“That one of you guys dared Cole to seduce her.” She smiles at me. “Of course, she fell for it. But you get an entire month to play with her, so you might as well take advantage of it, right? Use her all you can.” She rubs her hand on my thigh.
I wrap my hand around her wrist and yank it off. Her smile never falters.
“Who said that?” Becky growls.
“Bryan.”
Fucking Bryan!
“Well, it’s a lie,” she snaps.
“You, of all people, shouldn’t believe everything you hear. Oh, by the way, congratulations on the baby,” I add, looking away from her.
Becky throws her head back, laughing. “I thought you had gained some weight.” She smirks, and Kaitlin throws her a heated look. Then she gets up and storms away.
AUSTIN
It was finally Friday and time for me to go back to school. I woke up an hour earlier, got ready, and drove myself to school. Cole had sent me a message last night that he had practice this afternoon and wanted to know if I could pick up Lilly after school. Of course, I told him yes.
I didn’t see his car in the parking lot when I pulled up, so I figured he was running late getting Lilly to school. I walk into first period and see Becky in the back in our usual seats.
I plop down beside her and take a deep breath. “Did you know that Deke was the one who recorded Cole and me in the bathroom at the party?” I haven’t spoken to her since all that shit went down at the clubhouse. One, because I haven’t really had the time. And two, because she’s so wrapped up in Deke, it’s hard to get alone time with her, and I didn’t want to do this through text.
Her eyes widen. “What?”
I watch her features to see if I can tell if she’s surprised or faking it. “Deke admitted to it. And I know you were standing there with us when Cole carried me away.”
She shakes her head quickly. “I swear I had no idea. When you guys left the kitchen, I went outside.”
“But you spent the night with him that night.” When we got to school the next morning, she had ridden with him.
She nods. “He found me right before we left. Came up and asked me if what he had heard was true.”
“Which was?”
“If David and I had broken up.”
“David?”
She nods. “My ex. We were together for two years. He graduated last year, then dumped me over Christmas break. No surprise there.” She rolls her eyes. “But no, I had no idea. I saw a video online, and I tried to show it to you that next morning, but you didn’t want to see it.”
“But you knew Deke had posted it.”
She shakes her head quickly. “No. It wasn’t on Deke’s page. He must have sent it to someone else to post. I’m sorry, Austin.”
I sit back in my seat. Of course not. Then I would know he was the one responsible. “It’s fine.” Nothing I can do about it now.
“But there is something that you need to know.”
“What?” I ask with a sigh.
“Kaitlin sat down with us at lunch yesterday.”
“Who is Kaitlin?” I have no idea who anyone is here. I stick to myself. I don’t talk to any of the kids in my classes. Cole is always with me in the halls and lunch. Everyone stays clear of us.
“She’s a fucking bitch. And she kept coming onto Cole.” My fists clench in my lap at the thought of another girl throwing herself at him. I’ve never really thought about him and other girls, but she had told me that he’s a manwhore. “But he totally blew her off.” I relax a little. “I was about to crawl across the table and snap her neck. She’s thrown herself at every Great White Shark.” She shakes her head. “And believe me, they’ve all had their turns, but each one threw her back when they were done with her. That’s what you do with used-up garbage.”
I laugh.
“Anyway, she said that Bryan has started a rumor.”
I frown. “What kind of rumor?”
“That you were a dare.”
My heart starts to pound at those words. “What do you mean?” I never hear others at school talk about the guys and their dares. I don’t know if they tell everyone about them or if they keep them secret, but I don’t want others to think I do them too. People can’t keep their mouths shut, and if that is the case, then I’ll be caught in no time.
“Bryan is saying that one of the guys dared Cole to seduce you and that he has a month to …”
My eyes narrow on her. “A month to what?”
“Play with you. Were her words.”
_______________
Second period, I walk in earlier than usual. I grabbed my books before first period so I wouldn’t have to make the extra trip to my locker.
