Page 172 of Game Night: Truth or Dare

My answer comes bubbling up from a place deep inside, fueled by liquid courage. The words tumble out before I can catch them. “I’ve always wanted to kiss Henry.” Heat creeps up my neck, and for a moment, all I can hear is the rush of blood in my ears.

Oh my God. I can’t believe I said that.

The reaction is immediate—a symphony of gasps and wide-eyed stares.

Henry’s eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, the world tilts on its axis. I’m a mess of nerves and I want to run.

“I… uh…” I swallow heavily. The air feels thick, like I’m struggling to draw in a breath. Everything has faded into an uncomfortable silence. I’m acutely aware of every eye on me, but none more piercing than Henry’s.

“Wow, mate, didn’t see that one coming,” Jamie says and chuckles, trying to break the tension.

“Well, no time like the present,” Karen says. “Come on, give our boy a kiss.”

“Yeah, Austin, just one little kiss,” Violet teases.

“Really, guys, we’re not in high school,” I say with a laugh, brushing them off.

But there’s this pull inside me that’s hard to ignore—it’s been tugging at me since I admitted, even jokingly, that I wanted to kiss Henry. Maybe now’s my chance?

“Ah, it’d be a shame to waste such a perfect moment,” James chimes in. He waggles his brows and leans back, arms crossed, looking between Henry and me.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Henry?” Karen adds, turning to him with an arched brow.

Fuck, I’d like nothing better than to kiss Henry right now. Actually, scratch that. When—if—I kiss Henry, it will be somewhere special, somewhere romantic, not sitting at a table surrounded by my mates.

“Uh,” I stammer and force a chuckle, “it’s not like it was a dare or anything. Just the booze talking.”

“Right, just the booze,” Henry echoes, but his smile doesn’t reach his eyes that seem to see right through my bullshit.

I’m desperate to read his thoughts, to know if I’ve fucked up our friendship. His eyes tell me nothing, his dark brows drawn down as he studies me.

“Should we keep playing?” Violet asks, breaking the awkward pause.

“Sure,” I reply, desperate to get the attention off me. “Spin away.”

Henry blinks and breaks the strange connection between us. He reaches for the bottle, spinning the glass with a flick. Everyone watches the bottle’s slow spin, all except Henry whose gaze I feel intensely, locked onto me with an unreadable expression. There’s a part of me that wants him to stop the bottle, to point it at me and dare me to follow through on my truth.

The rest of the night passes in a blur of truths and dares, including Violet dancing on the table, but I’m only half there. I’m caught in the pull of Henry’s orbit. It’s in the way he laughs, the way he moves, how he meets my eyes and holds them just a beat too long.

It’s not till much later that we’re alone, standing on the footpath outside Azure.

There’s a current between us that I can’t deny, but we also need to talk. I can’t leave things like this. I have to say something. “Hey,” I start, unsure of where to go from here, “about earlier—”

“Let’s not ruin a good night, Austin,” he interrupts softly, with only a hint of smile. “It’s late. We should both head home.”

“Right,” I agree, though every fibre of my being screams to stay, to close the distance between us and find out if the electricity I feel is real.

“See you tomorrow?” he says.

I nod. “Tomorrow.”

As I watch him go, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be by his side, to be walking home together. I wonder what it would be like to be the centre of Henry Green’s universe, just like he is of mine.

Chapter Four

Henry

Behind the bar at Azure, I’m polishing glasses that don’t need polishing, stealing glances at the door every time it swings open. I try to tell myself I’m not expecting anyone in particular but that’s bullshit—I’m absolutely hoping to see one person. Austin.

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