The Price of a Gift (The Price of Secrets Series)

by Ashley Drake

  "You'll do in a rush." I teased. "Nah, you look gorgeous. The blue makes your eyes stand out even more than they normally do."

  "Thanks." She studied my bathing suit. I went with a black bikini that had a built in push up bra. It made my B's look like C's. "You look hot too. I still think that you should have bought that white one though. It would have been a nice contrast with your dark features. But the one you have on makes your boobs look great."

  I laughed. "A white bathing suit is for looks. You know what happens if you get it wet. Did you give Kayla the red flip flops for her to wear?"

  "Yes. And the matching wrap, sunglasses and hair clip."

  "Why am I not surprised? Let's go get the coolers out of the garage and start putting ice and drinks in them."

  Kayla was the first to arrive. Then Jacob, Nick, Luke and Chase. I thought Jacob's eyes were gonna pop out of his head when he saw Kayla. I can't blame him, she looked beautiful. Jaycee was right, the navy and white stripes made her look curvy.

  Phoebe showed up with her mystery date. He was cute. His blonde hair and blue eyes made him look like he could pass for Kayla's brother. "Hey Hannah, this is Brad. Brad, these are my closest friends in the world Hannah, Kayla and Jaycee ."

  He shook my hand. Uh oh, this guy is bad news. His thoughts turned nasty as he checked me out, looking me up and down. Yet his eyes never seemed to make it above my chest. Even his aura was a nasty brown. I'm gonna have to keep my eye on him. "Hey Brad, nice to meet you."

  "Hey. Phoebe you didn't tell me all of your friends were hot." His eyes went from me to Kayla and Jaycee.

  Thinking he was joking, Phoebe laughed. "Quit playing. Come on, I want to introduce you to some more of my friends."

  I was glad they walked away, his thoughts were making me want to punch him. Once they were out of hearing range I whispered to Jaycee. "We have to get Phebs away from him."

  Jaycee turned and watched them walk away. "Brown, that’s weird."

  "What did you just say?" I turned to her, shocked.

  "I think I've been around you way too long. Cause I could have sworn I saw brown around him."

  "Do you still see it?"

  She looked back at Brad. "No not anymore." She held up her cup. "Is this spiked?"

  "No." I answered.

  "Can it be?" She laughed.

  "No. My parents would kill me if I have alcohol at my party. Then I would have to kill you."

  More people started pulling up and I quickly forgot about what we were talking about. Josh and Ashley showed up with Olivia and Brittany and within 30 minutes I had about twenty-six people in my backyard swimming, dancing and laying in the sun.

  "Jacob, will you and Kayla go into the garage and get more ice out of the freezer for me?" Kayla blushed but smiled as she walked away with him. I keep trying to think of ways to get them to be alone together.

  Phoebe walked by. "Great party Han." She was by herself.

  "Where's Brad?" I looked around for him.

  "Oh he had to make a phone call to his work or something. Isn't he cute?"

  "Yeah, he's cute. How old is he?"

  She didn't want to tell me. I could actually see her debating on lying to me, but she ended up telling me the truth. "He's 19. He just graduated from Hibriten."

  My heart sank. Even without my gift I know what type of guy he is. "And your mom's ok with that?"

  She wouldn't look me in the eyes when she answered. "Well, she doesn't know how old he is. I told her he goes, not went, to Hibriten. Here he comes. I'll talk to you later."

  As she walked off I called after her. "Phebs I really do want to talk to you before you leave!" Crap. I sat down on the first step and put my legs into the water where Nick and Chase were throwing a ball back and forth. Olivia and Brittany had just got into the pool.

  "It's cold as hell." Brittany yelped.

  Nick smirked at her. "That's an oxymoron."

  "I ain't a moron." She scolded.

  "No, an oxymoron is....never mind." Nick gave up, and I stood up. I had to walk away before I choked from holding back laughter.

  I made my way around the pool and patio talking to everyone. My party seemed to be a success. Jaycee was on Mike's shoulders and Ash was on Josh's. They were in the water playing chicken. Watching them made me think about Daniel and wishing that was us in the water with Jaycee and Mike.

