I Dare You

by Shantel Tessier

  “Okay, how about we go out to eat together?” I offer, trying to fix this since I’m the reason both girls are pissed.

  “I’m busy,” Austin states and then stands to throw her trash away.

  I grip her arm and pull her back down into her seat. “Doing what?”

  Her eyes narrow on me. And they look like she did that first night I met her in the cemetery. When she hated me. That seems so long ago. “None of your business,” she snaps.

  The bell rings, and she tries to get up again, but I don’t release her. “Austin—” Becky starts, but Deke grabs her arm too and pulls her away from the table.

  “Stop,” I tell her.

  “Stop what?”

  She’s playing my game. Where I act oblivious. I don’t like it. “Stop acting like I’ve already fucked her.” Her nostrils flare. “I was going to give you some time, but you’ve had enough.”

  “Enough time for what, Cole?” she demands.

  “To get over this. To understand that Kellan is trying to play both of us. And you’re letting him win.”

  “No.” She leans in, her face inches from mine. I swallow the urge to kiss her. “What you don’t understand, Cole, is that I don’t fucking care.”

  She yanks her arm from my hold, gets up, and walks out of the cafeteria.

  AUSTIN

  I don’t care!

  I don’t fucking care!

  I’ve been repeating that in my head for the past five days. Five long fucking days. My mind has been a mess. And my chest tight. I don’t love him. Hell, half the time I don’t even like him. Then why am I so mad that he has to sleep with someone else? Especially someone he has slept with before?

  I snort. Hell, for all I know, he’s been sleeping with other women over the past month. I still swear he has a thing going on with Shelby, and I never gave much thought to that, but this is eating at me. Though I’m not sure what bothers me more. The fact he has to do it or the fact he wants to do it.

  I saw the way he smiled at Kellan after he read the dare out loud. Like it was a fucking pass to screw around on me. For all I fucking know, Cole told Kellan to give him that dare. And I can’t do a single thing about it.

  I storm out of the cafeteria and down the quiet hallway. The second bell has already rang, and now I’m late. That’s been my week. Turning the corner, I come to a quick stop when I collide with another body. “I’m sor …” My words cut off when I look up into a set of brown eyes.

  Kellan! I straighten my shoulders and go to walk around him. He grabs my arm and yanks me back. “Don’t touch me!” I snap.

  Slamming my back into a locker, he places his hands on either side of my head and cages me in. Just like Cole used to do. I swear they are so much alike, it’s scary. “I would ask how your week is going, but I can tell it’s shitty.”

  I clamp my mouth shut, refusing to speak to him.

  He smiles down at me. “He’s gonna fuck her, Austin.”

  I say nothing but my hands fist, knowing he’s right.

  “He’ll pick the group over anything. Even you.”

  I know. “I don’t care what he does.”

  He chuckles. “Yes, you do. Or you wouldn’t be walking around this school with a scowl on your face. Everyone is talking about it. They see the way you ignore him. How when he touches you, you pull away. And when the school finds out he fucked Kaitlin … because they will, Austin, I’ll make sure of it. No one will feel sorry for you. They’ll all say you sent him right into her arms.”

  I narrow my eyes on him. “I’m having a hard time putting two and two together. Why don’t you help me out? Is it me you hate the most or Cole?” I come right out and ask. I’ve never backed down to Cole, so I’m sure as hell not going to with Kellan.

  “I hate you both equally,” he says as his eyes drop to my chest.

  My breathing picks up as he pushes himself into me, pressing my back into the lockers. “Kellan,” I warn.

  “There is a way that can keep him from having to fuck her,” he says as his hips press into mine. He’s hard. My hands shoot out to his chest, and I try to push him away, but he doesn’t budge. He presses his face into my neck, and I swallow the bile that wants to rise. “I’ll retract my dare if you pull out of the group.”

  Could it be that easy? Could I just call a meeting and tell them that I’m done? That I won’t tell a soul what I know, and they’ll let me leave.

  He chuckles, and I grind my teeth. It’s a trick. “Then that will show that I actually care. Which I don’t.”

