Page 25 of Truth or Dare

I shrugged. “Reagan is pretty hot.”

His expression darkened. “Reagan? She has no self-respect. She gives it up too easily, and that just makes her… tarnished.”

The words hung in the air between us, and I felt a sharp twist of unease. “Have you slept with her?”

Evan’s grip on me loosened, and he stepped back, running a hand through his hair. “That was like two years ago. You can’t seriously expect me to apologize for something that happened before we were together.”

I folded my arms across my chest, my voice quieter now. “I don’t. It’s just… weird. My boyfriend slept with my best friend before me.”

He sighed, frustration edging into his voice. “I can’t change what I did in the past. But I never felt for her what I feel for you. Does that help?”

Maybe it did, but there was something else on my mind now—something bigger. I had to bring it up, even though I knew he wouldn’t like it.

“I want you to stop taking my brother to parties.”

Evan blinked, caught off guard. “Why? He’s fine. He’s practically as big as me.”

I shook my head, my voice rising. “That’s not the point, Evan! Neil is fourteen. He’s just a kid.”

Evan laughed, but there was no humor in it. “He was drinking like a champ on Saturday.”

I glared at him. “And he threw up when he got home. I want you to promise me you’ll stop.”

He raked his fingers through his hair, clearly irritated now. “Look, I can’t stop the guys from doing what we’ve always done. It happened to me, to Randy, to all the guys. It’s just how it works.”

I stepped closer, softening my voice as I batted my eyelashes at him, knowing how to push just enough. “You can protect him, can’t you? Please?”

He groaned, glancing away. “What do I get in return?”

I sighed, exasperated. We’d just talked about slowing down, and here he was, already trying to leverage this. “What do you want?”

His eyes gleamed with something like triumph. “Dinner. A real date. Not Fromby’s or Burger Barn. I’m talking about a place where I can dress up, bring you flowers—somewhere with real linen napkins.”

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by the suggestion. “Since when are you into fancy dates?”

He shrugged, his cocky grin making a return. “Since now. Saturday night. I’ll pick you up in my car. It’s getting detailed, so it’ll be spotless.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling a little. “Deal. But please, take care of my brother.”

Evan pulled me into a kiss, his hands roaming as he pressed his lips hard against mine, his tongue insistent. It was the kind of kiss that made me forget, just for a second, all the reasons I was hesitant. Damn it, just when I thought I could pull away, he did something to make me want more.

I broke free, resting my head against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart. Maybe he wasn’t always my favorite person, but right now, he felt steady. Safe, even.

“I promise,” he murmured.

CHAPTER 8

Hudson

Ihad been dodging Reagan all week, and it seemed I was running out of places to hide. Sooner or later, I'd have to talk to her. Presley wasn’t making things any easier either, completely ignoring my existence, and that both annoyed and concerned me. It was hard to miss how she’d been spending more time with Evan, slipping away with him for those so-called private moments. When I saw them disappear again, that familiar jealousy crept up, tightening its grip on me.

But here’s the thing—it's not like I needed anyone else’s attention. The other girls were buzzing around me like bees to honey. They were interested, but I wasn’t. I only had eyes for Presley. I’d always had eyes for her.

I’ve been stuck on Presley since we were twelve. I could still remember the taste of her lips, cherry-flavored from the lollipops she always sucked on. Every time we kissed, her tonguewould be red from recess, her lips sticky and sweet. We might’ve still been together if my dad hadn’t gotten transferred. I know it.

Neither of us had phones back then, no social media to keep us connected. That came the year I turned thirteen. My mom got me a phone for Christmas, like it could somehow make up for my dad leaving.

I didn’t even use the damn thing much, except to tell her if I was running late after grabbing a burger at the Snack Shack. Then Alex showed up, and everything changed. Mom stopped working so much, and she was home more often. Things got better.

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