Full of Promise Read online

  Table of Contents

  Synopsis

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

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  Synopsis

  Cameron Leoni is about to start her senior year of high school. Between helping her mother take care of her two younger brothers and working at the library to save money for college, there’s just barely enough time for anything but soccer.

  Riley Baker is the new girl in town. Though she’s been out to her parents and friends back home, she’s reluctant to share that information with her new classmates.

  When Cam meets Riley on the first day of soccer tryouts, Cam is unsure why she feels so drawn to the other girl. They become fast friends and soon Cameron can’t help the butterflies she feels every time the two touch.

  Riley wants to be honest and come out to Cam but she doesn’t want to lose her as a friend. She won’t allow herself to dream of the possibility of anything more between them.

  Cam and Riley will have to navigate the emotional halls of high school, friends and family as they realize there might be more than just friendship growing between them.

  Copyright © 2019 by Kate Gavin

  Bella Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 10543

  Tallahassee, FL 32302

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  First Bella Books Edition 2019

  eBook released 2019

  Editor: Ann Roberts

  Cover Designer: Judith Fellows

  ISBN: 978-1-64247-039-0

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  About the Author

  Kate Gavin is a native Midwesterner, currently living in Ohio. When not staring at a computer screen for her day job or this writing gig, she spends her time retrieving items from her thieving dog, playing video games, and crocheting gifts for family members (which they may get a year or two late).

  Acknowledgments

  Never in a million years did I ever think I could or would write a book. I’m sure my high school English teacher would think the same thing. Somehow, I did and I have numerous people to thank for their help along the way.

  First, a huge round of thanks to everyone at Bella Books, especially my editor, Ann. This whole writing/publishing journey has been quite surreal and you all have made this experience exciting and rather painless.

  Many thanks to Meg for being one of my first beta readers. I’m excited and nervous for you to see how far the story has come!

  Britt, your feedback has been invaluable. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me with plotting and structure. All of those random text questions will stop. At least until the next MS.

  Em, thank you for letting me pester you with so many questions and all of those messages of me freaking out about this process. But most of all, thank you for your friendship and encouragement. You’re right—writing is hard.

  And finally, Andy. I still question how I got so lucky to have you in my life. Throughout all of this, you had the ability to talk me down from all of my doubt and panic, and I can never say thank you enough for that. I love you. You are my heart and my home.

  Dedication

  This book is for all the folks who don’t label themselves as lesbian or gay or straight. It’s for those who are bi, pan, queer, fluid, ace, or any other label you want. Or no label at all.

  You are loved.

  You are amazing.

  Most importantly, you are valid.

  Chapter One

  Rolling her book cart into the nonfiction section, Cameron Leoni nodded along to the beat of the song coming through her earbuds. Working at the library had its advantages. She spent most of her time reshelving books which meant very little interaction with other people. Plus, since starting her job at the beginning of the summer, she spent the hottest part of the year in an air-conditioned building.

  Her parents had made it clear that she would need scholarships for college, and if she didn’t want to take out too many loans, she would need to earn that money herself. One day, she had taken her younger brothers, Josh and Ethan, to the library and saw they were hiring. By the end of that week, she was working her first shift.

  Cameron stopped at the necessary aisle and grabbed three books from her cart. She looked up and saw a familiar face. She had seen this girl in the library three times so far, not that she was counting or anything. But every time, a weird feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. She was a couple inches taller than Cam, with dark blond hair and a nice athletic body. She sported her typical pensive reflection as she browsed several titles. They hadn’t said a word to each other yet, but every smile they exchanged made Cam’s heart beat a little faster.

  When the other girl looked up and smiled, Cam clumsily dropped the book in her right hand, causing several folks to whisper, “shhh.” Heat rose in her cheeks, embarrassed that she looked like a klutz. She bent to pick up the book and held it with the others in front of her chest.

  Pulling out her earbuds, she whispered, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  “It’s okay. You didn’t.”

  Cam nodded and took a deep breath.

  “Hi,” the other girl whispered.

  “H-hi. Can I help—” An arm lightly wrapped around her waist from behind and a kiss was placed on her cheek.

  “I found you,” Cam’s boyfriend, Danny, said happily.

  Cam watched the other girl’s smile dim as she turned and walked away. Cam held back a sigh as she turned to Danny. He bent down and gave her a quick kiss.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m finally able to pick up my last summer reading book. Figured I’d find you and say hi.”