  "Han where's the ice? This cooler is almost empty." Luke asked.

  I sent Kayla and Jacob after that a while ago. "I'll go get it."

  When I made my way to the garage I thought my jaw would literally hit the floor when I opened the door. Kayla had her back against the freezer with Jacob's tongue down her throat! They pushed apart. "I'm sorry. I will just take this cooler of ice and get out of your way. Please," I motioned them back together, "continue." I walked out the door then stuck my head back in. "Just one more thing. Yay! It's about freakin time you two figured out you belong together." I shut the door before they could respond. Good for them. I walked back to the drink table and put the cooler down.

  "What are you smiling about?" Jaycee asked. She was wrapping a towel around her shoulders. I swore her to secrecy then told her what I saw in the garage. "Good for them. It's about time."

  "That's what I said!"

  "What's up with this Brad guy?"

  "He's bad. I mean real bad. He is 19, already graduated, and is only after one thing from Phoebe. And I'm not sure yet how, but drugs are involved."

  Her eye's got big. "Phebs is doing drugs?"

  "No, not Phoebe. He is either doing drugs, selling them, or both."

  "So how are we going to tell her, without telling her, that you know all this?"

  "I have no idea." While Jaycee was talking to me, Mike had been sneaking up behind her. He picked her up in a bear hug and took her, kicking and screaming, toward the pool. "Mike, no! I just dried off!" Those were her last words before they both hit the water. She was giggling when she surfaced.

  I looked for a chair so I could sit down and enjoy watching my best friend have the time of her life. Sitting my drink down on the table, I found my phone under my towel and checked it. I had a message from Daniel. -I hope you have a great time today. Let me know how it goes. It's nice to know he's thinking about me.

  It didn't take me long to think of a response. -So far it's going great. But it would be even better if you would have been able to come. I hid my phone again. I stood up, deciding that I'm not gonna stay here and pout. I'm going to have some fun.

  "Hannah!" It was Kayla running over to me with a grin from ear to ear.

  "Hey hot lips."

  "Shhhh," She frowned at me. "I'm sorry about that."

  "Don't be. So what does that kiss mean? Are you and Jacob dating or what?"

  She was jumping up and down before the words even got out of her mouth. "Yes! I don't know what came over me. I kept thinking about what you said the other day at school about Jacob only asking me for help with his homework as an excuse. And while he was getting the ice out of the freezer I just asked him."

  "You asked him out?"

  "Oh my gosh no. I asked him if he used that as an excuse to be with me and he said yes!" There goes the jumping again. "I asked why, and he said that he has been thinking about me lately and before I knew it he was asking me out. I said yes then we kissed and, well, you saw that part." She said shyly. She hugged me. "Thank you. If it wasn't for you giving me hope that there was a chance he liked me, I would have never been brave enough to say something to him. And for sending me with him to get ice. I know you did that on purpose."

  "Just call me cupid."

  "Hannah it's your pool party, yet we haven't actually seen you in the pool." I looked up just in time to see Chase and Luke grab me and carry me to the pool. I was getting ready to protest but decided to go with it. Luke had my feet and Chase had my arms.

  They were swinging me as Jaycee counted. "One, two, three!" I pinched my nose closed before hitting the water. Everyone was clapping w
hile I made my way to the shallow end. I stood up and took a bow.

  Several people had already left before I was able to finally get Phoebe by herself. Brad had to make another mysterious phone call.

  "How long have you known Brad?" I handed her a towel.

  She took it and started drying off her hair. "A couple weeks. Why?"

  Jaycee walked up just in time to answer her question. "Phebs, don't you think it's kinda weird for an 19 year old guy to go after a 15 year old girl?"

  I could tell Phebs was feeling ganged up on. "What, you don't think I'm good enough for him or something?"

  Not wanting to attract attention I tried to keep my voice low and calm. "Not at all. We think you are too good for him. Phoebe, you know what we always say, that when a guy who is that much older looks for a younger girl, it's because all the girls his own age already knows he's a jerk. We think he is just after one thing. Jaycee and I are just looking out for you."

