Page 8 of Truth or Dare

Her arms crossed defensively over her chest; her cheeks flushed with anger. "He doesn’t need reassurance, people love him, and he loves me."

"Keep telling yourself that," I said softly, my voice dropping an octave. "He doesn’t love you. He wants to fuck you."

Her whole body stiffened. She mirrored my stance—arms crossed; feet planted wide. Her cheeks were a deep pink now, almost embarrassed, but fighting it.

“How do you know we haven’t already?” she shot back, defiant.

I smirked. "Because if you had, he’d already be moving on to the next girl. Hell, it’s only September. He’s got plenty of time to rack up numbers before the year’s out."

Presley’s eyes flared as she stormed to the door, yanking it open with a forceful tug. "Get out," she hissed, her voice like venom.

I strolled toward the doorway, stopping just before I crossed the threshold. "What, no kiss?" I puckered my lips, mockingher, before sauntering out. The door slammed behind me with a satisfying thud.

CHAPTER 3

Presley

Iknew one thing: I hated Hudson Evert. But if that were true, why was there a deep, insistent throb between my legs the moment he walked through the door earlier with his mother and stepfather? The shame was instant and undeniable. I despised myself for it—every heated second of it. I didn’t want his touch because it confirmed something terrifying: there was chemistry between us, a spark I couldn’t ignore.

The red numerals of my clock glowed in the darkness: 11:42 p.m. I groaned, burying my face into the pillow. I had to be up by 8, at school by 9:30. Tomorrow was packed—breakfast with the team and the booster club, followed by cleanup, and then the game at noon. I needed sleep. My body wasn’t cooperating.

The silence from my brother’s room was a relief. Neil would probably spend the game riding the bench, as usual. Unless Ryland’s team was killing it, then maybe he’d get a few plays in. Ihated how Evan used Neil, buttering him up only to send him on stupid errands. And the more I was around Evan, the less I liked him. His charm was starting to crack.

Every time he dragged me to Randy’s house, it was the same. Up the stairs, to some empty bedroom, where he’d try his best to get me into bed. He’d whisper sweet nothings, about how hot I was, how committed he felt—but I knew his game. He was never really with me. His wandering eyes, especially during away games, gave him away. I’d catch him checking out other cheerleaders, thinking I wasn’t watching.

I rolled onto my stomach, squeezing my thighs together, trying to push away the pulse that wouldn’t stop. But it was useless. It wasn’t Evan’s face swimming through my mind; it was Hudson’s. His arrogant grin, the way he looked at me like he could see right through every wall I put up. I hated it. I hated him. And yet, my body refused to listen.

My breath quickened as I slid my hand beneath the waistband of my panties, fingers brushing against slick heat. The need surged, undeniable. I closed my eyes, and all I could see was Hudson. His intense eyes, his infuriating smirk, the way his voice sounded when he told me things I didn’t want to hear but couldn’t ignore.

I came quickly, a soft moan of his name slipping from my lips before I could stop it.

Panting, I lay still in the darkness, the weight of my own betrayal pressing down on me. Hudson Evert was like Pandora’s box. I knew that if I let him in—if I even cracked the lid—all the emotions I’d buried, all the things I didn’t want to feel, would come tumbling out, drowning me in chaos.

And I didn’t know if I was strong enough to stop it.

“Hey babe,want to grab me another blueberry muffin?” Evan’s voice dripped with that familiar cockiness.

I wanted to say no. He was perfectly capable of getting his own damn muffin, but this was just another one of his power plays, showing off how “obedient” his girlfriend was. Instead, I forced myself to walk over to the table and grabbed one, dropping it onto his plate with a heavy thud.

“Thanks,” he said, grinning wider. “I need all my energy for the game.”

I forced a smile. “Asterdale High isn’t that good. You could sit on the sidelines, and we’d still win.”

He chuckled, resting his hand on my knee. I tried to ignore it, but as he took a big bite of the muffin, his hand slid higher up my leg, fingers pressing too close for comfort. My skin crawled, but I didn’t push him away. Not yet.

“You’re coming tonight, right?” His eyes flicked to mine as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Coming where?”

“Randy’s party. You promised,” he said, as if it were an absolute.

I hadn’t promised. He demanded, and I hated when he acted like I was just supposed to follow orders.

“Canwe talk about this later? You’re not the only one with things to do today.” I bit my lip, trying to keep my frustration from boiling over.

Evan barely acknowledged my words, turning to Bobby, one of the offensive linemen on the team. “It’s just cheerleading,” he said, his tone dripping with condescension. “It’s not like you’regoing anywhere with it. You’re not gonna get paid millions to make the pro team.”

That hit a nerve. My chair screeched as I shoved it back. “You’re a jerk.”

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