  “Oh, okay. Can’t believe you’re on your last one already. We still have another month of break.”

  “Well, I’m not a procrastinator like someone I know,” he replied with a wink.

  She placed her hand on her chest, attempting an innocent and clueless loo
k. “I have no idea who you’re talking about. While I enjoy reading for fun, reading from a book list means the summer is almost over.”

  “Right.” He paused as he looked her up and down. “You look great today.”

  Cam blushed as she looked down at her standard T-shirt and jeans combination. “Thanks. So do you.” His shaggy brown hair fell just right across his forehead and he was sporting a tan from his outdoor cross-country workouts. He was tall and a little skinny, but his good looks had captivated Cam ever since they were paired up on an English project last year.

  “Thanks. I was thinking we could go out to eat at Bruno’s tonight. Does that sound good?”

  “Sounds great.”

  “Awesome,” he replied with a wide smile. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “I’ll see you tonight.” She stood on her tiptoes for another kiss and then watched as he disappeared around the corner.

  Looking down the aisle again, she felt a hint of disappointment that Danny had interrupted her conversation with the girl. Something about her intrigued Cam. She wasn’t sure if it was the way her eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated on her book search or the way one corner of her mouth quirked in a small smile each time she made eye contact with Cam. Those little habits stuck with Cam and made her feel slightly strange—like she wanted to get to know her or throw up, possibly all at the same time. The girl was pretty. That was obvious. But, so was her best friend, Claire, and she certainly didn’t make Cam’s heart beat faster.

  Her physical reaction to this girl wasn’t a first. She thought back to a girl she saw across a store on a trip to the mall with Claire. She even blurted out to Claire that she thought she was pretty. And when Claire looked at her with confusion, she had to backtrack and say she thought the girl’s dress was pretty, making Claire even more confused since Cam hated dresses. Thankfully, Claire became distracted with shopping soon after the comment.

  But that had just been a fleeting moment a couple years ago. It wasn’t something she thought of regularly, not like she did with this girl. From the first time she saw her, Cam wanted to see her again and know more about her. Maybe it was just some sort of admiration. Claire frequently noticed and admired female beauty, telling Cam she wish she had some actress’s eyes or legs. Maybe that’s all it is for me too.

  With a quiet sigh and a shake of her head, Cam returned her thoughts to her job. This wasn’t the time or place to figure out what was going on. Right now, working seemed easier than decoding her feelings. After all, she had a date with her boyfriend later that night.

  Cam and Danny had a fun dinner. He talked about how he was already a third of the way through the book he picked up earlier, while Cam tried to persuade him that waiting to read it like she did was really the best policy. For some strange reason, he didn’t agree.

  Danny drove them back to Cam’s and when he pulled into the driveway, Cam turned to him and said, “Want to come in? My mom is supposed to be working late at the restaurant, and the boys are at sleepovers.”

  About a month after the announcement of her parents’ divorce, Cam’s mom, an eighth-grade teacher, had obtained a second job as a waitress at a restaurant about twenty minutes outside of town. It was really a bar, a somewhat sketchy dive bar, but her mom liked to call it a restaurant to make it sound better. Her mom working late, especially throughout the summer, became the norm for Cam and her brothers.

  Smiling, Danny followed her into the house. They turned on the television, but as soon as they sat on the couch, Danny turned to Cam and kissed her firmly. She responded by straddling his hips. Suddenly someone cleared their throat. They broke apart with identical “oh shit” looks. Her mom stood at the entrance to the living room, looking pissed off.

  Cam quickly got off Danny and stood. “Um, hi, Mom. You’re home early.”

  Her mom crossed her arms as her eyebrows rose. “Obviously,” she said in a clipped tone. “I think it’s time for you to go, Danny.”

  Danny stood and uncomfortably mumbled, “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’ll, um, walk you out,” Cam said as she quickly made her way to the front door with Danny following behind her.

  “I thought she was supposed to be working late,” Danny whispered frantically once he reached the door and opened it.

  “I thought so too.”

  “How pissed is she going to be?” he asked, his eyes wide with obvious fear.

  “I don’t know. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Both seemed too scared for even a brief kiss goodbye, so she just squeezed his hand and watched him walk to his car. She closed the door behind him, rested her forehead against it, and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. She knew she would have to face her mom, but she was going to take her time, even if it was only a few extra seconds.

