Page 66 of Truth or Dare

Neil attempted a head shake, only to wince as if even that hurt. “Doesn’t feel like it. More like my brain got slammed with a baseball bat.”

I pulled open the medicine cabinet, grabbed the aspirin bottle, and shook two tablets into my hand. “Here, take these.”

He accepted them, swallowing the pills with a few sips from the faucet, then wiped his mouth with his t-shirt, eyes red-rimmed and bleary. He shot me a look, his expression equal parts annoyance and exhaustion.

“Neil,” I said firmly, “you can’t pull stunts like you did last night.”

He scowled, his voice dripping with a mix of defiance and arrogance. “Did Presley send you to lecture me?”

My jaw clenched at his tone, but I kept my voice steady. “Would you rather she tells your parents and let them deal with it?”

His gaze flicked to mine in the mirror, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly. “No.”

I exhaled, folding my arms. “Look, those seniors? They’re using you, hazing you because you’re a freshman. You don’t need to try and keep up with them. Presley’s looking out for you, and now that I’m with her, I’ll be looking out for you, too.”

His eyes narrowed, a flicker of rebellion sparking. “I don’t need either of you watching over me.”

He shoved past me, heading back to his room. Not letting him off the hook, I followed, closing the door behind us to keep our voices from waking Presley.

“You’re fourteen, Neil,” I said, voice lowered but firm. “When I was fourteen, I worked every spare minute to help my mom. No dad around. Presley loves you, and I’m asking you to appreciate that.”

Neil rubbed his face, a grudging nod. “Yeah, I get it.”

I crossed my arms, pressing on. “Promise me you’ll stay away from those guys. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to kick Evan’s ass. And for the record,” I added with a slight smile, “think of me as your big brother.”

At that, Neil smirked, a glimmer of his usual spirit returning. “Fine. I’m never drinking again after this, anyway.”

“Good. Stick to kids your own age, all right? Football is almost done. Evan won’t be looking your way much longer.”

He grimaced. “But I’ve got baseball tryouts in the spring. Evan’s on the team, and I actually have a shot at varsity.”

I placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Just don’t rush to grow up, okay? I had to, but you’ve got options.”

Neil hesitated, then nodded, his voice softer. “Yeah, I get it.”

“And if Evan gives you any more trouble, you come straight to me. Deal?”

He nodded again, then flashed me a sly grin. “You know, my parents wouldn’t like you sleeping over.”

I grinned back. “Well, that’s our little secret, right?”

Neil chuckled. “Guess we’re both good at keeping secrets.”

I stepped aside, watching as he headed to his room. With a quiet breath, I slipped back into Presley’s room and into bed. She stirred, placing a warm hand on my chest.

“That was a nice thing you did,” she murmured, her voice laced with sleep.

In the dark, I found her chin and gently cupped it, brushing my lips against hers.

“Pres?”

She mumbled something against my chest, her lips warm as she nuzzled closer, then surprised me with a playful bite on my pec.

I chuckled, fingers running along her arm. “I should go.”

“Why?” Her sleepy voice was laced with protest.

Cupping her chin, I kissed her slowly, savoring the morning like a continuation of last night. “Your parents will be home soon.”

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