by Cameo Renae
1987: How Do I Get You Alone
Love in the '80s: A New Adult Mix
Cameo Renae
Vol. 8
Contents
Copyright
Dedication
1. Lyssa
2. Travis
3. Lyssa
4. Travis
5. Lyssa
6. Lyssa
7. Travis
8. Lyssa
9. Travis
10. Lyssa
11. Travis
12. Lyssa
13. Travis
14. Lyssa
15. Travis
16. Lyssa
17. Lyssa
18. Travis
19. Lyssa
20. Travis
21. Lyssa
About the Author
Sneak Peeks
1980: You Shook Me All Night Long
1981: Jessie’s Girl
1982: Maneater
1983: Cruel Summer
1984: Against All Odds
1985: Careless Whisper
1986: Why Can’t This Be Love
1988: Need You Tonight
1987: How Do I Get You Alone
Copyright 2016 by Cameo Renae
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction.
Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design
Edited by Crystal Rae Bryant of Plot Ninja
Book Design by Indie Formatting Services
Published in the United States of America by WaWa Productions
A portion of all profits go to Direct Relief
Direct Relief is a humanitarian aid organization, active in all 50 states and 70 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies.
Nongovernmental, nonsectarian, and not-for-profit, Direct Relief provides assistance to people and communities without regard to politics, religious beliefs, or ethnic identities.
Direct Relief’s assistance programs focus on maternal and child health, the prevention and treatment of disease, and emergency preparedness and response, and are tailored to the particular circumstances and needs of the world’s most vulnerable and at-risk populations.
Direct Relief’s work earns wide recognition from independent charity evaluators, including a 100% fundraising efficiency rating from Forbes, the No. 1 spot on Charity Navigator’s list of the “10 Best Charities Everyone’s Heard Of,” and inclusion in Fast Company’s list of “the world’s most innovative nonprofits.”
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”
–John Lennon
“Asshole!”
A blonde girl storms out of the front cabin door wrapped in nothing but a bedsheet. A fluorescent pink scrunchy is hanging dangerously low on her crimped ponytail, bright pink lipstick adorns her pursed lips, and mascara is smeared under her narrowed eyes. In one hand she’s cradling her handbag and keys, the other is clutching the sheet to her chest, along with the straps of her hot pink heels.
“Tell him you want a refund!” a voice hollers back.
The girl leaving notices us, her bright blue eyes shifting away as she hurries to a red Ford Thunderbird parked off to the side of the cabin. She tosses everything in the backseat, hops in, and punches the pedal, speeding off down the long gravel drive. I Want Your Sex by George Michael is blasting on her radio.
I shake my head and contain my laugh. Poor girl obviously didn’t get her sex.
“Dammit!” Tiff snarls, bringing my attention back to her.
Tiffany Preston is my best friend, and we just arrived at her parent’s vacation cabin for our last summer together before we head off to college.
“What’s happening?” My heart sinks, thinking our vacation could be over before it starts.
Her eyes narrow as she turns back to me. “Travis.”
“Travis?” I gasp. “He’s back?” Butterflies twist in my stomach, and my dad’s words immediately echo in my mind. “Stay away from that Preston boy. He’s trouble, and I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
“Obviously,” she sighs. “I’m gonna go talk to him.”
I push my dad’s words away, and my heart throttles as Travis’ name echoes in my head. Travis Preston. He’s Tiff’s older brother by four years and my secret crush, since before I knew what a crush was. He was also my first kiss. It was innocent, though. We were both kids. Well, I was twelve, and he was sixteen, which was a pretty big deal.
A bunch of us were playing spin-the-bottle, and my spin—my lucky as hell spin—landed on Travis. Tiff wasn’t happy, but it was a game, and we were sent to the “kissing closet” with everyone chanting, “Kiss, kiss, kiss.”
I vividly remember the moment. My little heart was hammering against my chest so hard I thought I was going to pass out. My hands were sweaty, and my body couldn’t stop trembling…not only from being nervous but from being in the kissing closet with Travis.
When the doors closed, light crept in from between the wooden slats. I remember wondering what I should do. Did I just stand there and pucker up? Did I lean forward and meet him halfway? Or—
Before I could stress any further, Travis grabbed my shoulders, leaned forward, and kissed me. It only lasted a few seconds, but to me…time had frozen. After the kiss was over his hands lingered on my shoulders for a few more moments, and a smile pulled up on the sides of his lips. I could have died a happy girl that day.
Then, he threw open the closet doors and walked out, leaving me dazed and numb, my head spinning. I couldn’t move and stood in the closet for who knows how long, looking like an idiot. My lips were buzzing, and everyone was laughing at me. But I didn’t care. I smiled and continued to smile the entire day. My heart was happy. Travis kissed me. It was the best day ever, and a day I would never forget.
I relived the kissing closet moment countless times throughout the years, running over the million things I could have done to have made it so much better.
But Travis was still sweet to me whenever I was over at the Preston’s house. There was something magical about his smile. It was contagious. At least, that’s the way it used to be, before…
“Lyssa!” Tiff’s voice snaps me back to reality.