  “Cameron, come in here now.”

  “Shit,” she muttered to herself. “Sure, Mom.”

  She stood with her arms folded a few feet away from where her mom now sat on the couch. She refused to make eye contact and chose to stare at the floor instead, her face burning hot with embarrassment.

  “Look at me, please.”

  She reluctantly met her mom’s gaze, but her face wasn’t filled with as much anger as she was expecting.

  “What would have happened if I hadn’t come home?”

  She shrugged.

  “Would you guys have had sex?”

  “No, I knew you would be home eventually,” she explained, cringing as soon as the words left her mouth.

  Her mom sighed heavily. “Wrong answer, don’t you think?”

  Cam looked to the floor. “Yes,” she whispered.

  “You’re still using protection, right?”

  “Of course.” Cam nodded vigorously.

  “Good. You and Danny are not allowed to be alone in this house. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “If it happens again, you’ll be in big trouble.”

  “I got it.” Cam took a deep breath. “So I’m not in trouble now?” she asked cautiously.

  Her mom stared at her, as if she was still searching for her answer. “Not really. Why don’t you head on up to bed? I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Okay, thanks Mom.” She kissed her mom on the cheek. “Night.”

  “I love you, sweetheart. Goodnight.”

  She walked upstairs and closed her door as soon as she got into her room. She sat on her bed and immediately pulled out her phone to text Danny. She wasn’t surprised to see she already had one from him.

  How much trouble did u get in??

  None really. U aren’t allowed over unless she’s here.

  Fine by me. I thought she was going to kill us.

  Me too. Talk to u later.

  Love u, Cam.

  U too.

  She quickly changed into her pajamas and lay on her bed. She knew she was lucky to have an understanding parent. Since the divorce, her mom had treated her as more of an adult than she ever had in the past. It probably helped that Cam never got into serious trouble. As she tried to sleep, her thoughts strayed to the library girl’s frown earlier and how she wished she could have turned it into a smile.

  Chapter Two

  On the last day of July, an obnoxious alarm woke Cam out of a deep sleep. As she rolled over to shut off her phone, she ran her free hand across her face, trying to feel semi-human. First day of soccer tryouts, and since she was a senior, it would be her last chance to play on a team. Excitement, fear, and sadness were just a few of the emotions warring inside her brain.

  After too many minutes of lying with her arm over her eyes, she rushed out of bed as soon as she got a text from Claire saying she was on her way. Cam changed into a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops before grabbing her bag of gear. Opening her bedroom door and running down the stairs, she called out, “See you later, Mom!”

  “Wait! Where do you think you’re going? You have things to do around the house!”

  “It’s the first day of socce
r tryouts,” she replied, trying to keep her annoyance to a minimum, understanding that her mom probably forgot all about it.

  “Oh…right…”

  Cam detected a hint of disappointment in her mom’s voice, but it was probably just her imagination. It wasn’t that her mom didn’t care about what was going on in her life; She just had been working so many hours lately. Cam wasn’t surprised her mom kept forgetting her schedule—she probably had trouble keeping track of her own. Cam tried to be understanding, but the added responsibilities of taking care of her brothers and doing more around the house had worn on her more than she was willing to admit. She knew it was affecting her relationship with her mom because she was starting to resent her for it, and they had become snarkier with each other over the summer.

  “Come into the kitchen for a sec, Cam.”

  With a quick roll of her eyes Cam said, “Yes, mother? Claire’s on her way.”

  “How long will you be gone?” she asked with her arms folded as she leaned back against the counter. “Don’t forget, Josh and Ethan have to go shopping for school supplies.”

  “What? Aren’t you taking them?”

  “You know I can’t. I wanted to pick up more hours at the restaurant this last week before I finish prepping for the start of school.”

  Knowing there was no point in arguing, Cam agreed but didn’t try to hide her annoyance. “Fine. Tryouts should be done by eleven. I’ll take them after Claire brings me back home. Just leave me a list and—”

  She was interrupted by the doorbell. As soon as she opened the door, Claire wrapped her in a hug. Cam told her, “Let me just get my water bottle.”

  “Hey, Claire.”

  “Hi, Ms. Leoni. How are you?”

  “I’m doing fine, thanks. You ready for tryouts to start?”

  “Definitely! I can’t believe it’s our senior year!”

  “Do you think there will be competition for spots this year?”