  I could feel the anger coming off of her like sonic waves. "Well don't bother. You," she pointed at Jaycee, "just because you FINALLY have a real boyfriend now you think you're an expert on relationships? For years you have pulled guys around like a dog on a leash. And you," she turned her anger on me, "won't even give a guy a chance cause you think you are so much better than everyone else." That hurt. She must have heard the same rumors that Daniel had. I tried to reason with her but she threw her hands up. "I don't want to hear any more of this bullshit! You two just can't stand that a hot, older guy wants me and not you. As of right now I am no longer your concern so you can drop the worried act."

  Phoebe tried to walk away but Jaycee grabbed her arm and turned her around. "You're starting to piss me off! You are getting ready to burn a bridge that you might not be able to repair!"

  Phoebe let out a snort. "Oh please, who said that bridge was worth building in the first place?" Jaycee lunged for her but I was able to pull her back and put myself between them.

  With tears in my eyes I faced Phoebe. "I think you, and your sorry excuse for a boyfriend, should leave. But you remember this when he breaks your heart, cause it's not a matter of if he will, it's when he will. And you know what's sad, Phoebe? Even after everything you just said, Jaycee and I will probably still be here to help you pick up the pieces when he does. Unlike you, we know what being a true friend really means."

  She dropped the towel and walked away without saying another word. I hadn't noticed until just then that Kayla had been standing there, along with everyone else, speechless. Well, I wanted a memorable party. I guess I got my wish.

  Jaycee and Mike stayed around to help me cleanup, which I'm grateful for because my backyard was a mess. Mom and Dad stayed in the house most of the time during my party. I talked them into just spying from the kitchen window. They only agreed when I threw in that I would clean up without their help. So it's just the three of us. I asked Jaycee and Mike to clear the tables while I fished out all the floats out of the pool. I still can't believe the fight Jaycee and I had with Phoebe. I was too caught up in the moment to try to see her thoughts. But I felt her emotions. She was angry, obviously, and hurt but I also felt her fear. Phoebe's afraid that we're right about Brad. She just doesn't want to admit it.

  "Hannah," Jaycee called for me. "Someone’s here to see you."

  I turned around to see Daniel standing with Jaycee and Mike. I don't think I have ever been so glad to see him. If I knew for sure where I stood with him, I would be running to him right now. But since I'm not I put on a smile and walked over to the three of them. "What are you doing here?"

  Jaycee flipped her hair back. "I text him and told him you could really use a shoulder and it would be nice if he came over."

  Daniel coughed. "Um, I think your text said that Hannah needs cheering up and to get my ass over here now."

  "Same thing." She smiled. "Listen Han, we have all the trash up so we are gonna cut out of here. I will call you later ok?"

  I hugged her tight. "Thanks for everything. You too, Mike." I watched them leave before turning to face Daniel. I had forgotten I was still wearing my bathing suit until I saw Daniel's eyes on me. He always keeps his focus on my face, so it's a boost to my ego, on the rare occasions that he pays attention to the rest of me. "I'm sorry Jaycee made you come over here."

  His eyes soften. "She didn't make me, I wanted to. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

  "Yes, I..."

  "Wait." He picked up a towel off the table. "If you expect me to comprehend anything of what you're gonna say, then I think you should put this on." He handed me the towel. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks but I managed to laugh and took the towel and wrapped it around me. "That's a little bit better." He teased. We sat down on the bench and I started from the beginning.

  "Well the party started off great. I was able to get Kayla and Jacob to confess their feelings for each other and they are dating now."

  "Really? That's great. They are perfect for each other. I'm sorry, go on."