  “But we all know that you do, Austin. End it with some dignity and pull out of the group. Or let him cheat on you and make you more of a joke than you already are.” He kisses my neck, and I pull it away from him the best I can with his body pinning me to the lockers. “You’ve got until Sunday,” he whispers and then he licks up my neck to my ear, before pulling away.

  I suck in breath after breath while my heart races as I watch him walk down the hallway. He places his hands in the pockets of his jeans, whistling a merry tune.

  I fist my hands down by my side, trying to calm my racing heart. This bastard is not gonna play me. I’m so tired of them thinking that they can push me around. Bully me. Fucking blackmail me.

  I pull my cell out of my back pocket and send a quick text to Cole.

  Me: Dinner tomorrow night @ 6. My house.

  Then I put it away and storm off to class. I know exactly what I need to do. It’s a simple answer. It just took Kellan in my face to realize it.

  _________________________________

  I’m just putting the dessert in the fridge when I hear the doorbell ring. I open it up to see Becky and Deke standing before me. She looks unhappy, and he looks pissed.

  I feel bad for them. She’s been mad at him since Sunday. After Cole dropped me off at my house, she had called me. To my surprise, Deke told her what was going on. She was mad at him for even doing these stupid dares. But when she spoke to me, she cried. She told me that she couldn’t imagine her life without him and what if someone had dared him to sleep with someone else. She wasn’t sure if he would pick her over the boys’ stupid group. That was when I realized if Deke was questionable, then there was no doubt about what side Cole would choose.

  He’ll fuck Kaitlin!

  I’m just some girl Cole blackmailed. Deke loves Becky.

  “You look gorgeous,” I say, pulling her in for a hug.

  “So do you.” She hugs me and then pulls away, giving me a fake smile.

  “Deke.” I greet him.

  He nods.

  I loop my arm in hers, and we make our way into the kitchen. “You cooked all of this?” Becky asks wide-eyed, looking over the table.

  I cooked my favorite meal, Italian stuffed shells with garlic parmesan cheese bombs, along with tiramisu cupcakes for dessert. “Yep. I hope you’re hungry. There’s dessert in the fridge.”

  She goes to open her mouth, but the doorbell rings again. “Deke, will you get that?” I ask and turn my back to him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  COLE

  I square my shoulders as the door opens, and I’m not surprised to see Deke opening it. His SUV is outside, after all. Yesterday while in fifth period, I read Austin’s text out loud to him and Becky. She immediately told me to reply that they would come too. Deke wasn’t happy, but he didn’t argue.

  I go to enter, but he steps outside, making me take a step back. “You better have a plan to fix this shit.”

  “Deke …”

  “This is getting in my way now, Cole. And if you don’t do something, I’m going to kill Kellan myself.” Then he spins around and walks inside, slamming the door shut behind him.

  I shove it open and storm inside. But I come to a stop when I enter the kitchen. Deke and Becky aren’t present, but Austin stands over at the counter. Her back facing me. Her hair is down in big curls, and she has a black dress on that stops mid-thigh. It makes me instantly hard.

  I walk over to her, and she st
iffens when I pull her hair off her shoulder. I lean down, kissing her delicate neck. “Hello, sweetheart,” I say softly.

  I’ve got to kiss ass! There’s no way around it.

  She turns around in my arms and looks up at me. She’s not smiling, but she doesn’t look like she wants to tear my head off. So things are getting better already. Then she leans up and gently kisses my lips. I can’t stop myself; I slide my hands in her soft hair and demand more from her. And she gives it. Her arms wrap around my neck, and her mouth opens for me. I press her back into the counter and moan into her mouth. Fuck Kellan! He isn’t gonna fuck up my plans with Austin. She is the one I want to destroy.

  But she’s already destroyed.

  She pulls away and runs her hands down my button up. She licks her wet lips and then turns back around, giving me her back.

  We all sit at the table, an awkward silence falling between everyone. It reminds me of dinner with her dad last month. And just like then, I haven’t eaten much. I’ve just sat here and stared at her, ignoring all the glares Deke has thrown me.

  “Do you guys have plans afterward?” Austin looks at Becky.