I’m pissed at Cole for what Bryan is saying. A part of me doesn’t want to believe I’m a dare, but the other part says that is why he is so adamant about not leaving me alone.
I choose the chair in the back by the corner and sit down. The chairs to my right and in front of me are both occupied. I smile, knowing he won’t be able to sit near me. It drops off the moment he walks in. Dressed in a pair of blue jeans and his black zip-up hoodie, he demands attention. His dark hair is looking freshly fucked, and I hate that my first thought is that Kaitlin did it. His blue eyes land on mine like he knows where I am, and he walks toward me.
“Get up,” he orders the kid next to me. He grabs his books and scrambles away. “Hello, sweetheart,” he says, sitting down.
I ignore him and look straight ahead.
He leans over his desk. “What’s wrong?”
I turn to face him, and my eyes narrow. “A month, huh?”
His dark brows pull together as if he’s confused. I don’t elaborate. He can figure it out himself.
He goes to open his mouth, but the teacher gets our attention. She writes an assignment on the board before she excuses herself from the classroom. I pull out my pencil, a piece of paper, and the textbook. I start to read when the book is snatched off my desk. I look up to see Cole slamming it to the floor. All the kids turn around to look over at us as the sound bounces off the walls. I ignore them. His hard blue eyes are glaring at me.
He figured it out. Good for him.
“Mature,” I snap, leaning down to grab it, but he kicks it out of the way. “Cole ...”
“You don’t really believe that shit, do you?” he snaps.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I demand. “It makes perfect sense all of a sudden. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.”
He gives a rough laugh. “Maybe because it’s not true.”
I snort. “Like I believe you.”
“Austin,” he growls my name.
The kids are all still turned around facing us as we argue in the corner. Their eyes going back and forth between us. A few even have their phones out, and you can hear their fingers typing away.
“Cole,” I challenge.
He leans over, his face inches from mine. “We haven’t done a dare without you being present since I caught you that night in the cemetery.”
I glare at him. “Bullshit.”
He smiles, and it’s wicked. “Do you not remember what just went down the other night at the clubhouse? They didn’t even know how I knew you. Let alone dare me to fuck you, sweetheart.” And with that, he sits back in his seat and opens his book.
I continue glaring, hating that he is right. I hadn’t thought of that. They had no clue he had blackmailed me. Well, Deke did. But as far as I’m aware, one can’t dare another without the others present. They have to draw for them.
I look at the guy sitting in front of Cole. His wide brown eyes are on me. “Will you hand me my book?” I ask. His eyes dart to Cole who still stares down at his. “Please,” I growl. Cole had kicked it over under that boy’s desk.
His eyes go back to mine, and then he spins around, facing forward, giving me his back. Ignoring me. All because he’s afraid to help me out due to Cole. “Good grief,” I growl as I shove out of my desk and go over to his. Bending
down, I pick it up, and Cole slaps me on the ass.
I spin around to glare down at him, and he’s giving me a smirk. “Bastard,” I hiss.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
COLE
COME LUNCHTIME, SHE’S still mad at me. And I love that she doesn’t even try to hide it. It turns me on.
I sit across from her, next to Deke, and she seemed surprised. I had a reason for it.
“So how were your three days off school?” Deke asks her.
“Awesome. I didn’t do shit,” she says, dipping the fry into ketchup and smiling. Becky laughs.
Deke looks at me, and I give him a simple nod.
He smiles and dusts off his hands then grabs his phone. “Hey, girls. Smile.” He holds up his phone, and like the girls they are, they lean into one another and smile as he snaps their picture. “Perfect,” he says and then starts typing away on it.
“What are you doing, babe?” Becky asks him.
He waits until after he’s done before he answers. “Just posted your guys’ picture.”
Her phone buzzes on the table.
“We’re throwing you a party,” I tell Austin.
She was picking up her drink but stops at my words. Her eyes narrow on me with suspicion, then dart to Deke. “Why?”
