Page 22 of Tell No Lies

“Ew.”

“So, you see it now?” Andy laughed and stood to throw away his plate.

“Whatever. I’m hanging out with you guys today. Okay, Mike?”

He squeezed me closer to him and agreed.

Mike and I were some of the first to head out to the island after everyone was changed and ready. We were going to spend the morning together snorkeling, at his request. It took me over an hour to gear up and talk myself into getting in the water. Luckily, we went out with a group, so Mike didn’t have to wait for me to get my nerves under control.

He came up as I stood at the edge of the boat, staring in the water. Sure, there were sharks out there and fish that could suck on my toes, but everyone was having so much fun. I took one more deep breath as Mike cheered me on, then sat back on the side and let myself fall backward. The cold shocked me at first, but I forgot about it when I saw in amazement what was hiding below the surface.

☼ ☼ ☼

After a few hours of heart-pumping snorkeling, everyone met together to get lunch before deciding what activity to do next. The girls were saving a place for Mike and me when we walked up to the patio outside of the restaurant. Still wet, I was jealous that they had spent the morning shopping, safe and on dry land.

“You survived! I was honestly waiting to get a call from you freaking out and begging to be taken back to land.”

I shot Mckayla a halfhearted glare and sat down next to Alexis. “Whatever. It was actually really cool, but now that I can say I’ve done it, I never have to again.”

They all laughed before breaking out in discussion of plans for the rest of the day. Mike mentioned that the guys wanted to take a buffalo tour, which sounded even less appealing than snorkeling again. Mckayla suggested relaxing and lying out for the rest of the afternoon.

Talia looked at her like she was insane. “We can do that back home. We should do something more exciting!”

Mike spoke up. “Then go snorkeling with Cassie and Caleb. There’s another group going out together after lunch.”

I was shocked when Talia simply nodded at Mike’s suggestion. Had I not just finished telling them I’d never do that again? They were all crazy.

Alexis stood up and called for Justin and Mark to come sit with us. “Hey, guys, are you planning on going on the tour, or do you want to go snorkeling?”

Apparently, Alexis had lost her mind right along with Talia. Was I the only one who knew the dangers lurking in the water?

“We’ll go snorkeling with you girls if you want. I’ll go tell Caleb to save four spaces.” Mark turned and searched the patio for Caleb while Justin sat next to Alexis.

Sean had been quiet throughout the discussion and finally got Mckayla’s attention. “Would you mind if I went on the tour with Mike?”

She looked at him with adoring eyes. “I’ll miss you, but it’s okay. Aubrey and I need some girl time.”

He smiled and nodded to Mike. Maybe a bromance was brewing there.

I was relieved to be spending the rest of the day lying out. Vacations were meant for relaxation, and I needed it after the past couple of weeks.

After lunch, we separated and went off in various directions. Mckayla and I found a beautiful beach close by and laid out our towels.

Just as I was getting comfortable, Mckayla broke the silence. “What was going on with you last night? I know you didn’t want to talk about it in front of everyone, but Tucker? Really?”

I groaned and kept my eyes closed. “He just invited me to hang out for the evening. Andy told me he stayed the night here with another girl. Obviously, nothing’s going to happen with us.”

“But why him?”

I could sense her moving but kept my eyes closed, acting calm. “I wanted to meet more people on this trip. I know nobody approves of him, and trust me when I say I would never date him. I just wanted to hang out with someone new without having to go through you guys.”

“You want to hang out with other people?” She sounded hurt, and I instantly regretted the way I’d worded it. I opened my eyes and found her staring at me with a frown.

“That’s not what I meant! I just mean everyone knows me as your cousin, or Mike’s friend. I wanted to just be me for a night. Tucker was actually pretty fun, but I’m not planning on trading you guys in any time soon.” I winked and lay back down since she’d seemed to relax.

“Fine, I guess I understand. We’ve kind of kept you to ourselves, but we just love you so much!”

I laughed with her and rotated to lie on my stomach. “I love you all too.”