  “No.” Her answer is clipped.

  Deke tightens his hold on his fork like he plans to stab me with it. “I thought you wanted to go see that movie—”

  “Not anymore,” she interrupts him.

  He slams his fork onto the table. Deke never has had much patience. “Why am I being punished for something Cole is doing?” he demands. “I’m not fucking Kaitlin.”

  My teeth clench. Here we go.

  “Because that could very easily be you,” she snaps back. “You guys play this stupid game as if your life depends on it. And it’s ridiculous.”

  He opens his mouth, but Austin stands from the table. The room falls silent when she looks at me. “I spoke with Kellan yesterday.”

  Deke jumps to his feet. “About what?” he demands.

  She looks toward him. “He helped remind me what kind of game this is. And although I don’t agree with it either, I’m not a quitter.”

  “What did he say to you?” I snap. I saw him at practice yesterday afternoon and not once did he tell me he spoke to her. He actually avoided me like he has all week.

  “He said that he would retract the dare if I pulled out.”

  Deke frowns, and my jaw tightens. “That isn’t allowed. He lied to you,” I growl.

  She nods to me. “I figured. That’s why I don’t plan on pulling out.”

  “So what are you gonna do?” Becky asks, looking up at her.

  She tilts her head to the side. “Have you guys thought about Kellan?” She ignores answering Becky’s question. “Like really thought about him? ’Cause I have this week. And after our talk yesterday, things started to make sense.”

  “Like what?” Deke asks.

  “First—who is Kaitlin to Bryan?”

  I frown, not understanding where she’s going with this.

  “She is his ex,” Becky answers. “They had a bad breakup last year. But no one really knows why.”

  She brings her hand up to tap her finger on her chin in thought. “Don’t you find it odd that just weeks ago, Kaitlin came up to you and said that I was a dare? That Bryan had told her Cole had a month to play with me. Then she literally becomes his dare?” She looks at me. Deke frowns confused. But I get what she’s saying. “It could be a coincidence, but then she says the rumor came from Bryan. Who I now know is her ex. And he’s also a guy who you already got in a fight with over me once before then. Where would Bryan hear that from? It came to me. Last Sunday after you drew your dare and Deke was questioning him about it, Kellan’s words were why not? We all know he’s just playing with Austin.” Deke shakes his head with disgust. “And you guys both jumped Bryan and his best friend Christopher at the beach party after he dared his friend to fuck me. Where Kellan wasn’t at.”

  “I don’t get it,” Becky says.

  She looks at Becky. “Kellan is trying to fuck them at their own game.” Then her eyes meet mine. “I can’t figure out where Deke fits in, but he’s trying to set you both up. He wanted you guys in trouble for laying your hands on Chris and Bryan, but they didn’t rat you guys out ’cause they’re more afraid of you than him.”

  “Son of a bitch.” Deke hisses.

  “How long ago did you sleep with her?” She looks at me.

  “Freshman year.”

  “See. And now he’s daring Cole to fuck Bryan’s ex.” She shakes her head. “He’s playing very dirty.”

  She walks out of the formal dining room, and my eyes fall to my plate. She’s right.

  What are you gonna do about it, Cole?

  There’s nothing I can do. My hands are tied. Literally.

  She reenters with what looks like cupcakes on a tray. She sets them in the center of the table and turns to face me. “You told me to trust you. And I’m going to give you one chance, Cole.” Her green eyes hold my stare without an ounce of fear. “And don’t you dare try to fuck me over.” With that, she pulls her seat back and sits down. Placing the cupcakes in the center of the table, she takes one.

  She’s trusting me.

  A part of me hates to fail her. Like everyone else in her life. The other part reminds me this is what I’ve wanted. But I’ve learned a lot about Austin Lowes since I met her. Whatever you dish out, she can throw back in your face ten times over. She is karma wrapped in a gorgeous tan and an innocent smile.

  Deke and I slowly sit back in our seats.

  “What time was that movie, babe?” Becky asks him.

