Page 38 of Truth or Dare

His eyes lit up. "Then we have a shot. I see us going long-term."

I snorted softly. "But you’re making it clear that sex is the only way for us to be real."

He leaned in closer. "Maybe we just need to… take it slow, get each other off. Your birthday’s next week, right? You really want to be eighteen and a virgin?" He gave me a sideways glance. "Reagan’s not."

My eyes narrowed. "And how exactly do you know that?"

Evan’s face closed off, his jaw tightening. "I just do. It’s… rumors."

I stepped back. "Rumors, or something else?"

He pressed his fingers to his temples. "Don’t twist things. Look, what can I do to show you I’m not just in this for sex?"

I shook my head, my voice barely a whisper. "Nothing. Because it seems like that’s all you want."

The warning bell rang, and I turned, ready to make a break for the door. But Evan grabbed my arm, pulling me back against him, his eyes intense as he looked down at me.

"It’s not all I want." His grip softened. "Come over tonight. Mom’s making chicken cutlets. We can do our trig homework, watch a movie… just hang out."

I let out a slow breath. "Fine."

A relieved smile broke across his face as he tilted my chin up, his lips brushing mine softly, but I felt nothing but the quiet resolve to figure out exactly where his loyalties really lay.

“You’re seeing Evan tonight?”Reagan’s voice crackled through the speakerphone as I dragged a brush through my hair.

“Yeah. His mom’s making chicken cutlets. We’ll probably watch a movie after trig homework.”

Reagan’s laugh was full of implication. “Are you sure that’s all you’ll be doing?”

I rolled my eyes, though she couldn’t see it. “We’re not hooking up. He’s… being patient.”

“Patient? Girl, you need to give it up already. He’s got experience—way better than my first time with a guy who didn’t know what he was doing.”

Her tone was light, but it stung. I knew she’d slept with at least four guys, probably more she hadn’t told me about. I swallowed, not wanting to ask the question pressing at my mind, but it slipped out anyway. “So… what’s up with you and Hudson?”

A pause. “We had a fight,” she said, sounding uncharacteristically flat. “I guess we’ll patch it up when he’s back.”

“Yeah, I heard… two days suspension.”

“He should’ve just gone to detention. Evan was only joking around with Neil.”

My hand froze, brush tangled in my hair. “Wait. The kid Hudson was sticking up for was Neil?”

“Uh… yeah, I thought you knew. Didn’t your brother say something?”

“No. He didn’t say a word.”

She let out a dismissive hum. “Well, it wasn’t a big deal, just… you know, hazing.”

My stomach tightened as I wondered how Reagan knew so much about what went down, while I was left in the dark. Neil hadn’t said anything, and neither had Evan. The faint pulse of music seeped through the wall from my brother’s room, and I made up my mind to confront him before heading to Evan’s.

“I’ve got to go; Mom needs me to help with dinner.” I hurried through the words, already on edge.

“Call me later,” Reagan replied.

As soon as I hung up, I slipped my sweater on and walked to Neil’s room, knocking firmly.

“Come in,” he called.

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