“But she makes it.”
Me: At school. Was running late.
I open my locker and grab my book for first period.
“Shit!” Becky hisses.
“What?” I ask as my phone dings again. I ignore him this time. He’ll see me second period.
“I think I left my chemistry book in the lab.”
I slam my locker shut. “Let’s get it. It’s on the way.”
She throws her backpack over her shoulder, and we take our time walking to the lab room to retrieve her book.
I open the door, and she walks in. I follow her but come to a stop when I run into her back. “Becky …”
“Oh, God.” A woman squeals.
I look over to the far corner where the teacher’s desk sits, and a girl is getting off it. A man stands, straightening his tie. “Girls.” He clears his throat. “What can I do for you?”
The girl bows her head, allowing her hair to cover up her face, and she turns her back to us.
“I left my book in here yesterday,” Becky says.
He nods at her but makes no move to come out from behind the desk. I look and can see his slacks are undone but pulled up. “There’s one on the back shelf.” He gestures with his chin.
Becky walks over there and grabs the book and then turns, shoving me out the door. “Thank you,” she calls out and then bursts out laughing. The door shuts behind me.
“Who the hell was that?” I ask.
“That was Bryan’s twin sister fooling around with the student teacher.”
“What?” I ask with surprise. “I didn’t know he had a twin sister.”
She nods. “That’s another reason Bryan hates Cole so much.”
“He slept with her?” Why am I not surprised?
“Yep. Cole has fucked the love of his life and his twin sister.”
“Is there anyone in this school Cole hasn’t fucked?” I growl.
She comes to a stop at our first period. “Me.”
I laugh, shaking my head, and open the door. The teacher throws us a glare, but I just give her a smile. I have a hard time getting myself to school on time, and this week, I gotta get a six-year-old too. And my best friend since Deke is also busy with swimming. Who likes to spend too much time deciding what to wear.
We sit down in our seats, and I look over at Becky.
“What?” she whispers when she sees me staring at her.
“Do you really think Cole will sleep with Kaitlin?” I ask the question that I haven’t had the courage to ask. Because I know the answer.
Her eyes look down at my bag by my feet, avoiding eye contact with me.
“That’s what I thought.” I sit back in my seat.
I hate that I fucking care so much. That the thought of him with anyone else makes my stomach knot and my chest hurt.
“Maybe not,” she says, surprising me. “I mean, something’s keeping him from doing it.”
“That’s true …” I trail off.
She leans over her desk toward me. “Deke told me that Cole always completes his dare the very next day.” I frown. “I know he’s not the greatest guy, Austin, but he feels something for you. I didn’t need to watch him put off a dare to know that, though.”
I tap my pencil on my desk. “So I have to stop it.”
She shakes her head. “They will kick you out of the group if you mess with a dare.”
I snort, and the girl who sits in front of me turns to glare at me. I give her a big smile, and she rolls her eyes before turning back to face the front of the classroom. “I don’t wanna be in their boy group. They would be doing me a favor.”
She smiles. “So do you have a plan?”
I nod. “Yes, I do.”
“Need my help?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Absolutely.”
_______________
The next three weeks flew by faster than I wanted them to. Cole and Deke were busy with practice, so I got to spend a lot of time with Becky. I even convinced Cole to let Blanche have her afternoons free, and I continued to pick Lilly up from school. Becky and I would take her to get ice cream or go to my house and swim. She loved having “girl time” as she called it. I don’t think she gets much of it other than the time she spends with Celeste. And she has been up my father’s ass. He’s avoided me, and I’ve stayed out of his way, praying he leaves town soon.
But I couldn’t help noticing the way Cole’s mood got worse as he neared the end of his deadline. He was agitated. His attitude dark. His hands were always fisted, and he didn’t speak much. But that hasn’t slowed down his affection toward me. He’s been over the top ever since I told him we were going to put on a show. And that’s exactly what we have done.
