Page 18 of Tell No Lies

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.

The one I really liked, though I would never admit it aloud, treated me like a little sister. Carter acted like the kiss on the balcony never happened, and that hurt more than anything else.

When I snapped back to reality, I noticed the girls were already changing, so I grabbed a pair of shorts out of my bag and slipped them on under my dress. I turned my back to Mckayla, silently asking her to unzip me. Once I’d put on a hoodie, we joined everyone on the main deck.

The first group was already on the smaller boat, heading toward the island. It would be a while before it was our turn, so the girls moved toward the bow and sat along the benches. There was a slight breeze, bringing the smell of salt water. I sat against the rail and closed my eyes, focusing on the gentle rocking as waves passed below us. I was perfectly content listening to my friends talk and soaking up the last rays of sun. We had only been gone for a few hours, and I was already feeling the stress of home melting away.

By the time we made it to the island and met up with everyone at the campsite, the sun was low on the horizon. A few of the guys were gathering firewood and clearing an area for a bonfire. There were a few logs already in place, and chairs were being set up surrounding the firepit.

Mike motioned us over to one of the logs. “We saved this one for you girls. Caleb has some chairs that Justin is bringing back with him, so just hang out here for now.”

He turned and headed back to the other guys, who were organizing everything. A few of the other girls were congregated around a foldout table.

Alexis held up a grocery bag she brought with us from the yacht. “I’m going to go set out this stuff. Save me a seat.”

Talia laid out a blanket on the log before sitting down.

I was shocked. “I didn’t even think to bring anything. You guys are on top of things.”

Mckayla sat down and patted the spot next to her. “We’ve done this before, so we knew what to expect.”

Cassie sat next to me, but her attention seemed to be across the fire.

“See something that interests you?” I loved teasing her about Caleb since she was a good sport about it.

“Oh, definitely! I’m still in shock that he even knows my name! I keep thinking that any moment now I’m going to wake up.”

I slid my arm back and pinched her. She squealed and shot me a dirty look.

“Nope, this is real.” I laughed with the others, and after a few seconds, Cassie joined in.