“Because you earned it,” he says simply.
“What did I do to earn a party?” she asks slowly.
“Who the hell cares?” Becky asks excitedly.
The bell rings, and they get up to throw away their trash, and I turn to Deke. “Who did you invite?”
He smiles. “Everyone.”
I walk out into the hall, and I find her and Becky by their locker. “I’ll pick you up at ten,” I tell her.
“It’s tonight?”
I nod.
She blows a long breath out. “Where is it?”
“The beach,” Becky answers, already checking her Facebook.
“It’ll be cold.” Austin frowns.
Becky just laughs and walks off to class. Austin looks up at me. “You’re up to something.”
I lean down and kiss her neck. “Aren’t I always?”
“Cole,” she whispers and pushes me away. I go willingly and look down at her. “Please don’t embarrass me.”
I frown. “What? Why would you think …?”
“You have a tendency to prove you’re right, and I …” She looks away from me and lets out a long breath. “Never mind.”
She turns to walk away, but I grab her arm and pull her to a stop. “What?”
“After the other day … what I told you …” She sighs heavily. “I get it,” she says softly. “You guys run this school. This town.” Her eyes meet mine. “But you …” She pauses again, and I search her eyes, waiting to see angry tears, but instead, I see nothing but sadness. And I don’t like it. I hate Bruce Lowes even more for allowing her mother and boyfriend to treat her the way they did. “That night in my bedroom, you told me that you could make me nothing. But what you didn’t know is that I’ve always been nothing. But here”—she holds her hands out wide—“you’re something, and no matter how hard I try to hide in the dark, you pull me into the spotlight. And that’s not where I belong.” With that, she walks off down the hall, holding her books to her chest.
I walk into fifth period and sit down next to Deke. “Are you friends with Austin on social media?”
He snorts. “She won’t add me. I know she saw my request.”
“Shit!” I hiss sitting back in my seat.
“Why?” he asks.
“I wanna see her page.”
He laughs. “Well, I can make that happen. Hang on.” He leans forward and grips Becky’s shoulder. “Let me see your phone, babe.”
“Why?” she asks.
He rolls his eyes. “It doesn’t fucking matter why. Just give it to me,” Deke orders.
She huffs but passes it back to him. He presses some buttons and then hands it to me.
“How do I look at pictures?” I ask.
She says she was nothing. Somehow, I don’t believe that. Her mother and boyfriend probably just made her feel that way.
“Here you go. Just scroll to the side,” he instructs me.
I come to a picture of her and a guy. He’s about her height and tattoos come up from underneath his shirt and stop at his jawline. He’s got big black gauges in his ears. His right arm is over her shoulders, and she’s looking at him like she loves him. I’ve never seen that look on her face before.
“Who the hell is that?” Deke asks.
“I don’t know,” I growl.
“Oh, that’s Martin,” Becky says, looking down at it now.
“Who the hell is Martin?” Deke growls.
“Her ex,” she answers.
I never thought that she may not be available. The thought never crossed my mind. Just like Celeste said, I always get what I want. Boyfriend be damned. But it’s nice to know that I don’t have to take her from him. Makes this easier for me.
“Were they serious?” Deke asks Becky.
“She doesn’t talk about California much, so I don’t think so. I just know they were together because of the pics she has of him on there.”
Deke yanks the phone from my hands, and I lean over in my desk as he brings another picture up. It’s of her standing in a living room. She wears a black leather mini-skirt and black fitted top. Another brunette her age stands to her left. A man behind her. He looks a lot older. He has a cigarette between his lips, and his eyes are right on her ass. I know exactly who it is. Her mom’s boyfriend.
“Next,” I order.
Deke moves on to another one of her, and it looks to be inside a club. There’s neon lights, and she has her head thrown back, that guy with the tats has his head buried in her neck, his hands gripping her ass.
“Next,” I growl.
