, and magnetic
• Used to wealth and privilege but emotionally guarded
• Teases and challenges Emma, ultimately learning vulnerability and love through her influence
• Struggles to balance personal desires with family expectations
3. Sophie
Emma’s Best Friend
:
• Loyal, outspoken, and humorous
• Provides guidance, comic relief, and emotional support throughout Emma’s journey
• Serves as a mirror to Emma’s thoughts, offering perspective and advice
4. Supporting Characters:
• Family members of both Emma and Alex
• Friends, minor romantic rivals, and social figures from Alex’s world
• Contribute to conflict, tension, and character growth
Settings:
• Coastal Town: Warm, picturesque beachside environment, boardwalks, cafés, and private beaches
• Luxury Locations: Private beach houses, high-end restaurants, and Alex’s world of wealth
• Seasonal Atmosphere: Late spring into summer, sunsets, golden-hour lighting, ocean breezes
• College Foreshadowing: Hints of Emma’s upcoming life changes, symbolizing transition and growth
Theme:
• Love versus pride and trust
• Coming-of-age and discovering one’s own voice
• Risking vulnerability for authentic connection
• Navigating social and economic differences in relationships
• Self-discovery, courage, and the transformative power of summer romance
Plot::
The Summer Before College follows Emma Carter, an independent and witty 18-year-old preparing for her first year of college. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Alexander Sterling, a confident, wealthy young man who disrupts her calm summer with charm, teasing, and irresistible attraction.
Alex proposes a fake summer romance to present as his girlfriend at social events. Initially, Emma resists, but she reluctantly agrees, thinking it’s harmless fun. As their staged relationship progresses, playful banter turns into real emotional connection, laughter evolves into longing, and chemistry sparks into genuine love.
Conflict arises when Emma discovers Alex’s full billionaire lifestyle, leaving her feeling excluded and unsure if she can trust him. A misunderstanding causes a temporary breakup, leaving both heartbroken. Alex must prove his sincerity while Emma struggles to reconcile her feelings with her pride and fear of being hurt.
Ultimately, love triumphs. They reconcile, acknowledging the truth of their feelings, embracing their bond fully, and learning that summer, trust, and vulnerability can shape both heart and future.
Description:
Emma Carter always thought the last summer before college would be simple: days spent on sunlit beaches, laughter with friends, and a few quiet moments to reflect before adulthood. But the moment Alexander Sterling crashed into her world, nothing stayed ordinary. Tall, charming, and impossibly confident, Alex is everything Emma isn’t wealthy, poised, and used to getting exactly what he wants. When a chance encounter leads to a summer-long arrangement as Alex’s “fake girlfriend,” Emma enters a world of social events, luxury, and unspoken rules she never expected.
What starts as a playful, staged romance soon becomes much more. Amid laughter, teasing, and subtle touches, Emma and Alex discover undeniable chemistry and feelings neither anticipated. Yet, with secrets, misunderstandings, and social differences threatening their bond, the pair must navigate heartbreak, trust, and emotional growth.
The Summer Before College is a story about first love, self-discovery, and the courage to open one’s heart. It’s about learning that sometimes the most unexpected moments can teach the most important lessons—about life, love, and who you are when no one is watching. Set against the golden sunsets, crashing waves, and warm sands of a picturesque coastal town, this is a summer that will stay in Emma’s heart forever.
Preface:
The summer before college is often seen as a bridge between adolescence and adulthood a fleeting period of freedom, laughter, and uncertainty. For me, Emma Carter, that summer was supposed to be simple. I imagined mornings filled with the smell of the ocean, afternoons spent walking the boardwalk with friends, and evenings watching the sun dip below the horizon. I never expected my world to turn upside down in a single day, with a boy who seemed larger than life and a little too charming for his own good.
Alexander Sterling was everything I thought I didn’t need: confident, rich, infuriating, and utterly magnetic. And yet, he became the center of my summer, the spark I couldn’t ignore. What started as a staged romance to appease social expectations slowly transformed into something real, something I wasn’t prepared for, and yet couldn’t resist.
This is the story of that summer—the summer where laughter, longing, secrets, and heartbreak collided. It’s the story of falling in love for the first time, learning to trust, and discovering that the bravest thing you can do is open your heart to someone entirely unexpected.
Introduction:
I always believed I knew what to expect from my last summer before college: long sunny days, quiet reflection, and laughter with friends. But everything changed the day Alexander Sterling entered my life. He wasn’t just a boy—he was a whirlwind of charm, confidence, and irresistible teasing, and he disrupted every plan I thought I had.
From our first awkward encounter on the pier to the moment he asked me to be his fake girlfriend for the summer, my world became a mix of laughter, tension, and heart-fluttering moments I couldn’t predict. Suddenly, every sunset felt charged with possibility, every glance carried meaning, and every touch made me question what I wanted—and who I trusted.
This summer wasn’t just about preparing for college. It was about learning who I am, what I want from love, and how much courage it takes to trust someone with your heart. It was about discovering that sometimes, life’s most unforgettable moments come from the unexpected, the unplanned, and the impossible.