  "That's ok. I think so too. I actually walked in on them, in the garage, kissing. It was so funny seeing their reaction to getting caught. Anyway, everybody showed up and I was greeting them when Phoebe showed up with this guy named Brad. She introduced us and when he shook my hand I was able to easily read him. I wasn't trying. It's just that his thoughts were so loud and vile they all but screamed at me. Daniel, he is just after one thing from Phebs. He is a total perv, I mean, he was standing right next to her and he was thinking nasty thoughts about me." I gave an involuntary shiver. I saw Daniel's mouth tighten but he stayed quiet while I continued. "He is 19 and just graduated. I know for a fact that somehow drugs are involved. I didn't get a chance to talk to her about it right then, but I did tell Jaycee and we decided we would try to get her alone at some point during the party. To make a long story short, toward the end of the party we finally got to talk to her while Brad made a phone call. We didn't have time to ease into it. So we ended up pretty much blurting out that he was just after sex and the only reason a 19 year old goes after a 15 year old is because all the girls his own age knows how he is. She turned on us. She screamed at Jaycee saying she leads guys around on a leash. And she said I thought I was too good to date anyone. I told her to leave and she did. Everyone that was still here heard everything. I couldn't just come out and tell her how I knew about him. But I just couldn't not warn her."

  I all but sobbed the last word. He wrapped his arm around me and I leaned my head on his shoulder. It wasn't the zap of electricity that surprised me, I have gotten use to that, it was the connection I felt to him by being in his arms. I inhaled the musky scent of his skin mixed with the lingering smell of soap. I let out a sigh before I could stop myself. That brought me back to my senses and I sat up, putting distance between us. There was no way I could concentrate while having physical contact with him.

  "Hannah, she will realize you are just trying to look out for her and she will see for herself that he's scum."

  "I just hope it's not too late when she does."

  After Daniel left I decided to take a long shower to help relieve the throbbing headache that was threatening to turn into a migraine. I put on my fluffy robe and matching slippers and went into the kitchen for some 'mom time'. I found her making a pot of coffee.

  "Hey kiddo. I hope you had a wonderful day."

  "The party was great. Thanks again for letting me have it. I'll take a cup of that when it's done. My head hurts. I don't think I've had my caffeine intake for the day."

  Mom studied me for a moment then turned around and got a coffee cup out of the cabinet and sat it down in front of me. "I've known you for almost 16 years now. It's not caffeine withdrawal that is giving you a headache. What's wrong baby girl?" I still adore it when she calls me that. It always makes me feel loved.

  The coffee was finished perking and she poured me a cup while I told her about what happened today. With the exception of laughing when I told her about Kayla and Jacob, she sat in silence until I was throug
h. "Your Dad and I were watching. We couldn't hear what was going on, but we saw it. You handled it very well. I know it doesn't make you feel better, but you did the right thing. Honey deep down Phoebe knows that too. But some people just won't listen. They have to learn from their own mistakes. I give you a hard time about her because I had a friend just like her when I was your age. Just like Phoebe, she was being raised by a single mom and got to do whatever she wanted to. She had a good heart but she would say and do things without thinking. It didn't matter the consequences or who she hurt. If it was something she wanted, she would find a way to justify it. She didn't mean to, but she hurt my feelings on more than one occasion. I have always been afraid Phoebe would hurt you too. Now, that being said, I like Phoebe and I hope she wises up before she does something she can't take back. Is she already sexually active?"

  "I don't think so but I honestly don't know. She jokes around about being a slut but she has told me before that she is still a virgin."

  "Let's hope she stays that way. Now, I saw something else through the window. What's going on with you and Daniel?"

  Crap.

  That night I had a dream about the fight with Phoebe. It was like I was standing on the sidelines and watching myself. It played out just the way it really happened. With one exception. We were arguing through the worst thunderstorm I have ever seen. I was sure that any minute I would see a tornado form out of the dark, heavy clouds. Lightning was striking with every word although Jaycee, Phoebe and my dream self, didn't seem to acknowledge it. I wasn't alone on the sideline for long.

  Samantha materialized beside me. "Why aren't you doing something? You have to help her Hannah. You can't let him hurt her! You promised!" She was hysterical.

  "Samantha calm down. I tried to warn her." That was all I was able to say before she disappeared. Then I woke up. I grabbed my diary and wrote it down. I might not know what it all stands for or what it means, but I know that it's the next clue.

  Chapter 14

  "I'm so sorry. I feel like I'm stuck in the middle." Kayla was standing with Jaycee and me at our lockers telling us about her talk with Phoebe last night.