This one is of her on the beach. She has her brown hair up and big glasses on her face. She is wearing a white bikini, and that guy is there with her again. But only this time he is holding her up. Her legs are wrapped around his waist, his arms around hers, and her head is bent down as she kisses him. You can see the tattoo on her side.
“Fuck, man. She has a tat? That’s hot,” Deke says with a nod. I glare at him.
Becky’s phone vibrates in his hands, and he exits out of her pictures.
“Wait …” I reach for it, but he pulls it away.
“Hang on, I’ll go back.” He presses some more buttons then holds it up to me, but I don’t know what I’m looking at. I don’t do this social media shit. “Look at this shit,” he says.
“What?” I ask, needing him to point it out to me.
“I posted that pic of the girls and tagged Becky. She then tagged Austin in it,” Deke explains.
I still don’t get it. “Meaning …?”
“Meaning that their friends see the post I made. And look who commented.” He holds Becky’s phone closer to my face.
Hey Austin. Looking better than ever. I sure miss hitting that ass.
My anger rises, and I fist my hands. “Who is that?” I demand.
“It’s him,” he answers. “The guy in the pictures with her.”
I sit back in my seat. I sure miss hitting that ass? I’ll be sure to tell her that tonight when I’m buried between those sweet legs.
“I deleted the comment,” Deke announces, but I ignore him. “She needs to delete those pictures of him and her kissing now that she’s with you, man.” He hands Becky her phone back and growls. “Text Austin and tell her to delete those pics of her ex off social media.”
Becky lets out a sigh but starts to type away on her phone. It dings immediately with a response. “She said she will when Cole gets a social media page.” Then she gives us her back, laughing at the thought of me ever doing that.
Deke looks at me. “You know what you gotta do.”
I smile. She’s calling my bluff. Just wait and see, Austin.
I’ve never wanted a woman to myself. Didn’t want to d
eal with the drama and bullshit. Looks like I don’t do well with competition either.
I was already nothing.
Well, Austin Lowes, I’m about to make you something. Completely fucking mine! And the world is going to know it.
AUSTIN
I pace inside my closet while Becky stands in front of me, staring at my clothes.
“I don’t know what to wear,” I tell her for the third time.
I called her in a panic. I may have lived in California, but the only time I went to the beach was to swim in the ocean. Not party on it.
“Do I wear boots?” I ask. “Like you can’t wear heels unless you plan on carrying them. And then what’s the point in that? I could wear tennis shoes but those aren’t sexy for a party.”
She laughs. “You can wear boots. The beach will be sandy and rocky but since it rains so much, it will be packed down somewhat.” Looking down at her phone, she starts typing out a message. “Deke and Cole are on their way over.”
“Both of them? Why?”
“I called Deke on my way here, and he said they would just come pick us up.” She looks up from her phone. “And by the way, my parents think I’m staying with you tonight.” Her eyebrows wiggle, and I laugh.
“Now let’s get you dressed. The guys will be here soon.”
Twenty minutes later, I’m in my bathroom just finishing up my lipstick when I hear my bedroom door open. “I don’t know what time I’ll be home. But I don’t expect to be out too late,” I holler, knowing it’s Celeste.
“You’re not coming home at all.”
I spin around to see Cole leaning up against the doorframe to my bathroom. “What are you doing up here?” I ask.
He crosses his arms over his chest as his eyes scan over my black sweater and red skinny jeans with my black knee-high boots. When they meet mine, he pushes off the doorframe and walks toward me.
I take a step back, but the countertop stops me. He looks angry. His usual mask is in place, and his eyes are dark. His right hand slides into my hair, tilting my head back. “Cole …” His lips are on mine before I can say anything else.
I melt into him just like all the other times. My knees buckle when he deepens the kiss, demanding my breath. His tongue dances with mine, and I moan into his mouth. He presses his hips against mine, and I can feel he’s already hard.
DARE SERIES COLLECTION Page 19