A Braver Version of Me: The Destiny Clark Saga, #1

By Cindy Ray Hale

Dating is off limits. So why does she want him so badly?

I'm not supposed to like him. My parents are crazy strict. But I can't get him out of my head. He's the Student Body President and the headmaster's son at our private academy, and he's definitely the hottest guy in school.

I'm the awkward, quiet girl, an outcast. He doesn't even know I'm alive. But thanks to the new girl, my secret crush isn't so secret anymore. He knows I like him, and I'm dying of humiliation. I feel so lame. 

But now he keeps trying to talk to me, and I can't figure out what he wants.

Is it possible that he likes me back? If that's true, I'm about to be in a whole lot of trouble. 

A Braver Version of Me is the first book in a nine-book rewrite of a contemporary sweet romance series called The Destiny Trilogy. In this series you can expect flirting, blushing, and kisses in the woods, but you won't find any swearing, nudity, or sex.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cindy Ray Hale
• Release date: Sep 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393479475

Cindy Ray Hale

Cindy Ray Hale loves writing Young Adult Contemporary Romance and Clean Romance. She was born and raised in the hills of Tennessee and has moved all over the United States. She's finally settled down in a small town in the mountains of western Virginia. Want to be the first to know about a sale or a new release for Cindy's books? Visit www.cindyrayhale.com to join her newsletter or follow @CindyRayHale on Twitter.

Book preview

1

Destiny

The stench of testosterone hung in the stagnant air. Nausea twisted in my gut as I climbed the bus steps. Riding to the school retreat as the only girl on a bus full of freshman boys was not how I’d imagined starting my sophomore year.

Three rows back, next to a boy with shaggy red hair, I spotted an empty seat. Gripping the straps of my faded, black and purple polka-dotted backpack, I pushed down the aisle, past row after row of smelly boys. Although I kept my head down, their glares pierced me. I took the seat next to the redheaded boy, keeping as much distance between us as possible. He turned away and stared out the window.

What’s she doing here? someone behind me sneered.

I think it’s against her religion to wear a watch, a kid said in a cocky tone. He sounded familiar. I couldn’t quite place his voice, and I didn’t dare turn around to see who it was.

The group of boys behind me snickered. I stared straight ahead, keeping my arms wrapped around my torso as though that would somehow protect me from their words. It wasn’t the first time I’d been teased for my religion. I’d been going to Bethel Baptist Academy since kindergarten, but ever since my family joined the Mormon Church eight years ago, I’d been bullied for my religion on a regular basis.

The sophomore bus left half an hour ago. Maybe it’s against her religion to read itineraries, a third, deeper voice said from across the aisle. He must’ve hit puberty earlier than the other two.

Why does she even go here?

I dug my nails into my palms and wished their words away. Why couldn’t they leave me alone?

I heard the guys get to marry as many chicks as they want. Maybe I should convert. Arrogance dripped from the cocky kid’s voice.

Yeah, Dr. Robinson would love that, said the deep-voiced boy from across the aisle.

Josh, you already have as many chicks as you want. You don’t need to stoop to their level to achieve that, said the boy sitting directly behind me, probably with a sneer on his face.

A braver version of me would have spun around, looked them in the eye, and told them that if they were going to hate on me, they should at least get their facts straight. I’d explain that Mormons hadn’t practiced polygamy since the pioneer days and the people who still practiced had broken off from the Mormon faith years ago. I’d finish by saying that most Mormons thought those people were a bunch of weirdoes. It was all very bold in my head. In reality, I sat, stiff as a corpse, as though I hadn’t heard a word of it.

What do you say, Destiny? If I convert, will you be one of my wives?

A hush settled over the bus as my brother Michael’s intimidating frame filled the doorway. The easy smile and twinkle in his brown eyes told me that he hadn’t heard a word they’d been saying. I breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing I needed was my brother getting himself expelled for beating the snot out of the punks behind me. But at least his arrival had shut them up.

Michael took a seat across the aisle and a few rows back from me. He ran a hand through his dark, wavy hair and gave me an apologetic look. It was his fault we were stuck on this stupid bus of boys. He’d left his light on in his car all night, and when we’d gotten in the car to leave, his battery was dead. Without Preston, his best friend from church, coming to get us, we probably would have missed the retreat.

For the rest of the ride, the boys left me alone. I hid my face in my backpack, willing my eyes to stay dry.

I peeked over to where Michael was sitting. He was chatting with Adam Jenkins, a sandy-haired kid who’d sat alone at lunch for as long as I could remember. I’d never seen Adam speak before, and Michael had him laughing out loud. It was like Michael didn’t notice there were social boundaries at school. He befriended everyone. It didn’t matter whether they were jocks, band geeks, computer nerds, student body government officers, or—as in this boy’s case—loners. Where did he find the courage to talk to anybody and everybody?

Forty-five minutes later, the bus tires crunched onto the gravel road that led into camp. When I stepped off, the humid Tennessee air clung to me. I lifted my hair off my neck and pulled it into a ponytail. Earlier, I’d flat-ironed it until it was silky, but thanks to the heat and the bus ride, the tiny hairs around my sweaty temples and the back of my neck were starting to return to their natural, frizzy state. As Michael and Adam, still chuckling, stepped off the bus, I walked over toward them, and we joined the forming crowd.

Dr. Robinson, the new headmaster of Bethel Baptist Academy, stood in front of the double doors of a large building. The boys finished filing off the bus, and we crowded around him. He was a tall man, handsome for his age, with dark hair, graying at the temples, and a broad smile.

