Secrets & Surrender: Part One by L.G. Castillo Page B

whisper. “Don’t you dare! You can’t force him to like me.”
    “Wanna bet?”
    “Okay, so you probably can.” She laughed. “Seriously, don’t do anything. I guess it’s just not meant to be between Cody and me. And by the way, I see what you’re trying to do by being all sneaky.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I tilted my head, brushing on my third layer of mascara.
    “You’re trying to back out of your date with Nic, and I’m not going to let you. You’ve been in front of the mirror putting on makeup for over an hour.”
    “I know.” I sighed, dropping my hands to my side. “I don’t want to go out with Nic and at the same time I do want to go out with him.”
    “You’re so messed up, Mandi.”
    I chuckled. “I know, right?”
    Cassie shifted on the bed, tucking her legs beneath her. “Okay, so I understand why you do want to go out with him. He’s super cute, and he’s not afraid to let everyone know that he likes you. And you do like him, don’t you?”
    “Yeah, he’s cool.”
    “So why’ve you been turning him down?”
    “The problem is if I go out with him, then I’ll probably like him even more, and I just can’t do that.”
    “Why not?”
    I bounced onto the bed, sitting beside her. “I’ve told you before. He drives a BMW, and he wears those shirts with the alligator on them.”
    “Mandi! You can’t be serious about that.”
    “I’m totally serious. We’re from two different worlds. And the people in his world can hurt the people in mine.”
    The room grew silent as her brown eyes gazed into mine.
    “You mean the thing about your parents?” she asked softly.
    There were only two people in this world that I’ve trusted to hold my family’s secrets: Cassie and her father. Now that Deputy Strong was gone, Cassie was the only person who knew about my family. And I had every intention of keeping it that way.
    “Yeah.” I sighed.
    “You don’t have to tell him. It’s just a date.”
    “He’ll find out, especially if he gets close to my family. And if I go out with him, my parents will want to meet him. I like Nic. I really do.”
    “Oh, Mandi.” She placed an arm around me. “It’s not fair for you to carry the burden like this. You’re allowed to have a little fun.”
    “I’ll have fun after I get my college degree and earn enough money to help my family.” I hopped off the bed and reached into my purse. “One date and that’s it. Then no more of Nic Marcelli. He promised he’d back off.”
    I should’ve been happy that it was only one date and that I would never have to mess with him ever again. I wasn’t. Tonight was going to be the hardest night of my life because there was a part of me that didn’t want to let go.

TWELVE: Mandi
    “O kay, let’s get this over with.”
    Just as he promised, Nic was waiting for me at the drive-in. It was easy to spot his BMW among the dozens of pickup trucks. When the Pinto finally sputtered its last breath once I turned off the ignition, it took me five long minutes before I could gather the courage to go to him.
    “Well, hello to you too, beautiful.” He grinned as I slid in, slamming the door shut.
    Why in the hell did he have to be so gorgeous? My eyes drifted from his stunning hazel eyes to his lips. My stomach fluttered as I remembered how it felt being pressed against his muscular chest and how those lips kissed mine, making me come alive. And that tongue. Oh my God, that tongue. The craving to have him kiss me again beat against me like a wild woman.
    I inched back, getting as far away from him as I could in the small car. Those sexy lips of his cannot touch mine again. Ever. If they did, there would be no going back. I wouldn’t be able to stay away from him. I just had to hold on through this one movie.
    “So how long is this movie?”
    “Two hours.”
    That long? Crap!
    Okay, I can do this. Feet forward, hands in lap, and eyes on the screen. Two hours and I’m outta here.
    I