Free Between Us: Sex on the Beach by Jen McLaughlin Page B

best friends a girl like me could ask for, but I couldn’t live my whole freaking life as if I couldn’t risk being caught having fun. That wasn’t fair to myself.
    “He didn’t at first, but he figured it out and let it slip.” I shrugged. “If he was going to sell me out, don’t you think the paps would be here right now snapping pics of me?”
    Quinn peeked over her shoulder. Cassie stood up and searched the crowd, holding her hand over her eyes like a sun visor. She sat back down and looked at me. “Just because he didn’t yet doesn’t mean he won’t, you know.”
    “I do know.” I lifted my chin. “But I also know it’s a risk I’m willing to take. I’m so freaking sick of being scared to live. I can’t do it anymore. I won’t. He might sell me out, but he might not. And I’m willing to take that chance, for the first time in a long time.”
    Quinn reached out and squeezed my hand. “And if he turns out to be a jerk, we’ll kick his ass for you. Right, Cass?”
    “Right.” Cassie cleared her throat. “No matter what, we’re here for you.”
    I smiled at them, my heart going all warm and gooey. These were my girls, and I loved them. They’d been there through it all. The lies. The tears. The heartache. And they’d be here with me through all this, too. Whether it ended good or bad. It’s the one sure thing I could count on in life—them being by my side.
    “I know. And I love you.”
    Quinn twisted her face up and made a sound, then spoke in a Southern accent. “Now, now. Let’s not go getting all mushy and lovey-dovey. This is a vacation. It ain’t nothing but fun and games.”
    I laughed. I might have said something similar to that on the plane in one of my supposed lectures. I think it was after Quinn thanked me for bringing them with me. “Please. I don’t even talk like that anymore. I stopped when I became famous because my agent didn’t want me to be typecast as a little Southern girl—and ‘ain’t’ was the first word banned from my language.”
    “Yeah, but it’s still fun to do,” she said, grinning at me.
    Cassie nodded. “It really is.”
    Our food came, and we all fell silent. Once the waitress left, I picked up my spoon and dug in. “You’ll see, though. By the time this vacation is over, none of us will be the same. It’s going to be legendary. Just remember: you both have to make sure you live it to its fullest, like I am. Promise me.”
    Cassie looked doubtful, but Quinn nodded in agreement.
    “Oh, I am. I think you’re right. James is…he’s special. And I’m glad I met him,” Quinn said, her cheeks going pink. “He’s the complete opposite of me, and I like that about him. It’ll help me relax a little bit during break.”
    Cassie gripped her fork tight. “And I’ll be having fun in the sun, too. Don’t worry about me.”
    “With your forbidden man?” I teased her. “Hey, if he’s hitting on you, he can’t be that happy, right?”
    “He’s not hitting on me,” Cassie said. “We’re just friends.”
    I pointed my spoon at her. “That’s what they all say in the beginning.”
    Quinn laughed.
    Cassie frowned. “It’s true.”
    I had the feeling she wished it wasn’t true. I wouldn’t say as much, since I’d tortured her enough already. But I knew she had a crush on this Tyler guy, even if she didn’t want to admit it. And Quinn had James, while I…
    Ihad Austin.
    And I couldn’t freaking wait to see him again, even if he was hiding something from me. Nowadays, wasn’t everyone hiding something from the world? If they said they weren’t, they were lying. Everyone had secrets.
    He could hide his all he wanted…as long as he hid mysecrets, too.
     
    A LITTLE while later, I leaned against the wall outside the hotel, my sun hat firmly in place and my big shades hiding my eyes. Austin had texted me earlier this morning, telling me to be ready for a day of fun in the sun—complete with the snorkeling he’d mentioned last night. I