Page 106 of Tell No Lies

Talia surprised us by having packed a little extra. No wonder she couldn’t zip her bag.

“Alright, ladies. A rare opportunity such as this should be taken advantage of.” She unfolded five different dresses as she talked. “We need to dress up a little for this. Plus, we have a mission of love!”

She held up a silky one-shoulder cream-colored dress and tossed it to Cassie. “You’re going to be a heartbreaker in this.” She looked at me and paused for a moment with a look of concentration. “Whether or not you want to admit it, Mike is falling for you. Use this weekend however you’d like.”

She picked up a blush slip-dress with a lace overlay. It was stunning. I held it up as Talia handed Mckayla a yellow maxi-dress with a sheer skirt and Alexis a black crocheted number that would hug her curves. Talia kept an aqua baby-doll dress that looked like it would just skim her knees. She was a fashion genius. Each dress reflected our unique styles and personalities and flattered our shapes.

We changed quickly and made our way upstairs. The boat was still attached to the dock, but I watched the crew move with precision to get us ready to leave. We gathered with everyone else at the bow, where there was a large open area with seating and more beds.

Caleb was at the very front, standing slightly taller than the crowd. “Thank you all for joining the grand adventure. It was short notice this year, but it’s going to be a good one. We have all the food and drinks you could want, and those who were invited to sleep aboard have seen your rooms.”

A few people cheered while some groaned.

Caleb laughed and shook his head. “Be grateful you’re on this boat. Tony’s is half as big and half as fun. We’re leaving in a few minutes, so let’s start this party.”

As if on cue, music started to play through well-camouflaged speakers. The crowd dispersed. A few of the guys claimed the couches, and a football game was turned on immediately. We were on a multi-million-dollar yacht, and they went for the TV. Dumb boys.

Mark and Justin appeared, offering us all drinks. I slipped away to the back of the deck and watched as we pulled away from the dock and set out for the open ocean.

I gasped when I felt arms slip around my waist. Before I could turn, I heard Mike whisper in my ear. “You look amazing.”

I smiled and rested comfortably against his chest. “Thank you.”

We stood like that for several minutes as the coast became smaller. I always felt comfortable with Mike, and I trusted him. It was during moments like this that I wondered if maybe I could feel more. He would treat me better than any of my past boyfriends had. He already did. I pushed it out of my mind and tried to just enjoy the moment.

Seven

The majority of the group congregated at the front of the boat as we approached the island with the sun nearly setting behind it. The captain announced over the speakers that we would soon be stopping and anchoring just outside the harbor. I guessed the boat was too large to go any closer.

Caleb called out after that, telling us there was one smaller boat that would take groups of us to the island. Those who were camping out began to collect their bags.

Talia came up behind me and looped her arm around my waist. “We should go change into warmer clothes. There’s going to be a bonfire later, once the camp is set up.”

I followed her down to our room, where the other girls were already gathered. Instead of changing, they were focused on Cassie. I could tell she was blushing at whatever was being said, but she was smiling as well.

“What’s going on?” I knew they were quizzing her on Caleb, but I wanted to offer her an escape if she was uncomfortable.

She turned, and her smile grew. “Aubrey! I’m glad you’re here. I was just going to tell them what Caleb said.” She was obviously reveling in the attention.

I smiled, encouraging her to continue.

“He asked me if I would spend tomorrow with him. Just the two of us! He told me he has the whole day planned.”

“No way! That’s so exciting, Cassie!” Her excitement was contagious. I loved how genuine and open she was, not bothering to act cool about her news.

“You guys don’t mind, do you? I don’t want to bail on you all.”

We all shook our heads and assured her that she should go. There was no way any of us would deny her the opportunity to spend time with her crush.

Mckayla spoke what was surely on all of our minds. “You just have to promise us you’ll tell us everything!”

Alexis nodded. “Yeah, that’s the requirement for skipping out on girl time.”

“Deal.” Cassie was now beaming.

I loved seeing my friends so happy. Talia and Mark seemed to be getting closer, although she was always the hardest to get information out of. Alexis and Justin were almost too perfect together. Their personalities worked so well together, and they seemed to bring out the best in each other. Mckayla and Sean were simply adorable. I’d never seen her so happy and content; I could see them lasting together.

I tried my best to focus on being happy for them, but it was a constant reminder of how things seemed to so often go wrong for me. Mike was a great friend, but he could also be so intense. Gage had barely spoken to me recently; he hadn’t returned my calls or texts and had mostly avoided me at school. I knew I had to corner him soon and find out what was going on.