Page 86 of Truth or Dare

I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, my voice soft. “Come to my place,” I suggested, the hope threading through each word. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

Her eyes opened, and she looked at me, a hint of surprise mingling with something deeper. “Are you sure? What about your parents?”

“They’re out of town,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “We’ll have the whole place to ourselves. We can just… be together.”

She hesitated, her gaze flicking to the darkened windows of her house, and then she nodded, a faint smile pulling at her lips. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Relief flooded through me as I turned the key in the ignition and pulled back onto the road. The drive was short, but anticipation hung in the air between us, each mile bringing us closer to something unspoken. When we reached my house, I parked in the driveway, cutting the engine, and turned to her, my heart pounding.

“Ready?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.

“Ready,” she replied, her voice filled with a quiet excitement that mirrored my own.

We got out, the cool night air brushing over us as we made our way inside. The house was quiet, shadows stretching long across the walls, and I led her down to the basement, where we both sank into the plush couch, finally able to relax.

“So… what do you want to watch?” I asked, scrolling through the options on the screen.

She leaned into me, resting her head on my shoulder. “Anything,” she murmured. “As long as I’m with you.”

I settled on a lighthearted comedy, something that would make us forget everything for a while. As the movie started, she snuggled closer, her warmth seeping into me, and I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her tighter.

Halfway through, I glanced down at her, noticing the way her eyes had grown heavy, her lashes fluttering as she fought to stay awake. Gently, I brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, and her eyes opened, meeting mine with a softness that stole my breath.

“Thank you for taking care of Neil,” she whispered, her voice laced with gratitude.

“Always,” I replied, leaning down to press a tender kiss to her forehead.

We sat there in comfortable silence, her hand entwined in mine as the night stretched on, the weight of everything that had happened fading away, leaving just us, together in the quiet.

CHAPTER 26

Presley

My phone kept chiming, the sound slicing through the quiet. I reached over the edge of the bed, fumbling for my jeans on the floor.

Hudson stirred, his arm slipping around my waist. "Don't answer it," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

"It could be my parents," I whispered, even as he tightened his hold, pulling me closer.

He traced lazy circles on my shoulder. "They think you're at Reagan's house. And it's four in the morning."

Ignoring the warmth of his touch, I managed to snag my jeans, dragging them up to find my phone. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the screen filled with notifications—angry, erratic messages from Evan. I scrolled through, each text more vicious than the last.

My throat tightened. "It's Evan."

Hudson’s grip tensed, his face darkening as he reached for the phone, swiping through the messages. "He's accusing you of being with me."

"I am with you," I said quietly, reclaiming my phone. "Whatever this thing with Evan is, it's a front. I have my reasons for sticking around."

Hudson kissed the corner of my mouth, his lips warm against my skin. "You don't have to keep putting yourself through this for me, Pres. Not for anyone."

I clenched my jaw, feeling my anger flare. "I want that damn notebook. People think he's some kind of golden boy, but he’s garbage. Him and his friends."

Hudson’s eyes narrowed, concern flaring in their depths. "Is Randy mixed up in this too?"

"No. But a few of his football cronies are. They all use code names, which is stupid. Doug calls himself Superman, of all things. And you know how much he worships the guy in tights."

Hudson barked out a laugh, a low rumble that momentarily cut through the tension. "Idiots. What’s the plan once you get your hands on that notebook? You know, you could expose those bastards without dragging the girls through it."

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