“What?” I blink hard, trying to figure out what the hell she asked me.
“Grab your stuff and take it inside before the others get here. I’m gonna have a talk with my big bro.”
“Sure,” I sigh, heading back to the car. She’s so damn bossy, but that’s what I love about her.
Stress is embedded on Tiff’s brow. She’d invited her boyfriend, David, along with our other BFF, Stacey, and her boyfriend, Matt.
Tiffany, Stacey, and I live near each other in a small town in southern Massachusetts. We instantly bonded the first day our parents dropped us off at preschool, and have been friends ever since. Through the years, our parents also became friends and would share us on the weekends, giving us the nickname the Three Musketeers.
We’d just graduated high school, and I’d sadly become the fifth wheel when boyfriends snuck between our friendships. It didn’t matter though, because I was the friend they didn’t mind having around. I wasn’t a threat. I was the single nerd girl, with no boyfriend, thanks to my Navy Captain daddy.
Most of the guys in my school were idiots and full of themselves anyway. Plus, it allowed me to pursue my studies, eventually receiving the 4.0 my parents wanted. I
wanted it too, but the looks of pride on their faces made those boyless years worth it.
My mom is a nurse, and the complete opposite of my dad, which is probably why they have the perfect relationship. They balance each other, but both are equally protective over me.
There were complications during my birth, so mom was unable to have any more kids. I was their only child, and when I was finally old enough to ask why I was never given a brother or sister, they shared the news.
My heart broke, and that day I vowed to be everything they’d ever wanted in a child. It was a huge burden at times, but they’d given their lives to me, making sure I was happy and well cared for, so I wanted them to be proud of me.
Growing up, I was alone most of the time. Especially when my dad was deployed, and mom had to work double shifts at the hospital. Cooking, cleaning, studies…for as long as I can remember, I did it all, safely tucked behind the four walls of our home. But it helped mold me into the independent person I am today.
Pulling the duffle strap over my shoulder, my legs waiver a bit under the weight. Damn, I’ve packed way too much crap for the week. I grab Tiff’s bag next and drag it behind me.
As I near the front of the cottage, I hear Tiff arguing. I turn the knob and kick the door open. As soon as I step inside, I drop my bag to the floor and bend over for a breather.
“Holy crap, that was heavy,” I exhale to myself.
The sound of laughter greets me, and as I look up my heart stammers and butterflies slam dance in my stomach. Travis is standing across the room.
My arms automatically reach out to my sides, searching for support. My fingers grip the doorframe like it’s a lifeline.
Unkempt hair. Shirtless. Muscles. Abs. Stonewash jeans.
My head is spinning so fast, I can barely put two words together, let alone make a sentence.
“Lyssa, is that you?” The sound of Travis’ voice sends a shiver through my body.
God, he is even more handsome than I’d remembered, and the secret crush I’d had on him for all those years is instantly back.
His body looks like it’s chiseled to resemble a Greek god. Six-two with muscles in all the right places. I’m lost, somewhere in the V peeking from his jeans, wanting to know where it ends, when Travis clears his throat.
Oh God. My eyes have wandered way too long. Heat burns my cheeks, and I’m so embarrassed.
My eyes snap up to find the corners of his lips turned up, and his gleaming brown eyes on mine. He’s looking at me much differently than he ever has before. Not like I was his baby sister’s geeky friend with braces. No, this time, he looks at me like it’s for the first time. Like I’m not invisible.
Since he’d left, I’d grown nearly a foot taller. I was five-foot-seven and glad my dad pushed me into trying sports. Track was my thing. I loved the feeling of running free, and I was pretty good at it.
“Umm, no. So not gonna happen,” Tiff steps between us. Her arms cross and her dark brown eyes glare at me.
“What?” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “I wasn’t—I’m not…” I seriously don’t know what to say.
“She’s shocked I’m here,” Travis says, winking at me from behind her.
I nod automatically, and his wink makes me grin. But I’m still unable to speak.
Breathe.
His closeness makes my fingers tighten on the doorframe, and I swear they’ll leave marks when I remove them.
Travis steps forward and wraps his arm around Tiff’s shoulders. “Damn. You’ve both blossomed in the time I was gone.” His smile is wide, revealing the deep dimple on his left cheek—the one that melts me every time it appears.
Can he tell how much he’s affecting me? He apparently can. I see it in the knowing smirk inching across his face.
Travis has a lot of experience, according to Tiff’s intel. And me…well, I’d been to second base once, with a boy in the ninth grade at a school dance. He’d been quickly making his way toward third, when I told him to stop. But he wouldn’t stop. His hands were all over me, as he told me how much he wanted me—how he knew I wanted him.
No, I didn’t.
When he’d tried to pull up my dress, I pushed him back, then he turned aggressive. When he grabbed my arms and forced his tongue down my throat, I’d kneed him in the balls. He buckled over, and dropped to the ground, groaning in pain. I called him an asshole and walked away.