Author’s Note:
Dear Readers,
The Summer Before College is a story about first love, self-discovery, and the courage to open your heart. I hope Emma and Alex’s journey makes you laugh, cry, and remember the magic of a summer that changes everything
chapter: a summer staged
the summer before college was supposed to be a quiet bridge, a stretch of sunlit days and warm nights to savor before the leap into adulthood. i imagined mornings filled with the scent of ocean salt, afternoons strolling the boardwalk with sophie, my best friend, laughing over ice cream, and evenings watching the sun sink into the horizon, painting the sky in hues of gold and pink. but the day alexander sterling crashed into my life, everything i thought i knew about simplicity went out the window. he was tall, confident, with a grin that could charm the waves themselves, and he turned my world upside down with a single, teasing comment on the pier.
it started innocently enough. i was leaning against the wooden railing, the coastal town’s pier buzzing with tourists and locals, the air thick with the smell of fried dough and sea spray. sophie was beside me, snapping photos of the sunset, her laughter bright as she teased me about my college packing list. then came alex, striding down the pier like he owned it, his tailored shirt open at the collar, his dark hair catching the golden light. “nice view,” he said, his eyes flicking to me instead of the ocean. i rolled my eyes, assuming he was just another rich summer kid looking for a fling, but his grin didn’t falter.
“not interested,” i shot back, turning back to the water.
“ouch,” he said, clutching his chest dramatically. “and here i thought we’d be friends.”
sophie snorted, nudging me. “he’s trouble, emma. but the fun kind.”
that encounter should’ve been the end of it, but the next day, i ran into him again at a beachside café, the kind with weathered wooden tables and menus scrawled on chalkboards. he was there with a group of polished friends, all laughter and expensive sunglasses, but his eyes locked on mine as i grabbed my coffee. “we’ve got to stop meeting like this,” he said, sliding into the seat across from me without invitation.
“or you could stop following me,” i replied, raising an eyebrow.
he laughed, a sound that was warm and disarming, and before i knew it, we were talking—about the town, the summer, the way the ocean seemed to hold secrets. by the time sophie dragged me away, i was annoyed at how much i’d enjoyed it. alex was trouble, just like she’d said, but he was also magnetic, his charm pulling me in despite myself.
a week later, he found me again, this time at a bonfire on the beach, the flames crackling against the night sky. the crowd was a mix of locals and summer elites, music drifting over the sand. alex approached, a drink in hand, his confidence unshaken. “i need a favor,” he said, his voice low, almost conspiratorial. “be my fake girlfriend for the summer.”
i nearly choked on my soda. “what?”
“social events,” he explained, leaning closer, the firelight dancing in his eyes. “my family expects me to show up with someone polished, someone who fits their world. you’re smart, witty, and you don’t care about their rules. it’s perfect.”
“perfect for you,” i said, crossing my arms. “what’s in it for me?”
“adventure,” he said, his grin wicked. “and maybe a glimpse into a world you’d never see otherwise.”
sophie, eavesdropping nearby, gave me a look that said go for it. against my better judgment, i agreed, thinking it was just a game—a summer of play-pretend that wouldn’t touch my heart. but as we dove into his world of private beach houses, yacht parties, and high-end restaurants, the lines between fake and real began to blur.
our first event was a charity gala at a mansion overlooking the ocean, its terraces lit with lanterns, the air heavy with the scent of jasmine and champagne. i wore a sapphire gown, borrowed from alex’s stylist, its fabric cool against my skin. he introduced me as his girlfriend, his hand warm on my lower back, and i played the part, smiling at his friends and charming his family’s associates. but his teasing glances, the way his fingers brushed mine, sent sparks through me that felt anything but staged.
“you’re good at this,” he whispered as we danced, the ballroom’s chandeliers casting light across his face.
“don’t get used to it,” i shot back, but my heart was racing, betraying my words.
the summer unfolded in a haze of moments—walks along the boardwalk, his arm slung casually around my shoulders; dinners at seaside restaurants, where we’d argue about everything from music to dreams; stolen kisses in hidden coves, where the waves drowned out the world. each touch, each laugh, chipped away at the walls i’d built, turning our fake romance into something dangerously real.
but his world wasn’t all glamour. at a cocktail party one evening, i overheard whispers—alex’s family pressuring him to take over sterling industries, to marry someone “suitable” for their legacy. i felt a pang of exclusion, a reminder that i was an outsider, a girl from a modest family playing pretend in a world of wealth. sophie noticed my mood when i called her later, her voice crackling through the phone. “emma, you’re falling for him,” she said. “be careful. his life isn’t yours.”
her words lingered as the summer deepened. alex and i grew closer, our banter sharper, our touches bolder. one night, on his yacht under a starlit sky, he pulled me close, his lips brushing my ear. “this isn’t fake anymore, is it?” he asked, his voice low.
i hesitated, my heart pounding. “no,” i admitted, the truth spilling out. “it’s real.”
our kiss was electric, a collision of longing and vulnerability. but the next day, doubt crept in. i found a text on his phone, not meant for me to see, from his sister: she’s sweet, alex, but she’s not one of us. don’t get too attached. the words hit like a wave, cold and sharp. was i just a summer distraction, a rebellion against his family’s expectations?
i confronted him on the beach, the wind whipping my hair, the ocean restless. “am i just a game to you?” i asked, my voice trembling. “someone to parade at parties until you find the ‘right’ girl?”
his face fell, his eyes searching mine. “emma, no. you’re everything i didn’t know i needed. but my world—it’s complicated. i don’t want it to hurt you.”
the honesty in his voice disarmed me, but the hurt lingered. we argued, our voices rising over the crash of waves, until i walked away, tears stinging my eyes. the next few days were a haze of heartbreak. i avoided his calls, hid out with sophie at the boardwalk café, trying to reclaim the simplicity i’d lost. but the coastal town felt empty without him, the sunsets duller, the laughter forced.
sophie, ever loyal, dragged me to a local diner, the kind with sticky tables and jukebox music. “you love him,” she said, her eyes kind but firm. “and he’s an idiot if he doesn’t fight for you. but you’ve got to decide what you want, emma.”