  “Eight thirty,” he answers her but smiles at me. They both reach in and devour the cupcakes, and I watch Austin smile as she talks to Becky like nothing ever fucking happened. It makes me wanna know what else Kellan said to her. She’s obviously choosing my side, but why? Did he threaten her? Blackmail her? Does she think I’m the easier one of the two? I’m gonna find out.

  “Yeah, I’d love to go.” Her voice gets my attention.

  “Go where?” I ask.

  Becky answers. “To your guys’ swim meet next weekend. It’s only an hour away.”

  “If it’s okay, we could bring Lilly,” Austin adds. “I know she would love to watch you.”

  Deke smiles through his cupcake, and I can see the chocolate in his teeth. I refrain from throwing one at his face.

  She’s getting to you.

  Yes. She is. And I’m not sure what to do about that anymore.

  _________________________________

  I close the door after telling Deke and Becky goodbye to find Austin in the kitchen washing dishes. I lean back against the wall, watching her rinse them off before placing them in the dishwasher. “You know your father pays people to do that, right?”

  “When living with my mom, we didn’t pay anyone. If something needed to be done, I did it.”

  “Stop,” I say, coming up behind her. I spin her around and grip her hip with my right hand. My left hand pushes her hair from her face. “What did Kellan say to you to make you change your mind? Did he blackmail you?”

  She laughs at that. “No, but he is a lot like you in other ways.”

  “How?” I ask, my hand pausing in her hair.

  “He pinned me against the lockers.”

  “He what?” I bark.

  “Told me to end it with you and drop out of the group before you make an even bigger joke out of me.”

  “Austin …”

  “If you’ve learned anything about me, it’s that I don’t like being cornered. I don’t like being told what I can and can’t do.”

  I smile softly down at her. Glad to see that fight back in her gorgeous green eyes. “Yeah.”

  “He gave me until tomorrow to make my decision.”

  My teeth clench at that. “And what if you don’t choose what he wants?’

  She shrugs. “He didn’t say. But I remember hearing you say that you like to perform.” My brows rise. “So …” She wraps her arms around my neck. “We a
re going to give them all a show, baby.”

  I laugh at the way she calls me baby. It’s the first time she’s ever said it, and I hate how it makes chills run up my spine. “What do you have in mind?”

  She reaches up and gently kisses my lips. “Right now, I want you to take me upstairs and rip this dress off my body. And fuck me like they’re watching.”

  AUSTIN

  Sunday evening, we pull up to the barn at nine o’clock. We were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago. We spent all day in my bed, then took our time getting ready. Cole walks around and opens the passenger door for me. I smile up at him, and he has a smirk on his face.

  He takes my hand in his and opens the barn door for me to enter. We come in, and all chatter comes to a stop. Deke sits on the couch texting on his phone. Shane and Bennett lean up against the table to the right, and Kellan stands facing them.

  “Hello, everyone.” Cole says cheerfully.

  I watch Kellan’s brown eyes narrow on him.

  “Finally.” Deke jumps up. “Let’s get this over with. We shouldn’t even be meeting tonight. We don’t have a dare to do.”

  “That’s because Cole is taking his sweet ass time fucking Kaitlin,” Kellan says, looking at me. “Not sure why. She’s a guaranteed lay.”

  I tighten my hold on Cole’s hand. He ignores Kellan.

  “I called the meeting,” Bennett says and turns around to dig into a black drawstring backpack. Identical to the one that lies under my bed. He opens it up and pulls out five white envelopes. “Here you guys go.” He hands one to Shane and Kellan. Then he walks over and hands Cole two. He tosses Deke the last one, and he catches it midair.

  “What is that?” I ask.

  Cole hands me one of them. I take it and feel the thickness.

  “This …” Deke holds his up and smiles at me. “Is payday.”

  “Payday?” I ask confused. “I don’t—”

  “That laptop you stole from Jerrold’s,” Bennett interrupts me, “had several accounts on it. I’m draining them one at a time into an account I set up. This is the smallest one. And this is your cut. We each got ten thousand.”

  “What?” My mouth falls open in a gasp. I shove my envelope into Cole’s chest and let go of it. It falls to his feet. “I can’t take that.”