It’s officially Friday. And tomorrow is the big day. He hasn’t said much to me today, but I haven’t taken it personally.
“You guys don’t have a meet this weekend?” Becky asks Deke.
He shakes his head and pops a chip in his mouth. He too is on edge. I caught him and Cole arguing earlier this morning, but they both shut up the moment they saw me walking toward them. I never did catch what they were saying, and I know Cole wouldn’t tell me even if I asked.
I open my mouth to speak but close it when Kellan walks up to the table. “Afternoon, guys,” he says with a sinister smile.
I glare up at him.
Cole ignores him as he looks down at his phone.
“Party at my house tomorrow night,” he says, looking straight at Cole. “And of course, you’re invited, Austin. Wouldn’t want you to miss it.”
Cole looks up at him through his lashes, showing indifference. But I can feel the heat rolling off him.
“Oh, she’ll be there,” Becky answers for me, and I refrain from laughing.
“See you then,” he says cheerfully and then places his hands in his pockets and walks away, whistling like he did when he told me to walk away from Cole.
I smile at Becky, and she smiles back.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
COLE
I WALK OUT of the cafeteria and stop at my locker. I yank the door open, grab what I need, and then slam it shut.
“You can’t go,” Deke growls, coming up to me.
“I’m getting really fucking tired of arguing with you about this,” I snap.
“Then do the right thing.”
“Why do you fucking care?” I shout, making a kid jump who was walking by. “Huh, Deke? Why do you fucking care what I do?”
He lowers his eyes to the floor and runs his hand through his hair. “Becky was right.”
“Fuck! Not this again …”
“I’ve seen a difference in you too, Cole.” His eyes meet mine. “Haven’t you felt the difference?” I snort, rolling my eyes. “Ever since Eli died …”
“Don’t,” I snap, stopping whatever he was about to say.
“No, you’re gonna hear this.” He steps to me, and I fist my hands, ready to punch his ass. “Austin was just someone you wanted to destroy. You wanted someone as fucked up as you, Cole. So bad that you couldn’t stand it. Even I could see that.”
“Deke,” I warn.
“But no matter what you throw at her, she dishes it back. You like the fight better than if she was to lie down and cry. Beg you to stop.” I hate how right he is. “If you fuck Kaitlin tomorrow night, are you prepared for what she’s gonna do to retaliate?”
“What does that mean?” I demand, not liking where he’s going. This thought had never crossed my mind.
He lowers his voice. “It means she’s gonna run right to Bryan and fuck him. That’s what she does. She fucks you back twice as hard. And he’s gonna jump all over that. Finally getting his chance with her and be able to fuck you over at the same time.”
I see red and punch him at the thought of Austin and Bryan together. He stumbles back into another kid, knocking him to his ass. Deke stays standing and chuckles like I softly slapped him. “When was the last time you hit someone, Cole?” I lower my hands. �
�When was the last time you needed to release that anger since she came into your life that night?”
“What …?” I trail off confused by his words.
“She has changed you. You may not see it, but we all have. You only hit someone when she is the reason. When you’re protecting her. When someone threatens to take her from you. And that is exactly why Kellan is doing this to you.”
“Deke,” Becky calls out from down the hall with Austin, hearing the commotion. Austin spins around, her hair slapping her in the face, and her eyes land on mine. They start heading for us.
I fist my hand, and my shoulder throbs. I look at Deke. “You’re wrong.”
He shakes his head with a chuckle. “Go ahead. Fuck Kaitlin and see what happens. Austin will hate you, and you’ll hate yourself more than you already do.” I flinch at his words. “Because this is something you can’t control, Cole. She will be your living nightmare. Not one you only see when you close your eyes. But every minute of every day.”
“Are you okay, babe?” Becky asks him, coming up to us.
“I’m fine.”
She spins around to face me. Her crystal blue eyes hard and she fists her hands like she plans on hitting me. “What the hell is wrong with you?” she demands.
