Page 14 of If You Dare

Plus, the thought of sitting down to write a whole book is so daunting. I’ve always let the fear stop me. The fear that I won’t come up with any ideas that are worthy of a book. The fear that I’ve spent my whole life loving books and dreaming about being an author, but when I finally put words on the page, I’ll realize that I’m no good at this and I’ll need to let go of the dream I’ve held onto my entire life. The fear that only the people who have lived a life worth writing about can write a book worth reading.

“I’m too boring to write a book,” I tell Chloe.

She sits up and swings her legs over the bed. “That’s nothing we can’t fix. Let’s start with tonight. Go with me to the hockey game.”

“What?” My heart flutters in my chest at the thought of seeing Wes. “No. I hate sports.”

“Come on. I dare you.”

I laugh. “What are we, twelve?”

“You’re never too old for a game of Dare.” She closes the distance between us and squeezes my arm, puffing out her bottom lip. “Please, Violet? This is how you’ll get inspiration for your novel. Think of how much story material you’ll get by doing things you never would’ve done otherwise.”

“Fine. Then I dare you to...flash someone. At the game.” Surely that will get her to change her mind about playing Dare. This could get ugly.

She shrugs. “Deal.”

I sit up, snapping my book shut. “What do you meandeal? You’re going toflashsomeone?”

She grins. “If that’s what will help you write your book, I’ll flash the whole rink.”

* * *

“Chloe,I love you, but I hate sports,” I repeat. We’re already searching the bleachers for the best seats, Chloe ignoring my protests the entire way as she pulls me behind her.

Sure, butterflies flutter in my stomach at the thought of watching Wes fly across the ice, of being near him. But another part of me knows being around him will only cause me more pain, wanting him and knowing I’ll never have him.

When he said I should focus on finding a nerd in the library, the words were a sucker punch. I know I’m not good enough for a guy like Wes, but I didn’t expect him to confirm it out loud.

That’s how he sees me. Some forgettable nerd. Nothing at all like the fun, wild girls he’s used to sleeping with.

“You can’t go to Diamond and not go to the hockey games.” Chloe nods to the bleachers above us. “That’s our guy.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The scrawny guy with the glasses. That’s the guy I’m going to flash when we score.”

I laugh. “That would make his day.”

She leads me by the hand. “Let’s go.”

“Wait. You’re not seriously going to flash him, are you?” I whisper.

“You dared me to. I don’t back down from a dare.” She peers at me over her shoulder, blue eyes mischievous. “Do you?”

I can’t remember the last time anyone dared me to do anything. Maybe on the playground in fourth grade. But now, I don’t want to back down from a dare either.

Chloe takes a seat right next to the guy with glasses and I sit beside her. She grins brightly at him and asks if he’s excited about the game. I cover my mouth to suppress the giggle.

Once the game starts, Chloe attempts to explain everything to me, but most of it goes over my head. Apparently, Wes plays center, whatever that means. All I know is to watch for number three to dart by in the red and black jersey. Every time he does, my heart skips.

The whole game, I barely know what’s going on, but Chloe’s chants and jeers get me invested. The puck sails across the ice, followed shortly by the players. Insults are hurled, punches thrown, and whistles blown nearly nonstop. Maybe I like hockey after all.

Wes beelines for the edge of the rink, but a member of the opposing team cuts him off. They slam into the wall together and I flinch.

The rival rips off Wes’s helmet, but before his fist can connect with Wes’s nose, Wes bulldozes into him and knocks him down onto the ice.

I gasp, heart in my throat like I’m in the rink with them, waiting for a referee to tear them apart and send them both to the bench. But Wes simply slips his helmet back on and his rival returns to his feet, both of them rejoining the others darting back and forth across the ice.

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