More Than A Secret (More Than Best Friends Book 3)

by Sally Henson

  She wads her food wrapper and tosses it at me, hitting me in the head.

  I let out a giggle. “Hey.”

  “We’ve been going out for six months. That’s a record for me.”

  I cough out, “No doubt.”

  “Shut up!” She laughs.

  “I’m kidding.” I snatch the wad of paper off the seat and toss it back at her.

  “Hello? Driving here.”

  A minute passes before I dive deeper. “Do you love him?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I like him a lot. He is so hot.” She lets out a giggle. “But he understands me, you know with my family and the farm. That’s important. I absolutely lo-ove kissing him.” She wiggles her eyebrows and asks, “Is that love?”

  I giggle. “I’m not sure. I absolutely lo-ove kissing Lane too.”

  We both sigh at the same time, which triggers another round of giggles.

  “So you’re not sure if you love him or not?” I ask.

  “I don’t know. I think there are different levels of love. You know? Like I love Cam, but I’m not in love with him. What I feel for Rex is different. Like I want to kiss him and be close to him like that.” Her hand slices through the dimness between us. “I do not want to be close to Cam like that.”

  “What about other guys?” I ask.

  “I don’t know. Guess I haven’t thought about any other guy.” She pauses. Passing headlights cast a glow across her face, revealing her serious expression. “Rex is the only one I think about like that.” She knits her eyebrows together, eyeing me. “Are you’re in love with Lane?”

  I bite my lip, deciding how I should answer that.

  She adds, “It’s been obvious you two are close since before you were ‘official,’ but I think your PDA is making Cam uncomfortable.”

  Lane and I don’t hang around the group that much. “Cam said that? Lane just holds my hand. Kisses me sometimes.” Heat rises up my neck. “I—I didn’t realize.”

  “I think he’s jealous ’cause he’s not seeing anyone…on a regular basis anyway.” She chuckles.

  I take a long drink of my chocolate chip deliciousness, considering dropping the whole subject.

  “So? Are you in lo-ove?” She drawls out love, acting as if she’s back in fifth grade.

  I make sure she sees my giant eye roll. It makes her giggle. “Yeah, I love him. I think it’s the forever kind of love because I can’t image being with anyone else.”

  “I could see you two together for the rest of your lives. A little cottage on the beach. Lane chasing little blonde-haired, blue-eyed kids around.” She sighs. “Wow, I think that’s the first time I’ve thought about us being older.”

  My insides sigh. I would love that, but later when I’m like twenty-five. Not until then. “You and Rex aren’t any better about the PDA, you know.”

  Tobi tosses her head back in a laugh. “I know. I just like to give you a hard time because you were always so shy about it. But seriously, Rex is so…dreamy. And a great kisser.”

  “Sometimes, when I kiss Lane…” I pause and think about how I lose track of space and time and it’s only the two of us that exist in the universe.

  Tobi raises her brows, grinning like the cat who ate the canary. “Your body is on fire and you want more?” she asks.

  I bite my lip and nod, asking, “Is that all you and Rex do? Kiss?”

  Tobi studies me for a long glance. She turns down the music and asks, “What are you asking? Am I making mad passionate love with Rex?”

  I chuckle. “Not exactly. But since you brought it up…” I fold my leg on the seat and angle toward her. My eyes widen as I wait. I can’t help myself. I ask, “Are you?”

  She lets out a nervous laugh. “Are we actually having this conversation? Because if we are, I will not be the only one talking here. Are you going to dish?”

  I slip off my shoes and hug my knee to my chest. I try not to talk about the details. It’s like a precious memory that I hold close—something special just for us.

  I love Lane, and I never thought I’d feel like this for anyone until I was out of college and ready to be engaged.

  The idea of saving my body for my future husband hasn’t changed. I will marry Lane someday. I don’t doubt that. If we both know that’s our future, then there’s nothing wrong with sharing everything with him now.

  I’ll dish. I’ll share with her so I’ll know what I'm doing with Lane. I nod and ask, “Do you swear anything and everything said the rest of the night will not be breathed or iterated to another soul on this earth?”

