Page 5 of Deadly Secrets

I rub a hand across my face. “Is this some rebound thing against Chance? To make him jealous?” Not that I mind spending time with her. Remi is the coolest chick. She’s laid back, fun, bubbly and is the best dancer on our school’s dance team. I always find it hard to focus on our football games when she’s on the sidelines doing her routine.

“What? No, I don’t even care about him anymore,” she pauses and looks off as if thinking about something. “Which says a lot with how long we’ve been together. And why I felt a little relieved now that we aren’t a couple anymore.” She shakes her head like she’s talking more to herself than to me. “Anyways, I’ve always liked you, Rhett. And I was out walking the last two days and saw you out here throwing the football.”

“So, you’re stalking me now,” I smirk to break some of the nervousness filtering off her.

Her mouth pops open and her eyes widen at my words. It makes me laugh. She lets out her own giggle then reaches over and slugs me on the arm. “Jerk,” she mutters with amusement.

Her phone starts to buzz and she reaches down and pulls it out of the side pocket of those tiny biker shorts I keep trying not to look at. She lets out a sigh. “I’ve gotta head back home. My dad will be home soon. Can we meet up again tomorrow?”

“Let me walk you home,” I say, getting up to help her stand. The moment we touch my fingers start to tingle, sending a wave of electric currents up my arm. I know she feels it too because she lets out a gasp. I try to ignore it thinking that I’m still on an adrenaline rush after hanging out with her for several hours.

We start down Elm Street and cross over Highway 33.

“Did you walk this entire way?” I ask after we’ve been walking for about five minutes.

“I was walking around the golf course for a bit then decided to see if you were out practicing,” she says.

Victor is a quiet town with little to no crime, unless you’re talking about the high schoolers on a Friday or Saturday night partying. Even then it’s only drinking. Most of us teenagers walk wherever we need to go or ride bikes down the main strip.

Remi lives in the rich area on the golf course off of Cold Springs Lane. Her mom is the head of PTA and is in charge of all the activities at school. She’s at all the events and makes sure all the kids feel welcome no matter who their parents are or what tax bracket they are in. Her father, on the other hand, is the biggest douche. He likes to use his badge as a free ride to treat others like shit.

“Got big plans for your birthday next week?” I ask to fill in the silence.

Remi turns her head and smiles; a sassy look comes across her face. “You know when my birthday is, Rhett Miller? Look who the stalker is now.” She nudges my arm with hers and I roll my eyes. “Probably just a dinner with my family.”

“No big party for the sweet sixteen?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I hate parties,” she pauses. “What’d you do for your sixteenth-birthday last week?”

Her question shocks me. I never thought Remi Carter would know or care, for that matter, about when my birthday was. We’re exactly one week apart.

My birthday was just like all the other ones.

Non-existent.

My parents don’t know the day of the week most of the time so I never expect them to remember the day that I was brought into this world. It’s just another reason why I have to get out of this place and away from them.

“Nothing much,” I say instead with a shrug.

“Want to get some ice cream at the Emporium after we play tomorrow?” she asks and my dirty mind kick starts at what she just asked.

This girl is bulldozing into my life out of nowhere and I’m not even mad about it.

“Sure you want to be seen out in public with me?”

“Of course, Rhett, what a silly question,” she scoffs like I’m the one saying things out of left field.

We make it to the edge of her neighborhood and stop at the front entrance of the golf course.

“Thanks for letting me tag along today, I had fun,” she says and weaves her arms around my waist, catching me off guard. She seems to be doing a lot of that today.

I only hesitate for a brief second before I wrap mine around hers.

“Anytime,” I say and my nose inhales her cherry blossom smell.

“Give me your phone,” she says after I let go. I dig out the device in my athletic shorts and she takes it from my grasp. She holds the phone up to my face for a sec then pulls it back down away from me. She starts tapping several things and then her cell lets out a buzz. “There, now we can talk and I won’t have to guess when you’re about to go practice.”

I nod woodenly because she’s so bold and confident that it steals the words from my mouth.