001: Truth Or Dare

SKYLAR

“Truth or dare, golden boy.”  

That voice. Ugh. It belongs to one of the worst people at Valor State University, and if you guessed “asshole linebacker,” or “walking STD,” you’d be correct.

It belongs to Chris Jerkins. My boyfriend’s best friend. The certified menace of the century.  

And the golden boy he’s referring to? That’s Shawn Crawford–VSU’s star running back, my bestie and roommate’s brother, and my boyfriend.  

Well. Technically my secret boyfriend, because absolutely no one knows we’re dating.  

Eight weeks ago, Shawn got into a massive, brutal, phone-cameras-everywhere fight with Trey Parker, the team’s powerhouse quarterback. The video hit 2 million views in a day.  

Now the university PR team has them both on strict media lockdown. With Shawn’s every move being monitored, one headline that says “Star Running Back in Messy New Relationship” and he’s benched, suspended, or worse.  

Logically, I get it. But emotionally, it still shreds me.    No one likes being treated like a dirty little secret you have to hide under the bleachers. But I love him, and there’s no way I’m the reason he loses everything he’s worked for.  

So I play along.  

We’re all gathered around a bonfire. And by “all” I mean: Me, sitting directly across from Shawn, pretending it doesn’t kill me that he hasn’t looked my way once since I got here; Shawn; his three idiot friends; my prude of a stepsister; her bimbo friends currently warming the guys’ laps; and like six other people I don’t know.

We’re at a party. The most amazing bonfire party of the semester, according to my bestie, Jade.  

I only agreed to come because I was blackmailed. Jade literally threatened to factory-reset my Kindle and permanently wipe my entire 500-book spicy dark romance collection if I spent another Sunday night locked up in the dorm.

That is a crime, and there was absolutely no way I was letting that tragedy happen.  

But the real kicker? Minutes after we got here, my so-called bestie ran off with some hot girl and left me completely stranded. Gosh, when I find her, she’s so dead.

People are everywhere. Some grinding to the music, others making out like their lives depend on it. There’s even a beer game where guys are literally drinking off the chest of topless girls.

And out of all the places I could have ended up, I somehow managed to land in this exact line of fire.

When Shawn fails to reply, Chris leans forward–with Natalia draped sideways across his lap–wearing an icky grin that always screams trouble. “Come on, Crawford. Truth or dare? Don’t leave us hanging.”  

Jaw tight, Shawn sets his drink down on the grass. “I’m passing, Chris. Unlike you, I actually can’t afford another scandal right now. The athletic board is breathing down–”  

“Oh, boo-hoo,” Jake cuts in from across the circle, rolling his eyes. “Seriously, Shawn? You’re acting like a total pussy lately. Since when do you back down from a silly party game? You used to actually be fun.”  

Wrong. Flipping. Move.  

If there’s one thing about Shawn Crawford, it’s that he absolutely loathes having his ego bruised, and he hates backing down from a challenge even more.  

I watch his expression shift. His shoulders square. That dark, competitive look coats his handsome features.

“Fine,” he says. “Dare.”  

A collective “Ouuu!” bounces through the circle.

When the noise dies down, Chris’s smirk turns predatory. “Perfect. Because a little birdie told me a very interesting rumor recently.” He drags his gaze around the fire. “Word on the street is that our star running back has a secret girlfriend. And according to my source... she’s at this exact party. In this exact circle.”  

My heart instantly falls straight to my butt. Oh my god. He knows.  

With the warning, dangerous look Shawn is aiming at Chris, anyone with a brain cell would shut up. Not Chris. If anything, he soaks it in, enjoying the fact that everyone else is murmuring, hooked.

“So,” he continues. “here’s your dare, golden boy. I dare you to walk up to this mystery girl right now... and kiss her.”  

Cue the pin-drop silent afterwards. My breath lodges itself in my throat and my palms begins to sweat like crazy against my jeans.  

When Shawn remains seated, his gaze turning downright murderous as he stares at a relaxed Chris, the rest of the circle gets impatient.

“Do it!” a lanky guy starts, clapping to the beat.  “Do it! Do it!”  