“Stop,” Austin says, coming to stand between us. Becky turns back around to face Deke, and Austin turns toward me. Her green eyes are void of any emotion. “Do what you need to do,” she says.
Deke’s head snaps up to look at the back of her head.
“What do you mean?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest from Deke’s words.
Let’s give them a show.
He’s right once again. She would go to Bryan and do just that. And it would drive me mad. More than I already am. “Austin …”
“Exactly what I said,” she interrupts me. “Tomorrow night at the party. Do what you need to do, Cole.” She leans up and softly kisses me on the lips. I don’t move or kiss her back. Then she walks off with Becky right behind her. Deke and I turn to watch them walk down the hall.
He comes to stand beside me and sighs. “She’s gonna eat you alive, man.”
“FUCK!” I turn and punch my locker.
_______________
I stand in the kitchen of Kellan’s parents’ house with my back against the countertop. My arms crossed over my chest and a pissed-off look on my face.
Austin’s words have continued to swim in my mind since yesterday.
Do what you need to do.
What kind of bullshit is that?
She’s fucking with my head. She does it so well.
Was that her way of telling me to fuck Kaitlin? If so, it’s a trap. No woman willingly tells a man to fuck another woman. No matter what the circumstances are. Or was that her way of telling me to choose her and withdraw from the group?
“Here. You’re gonna need it,” Deke says, handing me his Solo cup.
“No.” I don’t drink at parties unless it’s at my house. That was a rule I made after I lost three friends. I’m not going to let Kellan force me to go against that. He’s already forcing me to do enough.
“Hello, boys,” Kellan says, joining us.
Bennett ignores him as he drinks from a Solo cup.
Deke throws him a glare. I watch the entrance to the kitchen, waiting for either Kaitlin or Austin to walk in. At this point, I’m not sure who I want to see less.
“I’d choose Becky.”
“What?” I snap, looking over at Deke.
He ignores my harsh tone. But no one can miss the cut on his bottom lip from my fist yesterday.
“Becky was so mad when I told her about your dare. She was afraid the same thing would happen to me. And I never made her think that I would choose her. But that’s why I was so pissed at Kellan.” He takes a quick sip of his drink. “Because the moment I heard you read the dare, I knew I’d pick her over the group.” He looks me in the eyes. “It’s okay to choose her, Cole. This group will come to an end soon. After graduation, they’ll go their separate ways, but where will Austin go? Will you willingly leave her?” He shakes his head as if he already knows my answer.
“You make it sound like I love her,” I growl.
“Don’t you?”
“No,” I snap. She’s supposed to fall in love with me. I’m the one who is supposed to have all the control and ruin her. Not the other way around. I’ve seen what loving someone can do to another person. And it’s pathetic.
He just smiles.
“Fuck you, Deke.”
“Showtime,” Kellan says, getting our attention. He rubs his hands together excitedly, and my eyes follow where his are. Kaitlin just walked into the kitchen. She has her red hair down. She’s wearing a tight pair of blue jeans and a black top. A big smile on her face.
She does absolutely nothing for me.
She turns around and holds out her right hand, and my eyes widen when I see Bryan take it in his.
“What the fuck?” Kellan snaps.
They walk toward us, and he picks up a Solo cup and pours her a drink. He lifts his eyes to mine. “Boys.” He nods and then pulls her out of the kitchen.
Deke tries to hide his chuckle but fails. “Well, that changes things,” he says happily.
“Absolutely not,” Kellan snaps. “He still has to fuck her.”
“That’s not gonna happen. She’s obviously back with Bryan,” Bennett says, shaking his head.
“That was his dare.” Kellan growls. “He fucks her or he’s out.”
“What is he supposed to do?” Bennett asks. “Rape her?”
“If that’s what he has to do,” Kellan says with a nod.
“Absolutely not!” I snap.
“What the fuck, man?” Shane demands. “What is wrong with you?”