  She crosses her heart and raises her hand as if swearing an oath to me. “What’s said to Tobi stays with Tobi.”

  20

  REGAN

  Mr. Stein explains the quadratic equation for the second day in a row.

  “Psst.” Cam calls my attention while I daydream about alone time with Lane over Spring Break.

  I glance over at him.

  He tilts his notebook in my direction. At the top corner of the page, he drew some stick figures jumping off the cliffs. The title reads, I Miss Summer.

  I sigh and mouth the words, “Me too.”

  The classroom door opens. Miss Braun pokes her head in.

  Mr. Stein stops his lecture, acknowledging her. “Miss. Braun.” He slips his glasses off.

  She points at me. “Could I steal Miss Stone for the rest of class?”

  Cam whispers, “You’re in trouble.”

  “Regan,” Mr. Stein says. “You will need to get notes from someone. This will be on the test.”

  I nod at my teacher, grab my stuff, and beg Cam. “Take good notes.”

  He gives me a shocked expression, as if I’d question his note-taking abilities.

  Miss Braun holds the heavy door open until I join her in the hallway. “I have a surprise for you,” she says.

  My belly does a little flip because surprises make me nervous. Except for Lane’s. And I doubt he has anything to do with this. “Yeah?” I ask. “What is it?”

  She smiles and says, “It’s in my office.”

  We pass a few lockers and the main office.

  She unlocks the door and hurries across the room, picking up her mobile phone beside the keyboard. “Close the door, please.”

  I do as she asks and wander over to the desk.

  “Are you still there? Yes.” She giggles. Yeah, Miss Braun giggles. “Okay. I’m putting you on speaker now.”

  I chew on my lip, trying to figure out what’s going on with her strange behavior. And why would she pull me out of class for a phone call on her personal phone?

  She presses a button and places the phone on the desktop as she takes a seat. “You’re on.”

  “Regan?” Lincoln’s voice rings out of the phone.

  “Lincoln?” I say, looking at Miss Braun’s smiley face, knowing mine is full of confusion.

  “Told you I’d be looking in on you.”

  I scowl at her phone. “I thought that meant calling me. On my phone. Or texting.” I’m not sure what to make of this whole scenario.

  “I have called and texted you. We don’t seem to be available at the same times,” Linc says.

  “What’s up?” I ask. “You coming home? Is that my surprise?”

  He chuckles. “Me calling is your surprise. Surprise!” he shouts through the phone.

  I roll my eyes. “Thanks, Linc.”

  “Actually,” Miss Braun says, “your brother asked me if I would check on your application progress for the Eckerd program.”

  I groan and plop down in the chair.

  “I did some investigating and found that you haven’t applied.” She raises her brow at me.

  Linc asks, “What’s up with that? You promised you’d at least apply.”

  How do they know I haven’t applied? I hold back my groan and lie. “I sent it off already.”

  “So now you’re a liar?” Linc barks.

  Ugh, I have to keep defending it. “What makes you think I haven�
�t applied?”

  Miss Braun leans back against her chair, her mouth a tight line before she says, “Cameron has made a few visits to my office on your behalf.”

  Cameron! I look past her, out the windows, wishing I could be one of the squirrels chasing each other up and down the tree trunk instead of feeling the betrayal of my friend.

  “Is there a reason you don’t want to go?” Linc asks.

  Yeah, Lane doesn’t want me to be gone all summer. But I want to be with him this summer too. There’s also the fact that, “I wouldn’t be able to go if I get accepted. So what’s the point?”

  Miss Braun leans her forearms on the desk. “That seems to be your favorite phrase right now.”

  I hold my hands out. “It’s true.”

  She shakes her head, giving me sad puppy dog eyes.

  “How do you know?” my brother asks. “I’ve been talking to Mom about it. She will let you go.”

  I bark out a laugh. “Right. I’m sure Dad will agree to that. Besides, how would I pay for it? I don’t have that kind of money.”

