Between The Lines

Chapter 128: Electricity

Rebecca's POV (1st Person):

I was so nervous, I thought I might actually pass out. The kind of nervous where your stomach feels like it's flipping in circles and your palms won't stop sweating. I glanced at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time, willing it to move faster. I needed to leave soon, and I still wasn't sure if I was ready for this.

It wasn't the sleepover part with Lane that had me on edge—that was the part I was most excited about. It was the whole plan that was messing with my head. The elaborate lie, the sneaking around, the constant fear that my dad would find out. If he did... I swallowed hard. I didn't even want to think about it.

He would murder both of us. Then he would expose Lane to the entire world.

I had to keep it together. For Lane. For us.

I made a promise to myself and to him that I would never let anything ruin what we had, but sometimes the weight of it all felt like too much. My father finding out about us was my worst nightmare. It would be over. Everything.

I let out a shaky breath, forcing myself to focus as I threw a few more clothes into my backpack, even though I wouldn't need much for the night. I kept repeating to myself that it would be fine. Charlotte's got this. She's got me covered. I just have to play it cool.

Charlotte was in on the plan. She had been my saving grace. I told my dad I'd be sleeping over at her house, and to my relief, he'd bought it. He didn't even ask that many questions, just reminded me of my curfew. It made me feel guilty how easily I'd lied to him, but this wasn't a normal situation. This was about protecting Lane and what we had.

Still, the guilt gnawed at me as I zipped up my bag. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to lie to my dad. But there was no other option. I had to protect what we had—what I had with Lane. This was too important.

I grabbed my phone and texted Charlotte quickly:
R: I'm heading out now. Thanks again for covering for me.
C: *No problem! You owe me BIG time, though. Have fun... and don't get caught ;) *

I rolled my eyes at the winking emoji, but her text still made me smile. At least Charlotte didn't make me feel like a criminal for sneaking around. She knew how important this was to me.

Taking a deep breath, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed downstairs, where my dad was sitting in his usual spot on the couch. He barely looked up from the TV when I told him I was leaving. I lingered in the doorway for a moment, trying not to feel guilty about the fact that he had no idea where I was actually going.

"Don't stay out too late," he said absentmindedly, his eyes glued to the screen. "And let me know when you get to Charlotte's."

"Okay, Dad," I said, my voice a little too high-pitched, but he didn't seem to notice. "See you tomorrow."

I practically bolted out the door, my heart pounding in my chest as I made my way to the end of the driveway. Once I was far enough away from the house, I pulled out my phone and texted Lane:
R: I'm on my way.
L: Good. I'm waiting.

Just those few words sent a thrill through me. He was waiting for me. We were doing this. Despite the nerves, the excitement buzzed through me. I was going to Lane's house for the night. Alone. No distractions. Just us.

The thought made my stomach flutter, and I tried not to think about all the things that could go wrong. I didn't want to imagine my dad figuring out where I really was or what would happen if he did. I just needed to focus on Lane, on the night ahead, and on the fact that I wanted this—more than anything.