Page 49 of Truth or Dare

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Anything?”

I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Within reason. Now go. That security guard usually hangs around the soccer field for a secret smoke right about now. You should be able to slip out without a problem.”

She bit her lip, nodding. “I’ll go.”

As she turned to leave, I grabbed her hand, slipping a folded note into her palm.

She looked down, surprised. “What’s this?”

I winked. “Read it when you get to my place. Now, hurry.”

She gave me one last look, then walked down the hallway, her steps soft and determined. I watched until she disappeared around the corner, fighting the urge to follow, even though I knew she’d be safe.

All that mattered now was keeping her there, waiting for me, where she belonged.

As I slipped backinto the cafeteria, Reagan’s glare locked onto me from across the room. She pushed through the crowd, eyes sharp, clearly seething.

“I want to talk to you,” she demanded, crossing her arms.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder, more than ready to get out of this tension-filled room. Evan was lounging in the corner, soaking up the attention and throwing me a smug look, as if daring me to respond. I ignored him. “It’s over, Reagan. We had a goal, and we reached it. You can go after Evan now, if you haven’t already.”

Her face twisted into a scowl. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Doesn’t matter,” I muttered, turning toward the door.

But Reagan wasn’t done. She followed me, voice tight with barely contained anger. “It does matter, Hudson. I’m not ready to end things.”

I sighed, pulling her into a quiet alcove by the doors. “Not ready? Come on, Reagan. Let’s not pretend. You and Evan—don’t act like it never happened.”

Her face paled, her bravado wavering. “I’ve never been with him,” she said, but her voice was barely a whisper.

I quirked an eyebrow.

“You sure about that? Then why was your bra in his desk?”

She looked down, stammering, her words a jumbled mess. “I... it wasn’t... What did Presley tell you?”

“That’s what I thought.” I shook my head, watching her carefully. “Look, he’s free now. Go for it. But don’t expect anything from him. Evan’s a user. He’ll keep you a secret, just like he did with Presley. You know that.”

She straightened her back, lifting her chin defiantly. “You don’t know anything, Hudson. Evan always has a girlfriend. Why shouldn’t it be me?”

I couldn’t help the bitter laugh that slipped out. “Because you have a reputation, Reagan. He wants a good girl he can ruin, like Presley.”

Her face contorted in anger, and she shoved me hard. “Go to hell, Hudson. I’m done wasting my time on your little game. And you know what? I’m telling Presley.”

I met her glare with a calm shrug. “She already knows.”

That wasn’t true—not yet. But I’d make sure Presley heard it from me first. After history class, I could skip the rest of the day. If I timed it right, I’d be home hours before Mom and Alex gotback from the city. They had a dinner planned, so I’d have the place to myself.

And by then, I’d make sure everything was finally out in the open.

I stood over Presley,watching as she slept soundly on my bed, her soft, peaceful face nestled against my pillow. She lay on her side, wearing my old, faded aqua-blue sweatshirt—once my favorite, now hers. It dwarfed her a little, making her look even more delicate. I sat down carefully on the edge of the mattress, running a hand through her hair, brushing it back from her face.

"Mm… Hudson," she murmured, her eyes still closed, voice soft and drowsy.

A smile tugged at my lips. "Were you expecting someone else?"

Her eyes fluttered open, just a sliver. "Your bed is really comfortable," she whispered, meeting my gaze.

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