Growing up, my dad always made sure I carried some kind of protection, whether it be a knife or pepper spray, and made certain I knew how to use them properly. He also had me perform self-defense moves until I could do them in my sleep. His constant advice, “The balls, Lyssa. If nothing else works, hit ‘em in the balls with everything you’ve got.”
From that night on, I was given one of two labels…nun or lesbian. No guy would give me the time of day, which was all right by me. None of the boys in my school were worth it anyway.
“So, how long are you going to be here?” Tiff asks, turning to face Travis.
I’m dying to know the answer, but I bend to grab my bag, trying not to seem too interested.
“Seriously, sis?” Travis sighs. “I’ve been gone for over two years. I thought you’d have missed me a bit more.”
I missed you. I want to say. It was never the same at the Preston house after he left. However, I would never say it out loud because Tiff would murder me.
She’d made it clear to her friends that Travis was off limits. After our kiss in the kissing closet, Stacey and I had to swear we’d never have a crush on her brother. She didn’t want her best friends falling for him because it would ruin our relationship.
But now that he’s back, his presence stifles me.
“Of course, I missed you,” Tiff sighs, “but Dad said the cabin was mine for the next week. I’m celebrating my graduation with my BFFs one last time before we head off to college.” Tiff glances over to me and smiles.
“I didn’t plan on it and swear I didn’t know you’d be here. Dad and Mom don’t even know I’m back,” Travis replies.
“What? Why? Mom’s been worried about you. She said you had a bad breakup with that girl, Emily.” Tiff spits her name like it’s a bitter taste in her mouth.
“How does she know? I didn’t tell her.”
“Duh…Grandma. They talk every day,” she says. “I thought it was pretty serious between you two?”
“So did I,” he sighs, and I see pain fill his eyes and crinkle his brow.
“What happened?” she asks.
“I went to her house a few nights ago, unannounced, and walked in on her screwing one of our mutual friends on her kitchen counter.”
“You did not!” Tiff snaps. Her face twists, and I try to fix mine before they notice.
The look on Travis’ face is enough to know he’s telling the truth.
“What a freaking whore,” Tiff snaps. “What’d you do?”
Travis shrugs. “When they finally noticed I was standing at the door, Emily panicked and ran toward me, apologizing. But something inside of me snapped. All I remember is pushing her away, then I started beating the fuck out of the bastard. Emily was screaming, and when she pushed me back, I realized they weren’t worth it.
“I was so pissed, I don’t even know how I got home. My knuckles were covered in blood, but I was numb. I made arrangements to come back, and…” He spreads his arms open wide with a sad sort of grin. “Surprise!”
“I’m sorry,” Tiff says, stepping forward to give him a hug.
“What a whore,” I gasp, horrified that the words that were supposed to stay in my head, had escaped my lips. And a little late. I reach for the strap of my bag and start to drag it toward one of the back rooms. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
“You’re only speaking the truth,” Travis replies, his voice trailing me.
I twist back, and he’s smiling at me with that crazy cute dimple.
“You didn’t answer my question, Trav. How long are you here for?” Tiff presses.
“I don’t know,” he answers. “But back in the US, indefinitely. I’m done dodging the past. I need some time to clear my head and figure out what to do next, before letting everyone know I’m back. The cabin is the only place I can do that.”
“What about the chick who left earlier? She obviously knew you were here,” Tiff says, crossing her arms over her chest. I glance back to see his reaction.
Travis curses and releases his arm from around her shoulder. “That was a mistake. Dallas was the bastard mastermind behind that one. He’s the only one who knows I’m back, and sent the girl as a surprise. I guess he thought it would get my mind off what happened.”
“But—”
“Nothing happened,” he says, cutting her off. “I arrived, and she was waiting inside with a sheet over her. She tried to come onto me and was pretty relentless, but I pushed her away and told her to leave. She was pretty shocked at my response. More like pissed. I don’t think she’s ever been turned down before.” He laughs to himself. “Dad gave Dallas a key, so he must have let her in and left. But he’ll be back in about an hour. He’s staying for a few days.”
“What? No! He can’t come here, Travis. This is our last vacation before college, and I’ve invited my own guests!” Tiff’s voice escalates, and her face is bright red.
“It’s just Dallas and his girlfriend, and they’re only staying for two days. They both have to work anyway.”
“Just because he’s our cousin, doesn’t mean he should have access to the cabin.”
“I invited him,” Travis says flatly. “He wanted to make sure I was all right, so I offered him one of the rooms. You can have the other two, and I’ll crash on the couch.”
“No, Travis. That’s not going to work. Stacey and a few other friends are on their way.”
Travis stares at her then shakes his head. “Ah, I get it now. You’re sneaking guys up here. That’s why you want to get rid of me.” Before Tiff starts to rant, he holds up both hands. “Whatever. You’re an adult now, and I don’t give a damn. I’ll stay out in the shed,” he says, trying to compromise. “But Dallas is on his way and is going to take one of the rooms for a few days. So don’t be a bitch.”