Everyone quiet down and listen up! Dr. Robinson said in his thick Southern Baptist preacher drawl. The boys roughhousing to my left stood still and gave him their full attention. All right, the boys’ cabins are down the path to your left. You all will be staying in cabin number four. It looks like the luggage van had to stop for gas, so it will be here in the next few minutes. Until then, feel free to look around, but try to stay in this general area. The crowd began jabbering again, and Dr. Robinson raised his voice a notch. One more thing! The girls are staying in cabins down the path to your right and in the rooms underneath the cafeteria. Under no circumstances are you to go down that path or into those downstairs rooms. Am I understood?

Most of the boys nodded around me, but one kid called out, So Destiny’s staying in our cabin? Score!

I shuddered. Ugh! What a pig.

Dr. Robinson’s eyebrows knit in confusion until he finally noticed me standing near Michael on the outskirts of the crowd. The boys dispersed, and Michael stepped forward to explain the situation to Dr. Robinson.

I hung back. Dr. Robinson wasn’t exactly fond of Mormons. He’d made that clear when I’d had him for seventh grade Bible class. But, Michael waved me over, and I shuffled over to join them.

Destiny, you’ll be staying with the sophomore girls in the rooms under the cafeteria. Be sure to check in with Mrs. Smith. She’ll be your leader for the duration of your stay here. Michael, you’ll be in cabin number one with the other senior boys. You’ll need to check in with Mr. Byrd. He was lucky. I’d had Mr. Byrd in choir last year. He was my favorite teacher at Bethel. Hang tight. I’m sure your luggage will be here any minute. I’m glad to know the two of you were able to make it here after all.

Yeah, right. Sure he was.

I considered going to check in with Mrs. Smith, but since I didn’t have my stuff, there wasn’t really a point. Anyway, the lake was calling to me. I’d been waiting all summer to see it. Surrounded by rolling, tree-covered hills, it was the best part of the camp.

I left the road in front of the main building and rounded the corner. The lake sparkled in the sun, a scene worthy of any postcard. Towering pines swayed in a soft, warm breeze. A line of students waited to go down a waterslide that was built into the hillside. All the students were swimming in their t-shirts and shorts. The dress code didn’t let us swim in front of the guys in our swimsuits.

I sucked in a breath and came to a sudden stop. Standing near the end of the line was the headmaster’s son, Isaac Robinson, talking to his best friend, Will Green. While they both had dark hair and eyes, Will was thinner, with an angular face and beady eyes.

If it was possible, Isaac was even more attractive than I’d remembered. He’d grown at least an inch, and he looked like he’d spent the entire summer in the gym. He raked his fingers through his wet hair, mussing it slightly. His gaze was turned from me as he laughed at something Will said to him. Mesmerized, I stepped forward again. I was closer now, but he didn’t seem to see me. His chiseled jaw, broad shoulders, and bronzed arms were too much to take in all at once.

I stopped next to a giant oak tree with sprawling roots. A few yards away from the end of the line and up a hill, Trevor Wilkins, the quarterback for the Bethel Bears, called out, Hey Robinson! Catch! He hurled the football and it whizzed in a wide arc overhead. Isaac leaped into the air and caught it with a snap.

Oh, shiz! My mouth was hanging open. I bit my lip. How could I help it? I clung to the rough bark of the tree. Whenever I saw Isaac, my heart raced, and I could hardly breathe. Playing football like a pro wasn’t his only talent. He was also an amazing tenor. He was a senior, the student body president, smart, charismatic, and completely off-limits.

Hey, Destiny, do you know when our stuff’s getting here? Michael’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

I must have had a dreamy look on my face because he looked from me to Isaac, and his brow rose. My cheeks flamed, and I looked away. As far as I knew, Michael hadn’t suspected anything about my feelings for Isaac.

Until now.

He shook his head with a smirk and turned to walk back up the hill just as the baggage van arrived.

Adam’s sandy head appeared from behind the trunk of a neighboring tree. He scratched a freckled arm and shifted.

Hey, have you seen Michael? he asked with a pronounced lisp. He seemed unsure of what to do.

Uh, I think he went to check on the luggage van.

Adam’s eyes trailed up the hill, and he nodded, focusing on Michael standing with his back to us at the top of the hill. He stepped forward, tripped over a root, and face planted into the muddy red clay.

Raucous laughter erupted from the football players gathered around Isaac and Will at the end of the line.

Did you see that? Trevor doubled over in laughter. Have you theen Michael? he said, imitating Adam’s lisp.

Adam lay frozen in place in the mud. His glasses were askew on his face, and he didn’t even bother to fix them.

Adam, are you okay? I knelt down to ask.

Then Isaac was there, looking like a heavenly messenger, mere inches away from me, crouching next to Adam.

Hey, bro, you look like you could use a hand.

The crowd of jocks grew quiet.

Sure, Adam grunted.

Isaac’s bicep flexed as he helped him up. Adam’s pale face had turned the same shade as the clay covering him from head to toe.

You might want to go take a dip in the lake, Isaac said with a good-natured grin. He slung his arm around the clean side of Adam’s shoulders in a brotherly way and walked with him toward the lake.

Feminine laughter bubbled up from behind me. Aspen Adams approached with her group of girls, carrying towels and sunscreen. She was a senior and the best soprano in Primus, our school’s elite choir. Like always, her blonde hair was styled with precision. Her tie-dyed Primus t-shirt was knotted just above her tanned belly button, and her shorts were slightly shorter than allowed. She was always pushing the limits on the dress code and getting away with it. When