“Thanks.” I stare at his hand on my arm.
“Sorry.” He pulls away. “Um, I already paid for two games, so we just need to get shoes.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks.” He paid. Like a real date. No. Stop it. It’s too soon to know if that’s what this is.
“What size are you?”
“An eight.”
Toby gets our shoes and carries them over to the very last lane. “So.” He hands me my shoes and sits down.
“So.” Yeah, this is awkward. I change my shoes and wait for him to do the same. I can’t think of anything to say because the only thing on my mind is “Is this a date?” and I can’t exactly come out and ask him that.
Toby sets up the screen with our names. “You’re up first. Pick your ball.”
For a second I consider playing the girly card, pretending I don’t know what I’m doing. But the truth is, I’m a decent bowler. Or I was at nine. I get a ball that’s pretty light and step up to the line. Eyeing the pins, I line up my shot. I’m a little rusty, but I knock down all but three pins.
“Not bad.” Toby nods as I wait for my ball to return.
“My dad was on the bowling team. I guess it’s in my genes.”
“Then I fully expect you to get a spare with your next shot.” He smiles and my stomach flips. Does he have any clue the effect he has on me?
I take my ball and line up my second shot. I don’t get a spare, missing by one pin. I shrug and sit down.
“I’m still impressed.” Toby gets a ball, but instead of walking up to the lane, he stops in front of me. “You know some girls wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this.”
What does that mean? “Then why’d you ask me to come?”
“Relax, Daniels. I meant that as a compliment. You read into things too much.” He walks up to the lane, and I wonder if he means I’m reading too much into this outing.
An hour later, we’re finished with both games, each winning one.
“You’re good,” Toby says, changing back into his shoes.
“Yeah, well, don’t tell my dad, okay?”
“I can’t. Tori might find out.”
I put my rental shoes on the seat next to me. “You’re really worried about her knowing we’re hanging out, huh?”
“She’s your best friend. I don’t want to mess that up.”
Me either. “What about your relationship with her?”
He shrugs. “We’re twins. She can’t stay mad at me.”
It seems like there’s more to the story. Like maybe this has happened before. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Do you remember Allison Woodbury?”
“Wow, I haven’t thought about her in years. She moved away after junior high.”
“Yeah, well, remember how close she and Tori used to be?”
“In elementary school. We all used to hang out.” I squint, remembering how Allison just stopped hanging out with us all of a sudden. “But then one day, it was just me and Tori. It has been ever since.”
“Yeah, well…” He sighs.
“What?”
“Allison told Tori she had a crush on me.”
“And Tori dumped her as a friend because of it?” How did I not know this? Allison was one of my best friends. Wouldn’t she have told me?
“This was before Tori enforced the ‘no hanging out with her friends’ rule. Allison asked me to teach her how to skateboard. So I did.”
“That’s it? You hung out once and Tori defriended her?”
“Yup. She told Allison it was me or her. Allison didn’t want to have to choose, so Tori stopped talking to her.”
I shake my head. “But why did Allison stop talking to me?”
“Because Tori said you two were a package deal. She thought Allison would choose you guys. She was wrong.”
“Wow.” It was years ago, but still, I’m pissed. “That really sucks. I can’t believe Tori did that to me.”
He reaches across the aisle and places his hand on mine. “Please don’t tell her I told you. She’ll kill me.”
“And probably defriend me.”
“No, she wouldn’t. But like I said, I don’t want to cause problems for you two.”
I can’t stand this. I can’t take not knowing what this is. What I’m risking my best friend for. “Toby, why did you ask me to come here today?”
He lets go of my hand and looks away. “I guess I thought it would be fun to hang out.”
“Oh.” So it is about being friends. My stomach lurches.
He meets my gaze. “Do you wish you hadn’t come?”
“No.” I don’t even have to think about it. I want to be here with Toby.
“Good. Then it’s our little secret.” He winks.
***
After the bowling alley, I drive home more confused than ever. I don’t pay attention at all through dinner, and Mom and Dad are convinced I’m having boy trouble. If they only knew. I go to my room and flop on my bed. I have to call Tori. I can’t put it off, especially since I have no intention of going to her house tonight.
She picks up on the first ring. “About time. I thought the diseases from the bowling alley had already hospitalized you.”
“Not yet.” My attempt at humor is pathetic, but I’m still pissed with her about the whole Allison thing. And it’s not even like I can confront her about it without her finding out Toby told me. That would lead to an even bigger problem. I swallow my feelings…for the moment.
“So, do you really have to go out for the bowling team?” She crunches in my ear, probably eating pretzels in bed again.
“Nah. I’ll get out of it.”
“What time are you coming over?”
“Um, I don’t think I am.”
The crunching stops. “Why not?” I hear her shuffling on the other end. “Becca, what’s going on? Are you avoiding me?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Sure seems like it.”
“I swear I’m not.”
“Then why are you blowing off your tutoring session with Toby?”
“We didn’t have plans to study tonight.”
“Not what he said.”
Toby told Tori we were studying tonight? He never mentioned it to me. “Guess I forgot.”