  “Regan,” he says. “I have a little. Mom says she has some money saved and that you have over a thousand dollars.”

  I look away from Miss Braun and Linc, even though he can’t see me, and let out a sigh. “I only have two hundred dollars.”

  “Regan.” Linc’s disappointed voice hits me in the heart. “Where did it go?”

  I fidget with my fingers, popping my knuckles, readying myself for his reaction. “I bought Lane a guitar for his birthday.”

  “What?” he howls and lets out a curse.

  “Lincoln,” Miss Braun scolds him.

  “That twerp gets a guitar for breathing,” he teases. “All I got was a lousy princess T-shirt when I came home for Christmas?” I suppose he’s trying to lighten up his curses with a half-hearted joke. But it only makes things worse.

  I give him the truth. “Lane’s been here for me. You haven’t been around for a long time.” Tears glaze my eyes as they connect with Miss Braun through the silence.

  She gives me a soft smile, but I’m not falling for her sympathy. I’m being ambushed. “Why is my brother calling you on your personal phone? Are you chatting to him about our confidential conversations?”

  She shakes her head. “No. I wouldn’t do that.”

  How can I believe her? She’s on the phone with him right now. “Cam blabbed to you. You blab to my brother. He blabs to Mom. And she blabs to Dad. Fantastic.”

  “Regan, calm down. It’s not like that. I only ask her how you’re doing. Mom isn’t sure how you’re doing. Lane always thinks everything is fine and dandy when it comes to you.”

  I love my brother, but he’s wrong about Lane. Linc’s been out of my life for too long to think he can boss me around. “So you’re asking everyone how I’m doing behind my back?”

  He blows out a breath and asks, “Why don’t you use this fire to keep going after what you want?”

  21

  REGAN

  The conversation from Miss Braun’s office continues to burn a fire in my belly all throughout the next period. When the lunch bell finally rings, I navigate the hall, ready to stalk up to Cam, but he’s not around. I scour the hallway crowd but don’t see his head above the others.

  He’s probably in the food line already. Tobi had a dentist appointment this morning, and she said she was eating out before coming back to school. I head toward Haylee’s locker and catch sight of her and Joey engrossed in each other, which means I’m walking by myself to the cafeteria.

  While I wait in line, I spot Cam’s wide shoulders at our table. With every second that ticks by, the more the fire simmers and the less hungry I am. I can’t believe he went to Miss Braun behind my back.

  I cross the room and take a seat across from him and can’t help but notice the extra food piled on his plate.

  He gives me a sheepish grin. “Sorry I didn’t wait for you,” he says. “I’m starving.”

  I narrow my eyes and stare at him. He’s wearing a necklace I haven’t seen before. It has an ocean wave charm like the one he gave me, only bigger.

  Cam gives me a giant grin. “You like my necklace?”

  “When did you get that?” I ask in a grumble.

  “Yesterday. Recognize this?” He holds up the wave. “It’s just like the one on the bracelet I gave you.”

  His birthday gift to me was sweet and thoughtful. But I’m supposed to be asking him why he talked to Miss Braun, not admiring his necklace. “What are you doing, talking to Miss Braun about me?”

  He straightens and takes a drink before answering me. “Rey, hear me out. Okay?”

  I fold my arms across my chest and give him my “start talking” glare.

  “I thought if she had the information Eckerd’s been sending you, she’d be able to convince you to pay attention. ’Cause you’ve totally been blowing me off every time I bring it up.” He holds his hands out, palms up. “You won’t even talk about it.”

  That is…ugh, true. I even marked them as junk in my email.

  “I hate seeing you give up. And what do you have to lose by applying? Nothing. But you won’t do it,” he says, pressing his index finger to the table between us.

  I shake my head and look down at my food. True again. But he doesn’t seem to get it. “I don’t want to get my hopes up for something like this and then not be able to do it. Can’t you understand that?”

  “You don’t have to get any hopes up to apply. You just do it and forget about it.” He hitches his shoulder and shoves the rest of his chicken sandwich in his mouth.

