Page 57 of Tell No Lies

I shrugged. “I guess. Brandon and Carter are going through my computer and reviewing everything again with the assumption that it’s another student to see if that gives anything away.”

“This person attacked you, Aubrey. How much longer does this go until you’re really hurt?”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe you should stay home or something, especially if we think it’s someone here.”

“So, I should just hide away and let this monster take over my life?”

“If it keeps you safe, yes.”

Frustration was building up within me. “No. There’s no way! I already have babysitters, and I’m on lockdown whenever it’s not completely necessary for me to be out. I’m not going to stop coming to school.”

“Okay, fine. You’re probably safest here anyway.”

I felt bad that I had snapped at her, but I was so tired of people deciding what was best for me without considering the big picture. If I stopped going to school and dance, then they won. They would have successfully ruined my life by forcing me to give up the things that were most important to me and my future.

☼ ☼ ☼

After school, Mike met me by Mac’s car, holding a bouquet of cabbage roses. How did every guy know my favorite flower? Who was giving away inside information?

I stood on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek before accepting them. “This is so sweet, Mike! What are these for?” Narrowing my eyes, I waited for an explanation.

“I called Brandon and got guard duty today.” He looked extremely pleased with himself. “You don’t have dance. My practice got cancelled, so I thought we could spend the rest of the day together.”

What other guy paid enough attention to his girlfriend to know her schedule and feel comfortable talking to her family? He’d changed so much since asking me to ditch my practice for his. I’d gotten lucky with this one, and I hoped he knew how I felt.

“That sounds perfect. What are we doing?”

He put his arm around my shoulders and led me to his truck. “Just dinner and a movie. I wanted to give you a chance to relax.”

“That sounds perfect. Thank you.”

In the car, Mike turned up the radio and headed onto the highway that ran along the coast. This was my favorite drive, especially when I could sit back and stare out at the ocean. Once we were past the majority of the homes, there was an unobstructed view for a few miles until the next city.

I looked over to Mike and caught him watching me. “You need to keep your eyes on the road, mister.”

He laughed and turned his attention forward. “You look so peaceful. I haven’t seen you like this in a long time.”

My smile grew. He was right, though. I hadn’t felt this relaxed and safe in weeks. “Thanks to you.”

His hand slipped into mine and held tight. I cherished moments like this, when I could shut out everything happening in my life and focus only on the present and enjoy who I was with.

We drove for a few more miles before Mike pulled off to the side of the road and parked. With one more squeeze, he released my hand and jumped out before running to open my door. “I had plans to go somewhere nicer, but after watching you, I thought you might like this more.”

I looked down the road in both directions, trying to guess what he meant, but nothing jumped out. He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me around to face the ocean. My heart sped up, just a bit. This wasn’t the plan. What was he doing?

“I parked a little far away so we could walk on the beach. Then, when you’re hungry, we’ll eat there.” He lifted one hand and pointed to the pier a little way down the beach. On the very end, there was a restaurant perched over the open water, with waves crashing against the pillars.

“There?” I couldn’t contain the smile on my face. He slid his fingers down my arm and slipped his hand back into mine.

“Yeah, we’re going to the diner on the pier. You’ll love the view from out there.”

I followed his lead across the road and sidewalk to the endless sand. From this vantage point, you could see miles of sand in both directions and the ocean, until it fell over the edge of the horizon.

For the first time in days, there was no sense of anxiety or being rushed around. All that mattered was Mike and I being together with our feet sinking into the sun-warmed sand and the salty breeze coming in off the water. Perfection in its purest form.

Every time I turned to look at Mike, my hair flew in my face. After several failed attempts to flip it back, he burst out laughing, and I finally gave up. I lifted my free hand to pull my hair back and twisted it over my shoulder. As much as I loved the ocean breeze, my hair didn’t seem to agree. Once my face was clear, he leaned down and gave me a quick, sweet kiss on my cheek.