“Well, get your ass over here.”
“Twenty minutes.”
I hang up and stare at the wall. Seeing Toby twice in one day? Maybe I wasn’t wrong to read into us hanging out. He’s risking a lot to spend time with me. We both are. This can’t just be about being friends. There has to be something more going on. I know there is on my end. And what about the way he touched my hand? The way he paid for our “not a date?”
I have to find out how he really feels about me. Because I’m falling for him. Hard.
Chapter Seven
“Does that make sense to you?” Toby asks, but I’m so lost in his blue eyes that I’m not processing anything.
“Um, sort of?”
He laughs and puts the book aside, leaning back against his headboard. “Let’s take a break. You deserve it.”
No, I don’t. I haven’t been paying attention at all. “How come you didn’t mention us studying tonight to me? You only told Tori.”
He shrugs. “I figured it was a regular thing.”
Makes sense. “Did Tori ask where you were earlier?”
“Nah. She never cares where I go.”
“Okay. Good.”
“You worried?” He turns on his side, and he’s so close I can barely breathe. My heart pounds inside my chest, and I’m suddenly worried that my minty gum has lost its flavor.
“A little, after what you told me about Allison.”
“We don’t have to hang out anymore if you think it’s a bad idea.”
“No,” I answer way too quickly.
He laughs. “Good.”
“You always do that.”
“Do what?” He shifts closer to me. God, he smells good. A combination of mint and shampoo.
“Flirting with you.” He smiles.
Holy crap! I swallow and look up at the ceiling.
“Sorry. I’ve been told I’m a flirt.”
So he does this with everyone? That would put me back where I was twenty seconds ago. “How’s that girl you were telling me about?”
“What girl?”
“The one you said you liked. The one who’s standing in Meredith’s way.”
He laughs. “There’s a lot more than a girl standing in Meredith’s way.”
That doesn’t answer my question at all. I’m about to burst. Just tell me who you like and put me out of my misery already! “But there is a girl.”
“Yeah.”
“Then why would you admit to flirting with me? Wouldn’t she mind?”
“I’m trying to figure that out.” He sits up slightly and tilts my chin toward him with his finger. I forget how to breathe. His lips are so close to mine, and his eyes are slowly going back and forth between mine and my mouth. Oh God! Is he going to kiss me?
He leans closer, but I’m frozen in place. I want to kiss him. It’s all I want to do, but my stupid body is betraying me. I can’t move!
“Is this okay?” He’s not even an inch away, and his bottom lip brushes mine.
I’m screaming on the inside, but if I kiss him, I’ll be choosing him over Tori. Trading my best friend in for the guy I’ve been wanting for years. Can I do that? Is that the person I’ve become?
“Becca?” He pulls back slightly, studying my face.
“Yeah?” I manage to squeak out.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tried to kiss you.”
“It’s okay. It’s just that Tori’s not going to like this,” I say and immediately want to smack my forehead. Why did I bring up Tori? I blew my chance to kiss Toby.
“I know.” He sits up, and it’s all I can do not to grab him and pull his lips to mine.
“I don’t really know what to do here.” If I could split myself in two and have both Tori and Toby, I would.
“I put you in a bad spot. It’s totally on me. Don’t worry about it.”
But it’s all I can think about. Toby actually likes me. Me. “It’s not all you.”
He looks into my eyes and I swallow hard. Understanding washes over his face. “You wanted to kiss me, but you’re afraid you’ll lose Tori if you do.”
I nod because I don’t think I can bear to say the words.
“You’re a good friend, Becca. Tori’s lucky to have you.”
“If I was such a good friend, I wouldn’t have put myself in this situation.”
He cocks his head and leans closer to me. His scent fills my head, and it’s so intoxicating. “Forget about Tori for a minute. What do you want?” He reaches forward and brushes his thumb across my bottom lip. My lips part in response, and I lean into him. I know exactly what I want. Him.
His eyes lock on mine as he slowly inches toward my mouth. I know he’s giving me a chance to say no, but I’m not strong enough to stop him twice. His lips press against mine, so lightly. I want to devour him, but I’ve never been kissed like this before. It’s soft, yet passionate. Better than any kiss I’ve ever had. I don’t want it to end, but he pulls back and looks into my eyes again. He doesn’t say a word, just studies my face, waiting for my reaction.
“That was amazing.”
He smiles, but it quickly fades. “But it can’t happen again, right?”
No. It has to happen again. Right now. Please! “I didn’t say that.”
He slides closer to me. “You had no idea I was talking about you, did you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re the girl, Becca. You’re the one I like.”
My mind’s been in such a cloud that I didn’t put it together. I have to be dreaming. Stuff like this doesn’t happen to me. Toby is supposed to be with Meredith. Not me.
“I’ll take your silence to mean I’m right.” He reaches for my hand, our fingertips brushing against each other.
A loud knock on the door makes me jerk my hand away. Tori bursts in. “How long do you plan on torturing Becca tonight?”
Torture? This is anything but.
