AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She stands up in a huff, and balls her hands into fists. “You’ll get yours. Wait until it’s my turn again.”
I lean back on my elbows, and cross my ankle over the other. “You’re stalling.”
Charly hops from one foot to the other, psyching herself up for her dare. “Okay, here I go. I’m going. I’m ready. This is happening. I can do this.”
I swipe open my phone, and press record. “Three, two, one, go!”
Charly speed-walks past the first tree, and shrieks when she hears something rustling in the leaves above her. She continues, talking to herself the entire way to the cliff, muttering things like, “It’s fine. Everything’s fine,” and, “Giant pain in my ass.” The walk back to our campfire is even better because she flinches at every sound, and she looks like she’s being zapped with electricity.
I’m doubled over with laughter when she lowers herself beside me.
She smacks me in the arm and calls me a jerk. “I hope you enjoyed that.”
I can barely get the words out. “You have to save ... this video ... because it’s the funniest thing ... I’ve ever seen.”
The corner of her mouth wobbles, and soon she’s laughing with me. “I haven’t seen you laugh this hard since I arrived at the inn.”
I dab the corner of my eye. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m so glad I was able to do that for you. Okay, it’s my turn. Truth or dare, and you have to pick dare.”
“You can’t force me to pick dare. That’s not how the game goes, Tink. I pick truth.”
Her bottom lip juts out. “Fine. Tell me a secret you’re keeping.”
“How do you know I’m keeping a secret?”
She shrugs. “Everyone has secrets. Tell me one of yours, and make it juicy. You owe me after sending me out into the wilderness.”
“All right, let’s see.” I blink up at the sky, and rack my brain for a secret. I’ve told her everything about my accident, the fight at the bar, and my road to recovery. I don’t really have anything I’m keeping from anyone, let alone her.
Then it hits me.
There is one thing I’m keeping from her.
“Shit.” I scrape my fingertips along the back of my neck. “Okay, I have a secret for you. But you have to promise me you won’t get mad.”
Her back goes ramrod straight. “The secret involves me?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Yes.”
“How can I promise I won’t be mad when I don’t know what it entails?”
“I don’t know, but I really don’t want you to be mad for the remainder of this trip.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Just tell me, Bryce.”
I run my fingers through my hair, pulling at the roots. “I read your journal a couple of weeks ago.”
Her mouth falls open. “You what?”
“It was the day we went canoeing, and you left it on the counter while you were showering.” I heave a sigh. “It was wrong. It was a total invasion of your privacy, and I know that. I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry.”
She stares at me, and the seconds tick by as she blinks.
“Charly, I—”
“Why did you do it?”
