Page 97 of Wallflower

"Okay, flower, since you asked." Dare laid his head back against the couch again. "I guess the answer is my parents. They met young, got married, had me, and they were in love. Like the most in love you could be—until they weren't."

I waited for him to go on.

"After fifteen years of marriage, they just quit on each other. Just like that." He snapped his fingers. "Dad was hardly home because of his job, and Mom found out he was sleeping with his secretary."

Without meaning to I gasped, and he nodded.

"I know, what a cliché, right?" he said. "But then he found out she was cheating with her therapist, the one she'd gone to see because of my father's neglect. It got real ugly. It was like they kept trying to see who could hurt the other one more. My mom and dad went from love to hate and finally to indifference. They separated the summer between eighth and ninth grade, and I couldn't have been happier."

"Was that why you started acting out?" I said.

"Yeah," Dare said. "They were never around, so I figured why not? Why not party, drink and hook up? There was no one who cared enough to stop me." He took a deep breath. "Not until I met your dad."

I started at his words.

"Coach Kent took me under his wing," Dare said. "I was good before, but he saw something in me and made me great. He also told me that I owed it to myself to stop it with all the wild, immature crap I was pulling and try and reach my potential. Coach showed me I had value, even if my own parents couldn't see it."

"God, Dare." I wanted so badly to reach out and hug him, grab his hand, something. But I stopped myself, unsure if he'd allow it. "I'm so sorry."

Dare shrugged. "It's not your fault my parents suck, flower."

"Well, I'm sorry for asking in the first place," I said.

"You didn't know," he said. "But that's why I know love is a lie. I've seen how twisted it can get, how it disappears over time."

He cocked his head.

"My question is why do you think it's real?"

"How do you know I think that?" I asked.

Dare laughed which eased something inside of me. He was obviously coming out of those dark memories of his parents, and I was glad for it.

"For one, you're a girl," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "What a sexist thing to say."

"And for two, you're you." I went to object, but he held up a hand. "There's a video of you confessing your undying love to my best friend, remember?"

My mouth snapped shut at that.

"Well, you're right," I said, deciding to give him my truth since he'd just given me his. "I do believe in love."

Dare grinned. "I'm shocked."

"Anyway," I said and narrowed my gaze at him, " I confess I'm a hopeless romantic. I've always thought it had a lot to do with being raised on romance. Books, TV, movies, you name it. All of my life, I've been told love exists, that it's out there and that everyone has a chance at it."

He didn't say anything, so I went on.

"But I think what proved it to me is my mom and dad," I said. "They were meant to be together, Dare. They're soulmates. I know love exists because I've seen it."

"Maybe for some people," Dare allowed. "But I don't think it's out there for everyone."

It made me achingly sad to hear him say that, to know he felt that way.

"What was the stuff with Ty about?"

"Not this again," I said. "Also, I thought it was my turn to ask a question."

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