“She’s all yours,” Toby says. He gets up and walks over to his desk to feed Elvis, as if nothing happened. I, on the other hand, fumble with my books, totally missing my bag when I try to put them away.
Tori laughs. “Man, Becca, you are so weird lately. Totally spastic.”
Toby turns and smiles at me. Luckily Tori has her back to him so she can’t see.
“Thanks, Toby,” I say and walk out of the room before my face can get any redder.
Tori shuts her bedroom door behind us. “I thought he was going to make you study all night. Sorry he’s such a demanding prick sometimes.”
“He’s not.” I whip around to face her. “He’s really helping me.”
“Um, okay.” She shakes her head and narrows her eyes at me. “That time of the month, Becca? You don’t need to bite my head off. I’m not the one who made you study for two hours.”
Two hours? That’s how long it was? The time always goes by so fast when I’m with Toby. “Sorry.”
“Whatever.” She waves it off, over it already. “I was thinking you should just stay over. We don’t have school tomorrow.”
I’ve totally lost track of the days. It’s Friday. Toby gave up a Friday afternoon and evening to be with me. He really does like me. The kiss wasn’t a fluke. “Um, I don’t have any of my stuff.”
“I should’ve told you to bring it. I was just so pissed that Toby insisted on ruining your Friday night.”
“He didn’t.” I really need to watch how much I defend him in front of Tori.
“Yeah, he said it was your idea, but I know how he is. He has a way of suggesting something and then making it seem like you really came up with it.”
“He just knows I’ve been struggling in trig. It’s really nice of him to help me like this.”
“Whatever. I’m going to pick out some movies for us and make some popcorn. Raid my pajama drawer and find something to wear.” She points to her bottom dresser drawer, as if I don’t know where everything is in her room, and leaves.
My heart is still racing, but I take a few deep breaths and find a pair of pajamas I bought for Tori. They still have the tags on them. Somehow it doesn’t feel right to be the first person to wear them, even though I suspect she’ll never take the tags off. I opt for a cute blue tank top and matching pants. It’s always hot in the Michaels’ house, so I’ll be fine in a tank. I bring them to the bathroom in the hall and get changed. I pull my hair back into a loose ponytail and carry my clothes out.
Toby walks out of his room and eyes me. “Spending the night?”
“Um, yeah. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” He walks by me, brushing against my side. “I can’t wait to see what you look like in the morning.”
I’ve slept over plenty of times, but things are different now. The kiss changed everything between us, and I suddenly feel like this is the first time I’ll wake up under the same roof as him. I turn to face him and flirt right back. “It’s not a pretty sight.”
“I doubt that.” He smiles.
“Would you leave Becca alone?” I jump. Tori’s at the top of the stairs, holding a big bowl of popcorn in one hand and a stack of movies in the other. “Go harass your own friends.”
Toby steps back into the bathroom and out of Tori’s view. He wags his eyebrows at me before closing the door.
“Sorry about him.” Tori heads to her room, and I follow.
“He wasn’t bothering me. We ran into each other in the hall.”
“Sometimes I wish I were an only child like you.”
“I’m glad you’re not.” It slips out, and I immediately freeze.
“Why?” She whirls around on me, nearly spilli
ng the popcorn.
“It’s boring being an only child.” I rush over to my bag and put my clothes inside it to avoid looking at her.
“Yeah, but I bet it’s peaceful.” She puts the popcorn on the bed and brings the movies over to the TV on her dresser. “Horror or romance?”
I don’t want to be dreaming about Toby while I’m under the same roof as him and Tori, so romance is definitely out. “Horror.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” She puts the movie in and sits down on the bed. “Are you going to watch while standing? Come sit.”
“I have to text my mom and tell her I’m staying over first.”
“You’re such a good little girl, Becca Daniels,” Tori says like she’s talking to a five-year-old.
I roll my eyes at her. “Another downside to being an only child. I’m the only one my parents have to worry about and check up on.”
“Point taken.” She shoves a handful of popcorn into her mouth.
Toby shows up in the doorway, holding his cell. “Hey, got an idea.”
“That’s nice. Now go away. We’re watching a movie.” Tori shoves more popcorn into her mouth.
I elbow her and give her a “be nice” look. She just rolls her eyes.
“Okay, if you don’t want me to invite Ryder over so the four of us can watch a movie, that’s fine.” He starts to walk away, but Tori is already out of bed and lunging at him.
“Wait!” she says around the mouthful of popcorn.
“Attractive, sis.”
“Shut up, loser.”
“Hey, be nice or I’m not calling Ryder.”
The four of us watching a movie. Like a double date. What is he thinking?
“Dear, sweet brother.” Tori pats Toby’s arms. “You know I was only teasing.”
“Yeah, right. So should I call him?”
“Duh!”
She really can’t be nice to him for more than two seconds.
Toby leans toward her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”
Tori grits her teeth. “Yes, please.”
He pats her head, and I can tell she wants to take a swing at him but he hasn’t called Ryder yet. I walk over to her and pull her back toward the bed. “Easy, girl.”
Our Little Secret Page 5