He lets out a growl of frustration. “Then you’re out.” He looks at me.
I raise my hands. “Then I’m out.”
Deke smiles at me, and he knows why I just stepped away. It had nothing to do with Kaitlin. And everything to do with Austin.
Fuck! She’s gotten to me.
“No,” Bennett says, pushing off the opposite counter. “You’re not going anywhere, Cole.”
Kellan opens his mouth to argue, but something behind me gets his attention. I turn around to see Austin and Becky walking toward us. She looks like she just walked off a runway in Milan. Her hair curled and down. Her green eyes lined with black. Her lips painted red. And she wears a red fucking dress that makes me weak in the knees. It’s low cut in the front, showcasing her perfect tits. She smiles at me, and everyone parts for them as if they’re fucking royalty.
“Desire” by Meg Myers begins to play over the speakers of the house, and her smile widens like she knows a secret.
“Fuck this shit.” I hear Kellan hiss, but I ignore him.
She comes up to me, and I reach out for her. My hand wraps around her thin waist and I pull her to me.
“I didn’t do it,” I tell her, needing her to know. I wouldn’t have done it anyway. I was just trying to buy time to get out of it, but I couldn’t figure it out. I couldn’t do it because I couldn’t picture her being with anyone else. And I don’t want anyone else.
This woman is as twisted as I am. She is as broken as me. Together, we are two fucked-up people living in a world where you’re supposed to be perfect. She’s not up to pretending, and I’m not up for faking.
“I know,” she whispers against my lips.
I search her eyes, and they sparkle. Just like every other time she has gone toe to toe with me. I love that look on her.
“You’re up to something,” I say.
Her eyes drop to my chest as her hands run down it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says, licking her red lips. I want them wrapped around my cock.
I grip her chin and lift it, so she has to look up at me. “You had something to do with Kaitlin and Bryan.” I’m reaching, but what else can explain what just happened. And the look in her eyes. I’ve underes
timated her too much. But I don’t anymore.
She smiles. “I dare you to prove it.”
AUSTIN
He stares down at me. Those gorgeous blue eyes searching mine. He pulls away, takes my hand, and drags me out of the kitchen. I bite my lip to keep from laughing at his urgency. He pulls me into a room and slams the door shut.
“What did you do?” he demands, spinning to face me.
I cross my arms over my chest.
“Austin,” he growls, coming up to me. “Tell me.”
I love when he’s like this. When the roles are reversed, and he can’t stand to not know what I did. What I’m capable of. “I wasn’t gonna let you fuck her, Cole. If that’s what you want, then fine, let me walk right now. No more you and me. No more game.” He said he didn’t do it, but was that because I stepped in?
He steps to me, his hand coming up to cup my face. “I couldn’t do it because of you.” I swallow nervously at his words. “I was never going to do it.” He pushes his body into mine. “You’re not going anywhere, Austin. I’ve been so dead set on making everyone see you as mine, but I didn’t realize until tonight that all along I’ve been yours.”
“Mine?” I question, and my heart starts to pound faster.
He nods once. His eyes searching mine. “I’m all yours.”
“You’re giving me a choice?” I can’t help but ask.
He chuckles. “No, sweetheart. I’m not.” Then his lips are on mine.
His hands go to the hem of my dress, and I lift my arms above my head and pull away from his lips as he lifts my dress. “Fuck.” He growls when he sees I’m not wearing a bra.
I smile as “A Little Wicked” by Valerie Broussard plays through the speakers.
He takes a step back from me, and I slowly push my red thong down my legs. He watches in complete fascination as I toss it to the side. “I’ll leave my heels on for you.”
His eyes meet mine as his hands go to the belt on his jeans. “You won’t need them while on your knees.”
_______________
I’m sliding my dress on as he pulls his jeans up. “What did you do?” he asks.
“I’d rather not tell you,” I say truthfully.
DARE SERIES COLLECTION Page 26