  “Even if I did, I can’t go.” Dad, money, Lane… all major factors that have already made the decision.

  “What if you got in?” he asks. “What if your parents let you go and money wasn’t an issue?”

  All the fire I had when I sat down has fizzled out. “Hypothetical questions are not allowed.”

  “I think there’s more to it,” he muses, eyeing me as if he’s trying to reach into my brain and read what’s in there. "Lane doesn’t want you to do it. Does he?”

  My eyes widen. I quickly break eye contact and poke my fork into my salad. His words spark a flame. “Cam, it doesn’t matter. My dad will never in a million years allow me to go. I can’t even mention marine science unless I want to find myself grounded again. The only college I’ll ever be able to attend, if any, is the one he chooses.”

  He raises his eyebrows and smirks. “So, if your parents and money weren’t an issue…you’d go?”

  I wave him off. He will not throw me off track. I’m not applying, so it won’t matter who says what. Haylee and Joey near the table. I don’t want to talk about it in front of Joey, so I just agree to shut him up. “Sure, Cam.”

  Cam kisses the ocean wave on his necklace and stuffs it down the front of his shirt as they sit down. He winks at me with a sweet smile.

  Ugh, he drives me crazy sometimes.

  22

  LANE

  Ross and Luke perch on the concrete border of the freshly planted flower bed. We’re smack dab in the middle of the quad. The budding leaves of the trees and green grass say spring is here.

  Jace walks up the same time I do, carrying a pizza box. At least I’m not the last one to show for this impromptu band meeting.

  He nods in my direction and asks Ross, “This better be good ’cause I had to cancel a lunch meeting for this.”

  Ross snorts. “With who? Jodi?”

  Jace smirks. “Sorry, I don’t think your security clearance reaches that level.”

  Ross shakes his head and scoffs. “Whatever.”

  I take a seat next to Luke and slide off the hood of my sweatshirt. He offers me some of his beef jerky.

  I grab a few pieces and ask, “Is Joe coming?”

  Luke nods.

  We sit around for about five minutes before Joe shows up. He tries to make a big entrance, but Ross cuts him off and huddles everyone closer together.

  Ross stands in f
ront of us and says, “Two things. First, Ted’s had a little fire early this morning.”

  Grumbles sound out from all the guys.

  “It’s not bad," Ross says, holding his hand up to keep control. “But the repairs won’t be done by tonight. So we’re cancelled.”

  Joe curses. “I need this for my car payment. Are we playing tomorrow instead?”

  “Sorry, Joe, but we might have something else coming up.” Ross claps his hands, rubs them together, and asks, “Does anyone have anything going on over Spring Break?”

  I speak up. “The dry cleaners asked me to work a couple of days.” Plus, it would be nice to like to spend more than a day-and-a-half with Regan.

  “Why, what’s up?” Jace asks.

  “We have a chance to play over spring break, but we need to commit today if we’re going to do it. If you say you’re in,” Ross eyes me, “There’s no backing out.”

  Luke asks, “At Ted’s Barn?”

  “Not Ted’s.” Ross’ grin widens. A more tropical location.”

  “Tropical, where?” Jace asks. “The local tanning salon?”

  That gets some laughter from the group. I have to admit, it was a good one.

  Ross raises his hands, looking like the ringleader in a circus. With Joe and Jace, he has to be. “I’m talking Spring Break in Florida, boys.”

  Joe whoops and slaps a high five with Jace.

  Spring Break in Florida? I need some details. “When?” I ask. “Is it paying?”

  Luke raises his eyebrows, giving me a nod. “Excellent question.”

  “They’ll cover our hotel rooms and pay us enough for most of our gas there and back. We’ll be on our own for food.”

  “I’ve been wanting to do Spring Break since freshman year.” Joe rushes Ross, jumping on his back. “Yee-haw!”

  “Get off!” Ross swats at him, laughing.

  Jace stands. “Wait, where would we be playing?”

  “Who cares?” Joe grasps Jace’s shoulders. “Spring Break. Florida. Girls in bikinis.”