Within seconds everyone joins in. The chant drowns out the music.  “DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!”  

Realizing he has no exit strategy without looking like a coward, Shawn snaps and stands. “Fine.”  

As he steps off the log and begins walking around the perimeter of the bonfire, my heart thumps so loudly it’s a miracle the two girls on either side of me don’t hear it.  

Sheesh. I’m terrified of the chaos this will unleash. I have no idea how the PR department will handle this. But at the same time, I’m psyched. This is it. He’s finally going to claim me. No more hiding.

He gets closer. Three feet. Two feet.

Only… he doesn’t stop. His shadow passes right by my knees and keeps going.  

Wait. What?  

Why the flipping ducks didn’t he stop?  

Blinking rapidly, I watch in paralyzed disbelief as he halts three steps later. Directly in front of Cherry. My stepsister.

Why in the name of Zeus is she already standing? Why is she looking at him like she's been waiting all night for this?

Before I can even formulate more questions, Shawn reaches out, cups the back of her head, and slams his mouth to hers.  

Gasps. Shocked shouts. Loud cheers erupts. Even people who weren’t playing have crowded in. But the sound instantly dies in my ears–all I hear is ringing.

No. This isn’t real. The firelight’s definitely playing tricks on my sight.

With wobbly hands, I pull off my round glasses, wipe the lenses on my cardigan, and shove them back on, praying for a different reality.

Prayer falls on deaf ears because I’m greeted with an even worse scene. Shawn’s pulling Cherry flush against his chest, and her claws are roaming his red hair.

Finally, Chris wolf-whistles. “Alright, alright, Crawford! Save some for the dorms!”  

That breaks them apart, both panting. Cherry’s cheeks flushes a triumphant pink. Shawn’s face is tight with lingering anger as he glares past her at Chris.

“Not cool, man. You happy now?”

Chris just shrugs and raises his cup. “Game’s a game.”  

With a head shake, Shawn turns to leave, but he doesn’t make it far before Cherry grabs his arm, pouting. “Wait, babe, where you going?”  

Babe?

Letting out a deep breath, Shawn looks at her and says, loud enough for everyone to hear, “I’ll be right back. Just gonna take a piss.”  

Then he does the thing that sets my already shattered heart in flames–he leans down and  presses a kiss to her forehead before walking away into the darkness.

As my vision blurs with tears, I look up in time to see Cherry turn to me, and right there on her perfect face is a faint, smug smirk.

0.2 seconds later, her whole frame disappears as everyone swarms her.  

“Oh my god, how long?”  

“Is this serious?”  

“Tell us everything!”  

At that moment, a hot, furious spark replaces my grief–one in demand of answers.

Pushing through the boulder-sized weight in my chest, I stand on shaky legs and march into the dark woods after my ‘boyfriend’.  

The thumping bass of the bonfire fades behind me, replaced by crickets and the sound of my own heavy breaths.  

Angry tears fog my glasses until they slide down the bridge of my nose. It’s a miracle I even find him—back to me, leaning against an oak tree without a single care in the world.  

“What the flip, Shawn?” I choke out, and he jerks, nearly tripping over himself as he spins around and hastily zips up his fly.  

“The actual fuck, Skylar!” He drags a hand through his hair in irritation. “You scared the living shit out of me!”  

“What was that about, Shawn? Seriously. What the duck was that?”  

This dude has the audacity to roll his eyes. “What was what about?”  

“You and Cherry! You literally just swallowed her whole in front of the entire campus. Instead of me! I’m your girlfriend, for Pete’s sake. We’ve been dating for two months!”  

If the eye roll didn’t break me, the deeply bored, dismissive sigh as he brushes past my shoulder, heading straight back toward the fire, definitely did. “It’s nothing. Don’t think too much about it.”  

“Don’t think too much about it?!” I spin after him. “Every flipping soul out there just watched you claim her! She called you babe! You kissed her forehead! So if she’s your girlfriend, what does that make me? A dirty little secret? An embarrassment?”  

Shawn stops so fast I almost crash into his back. When he turns, his handsome features twist into a harsh scowl. “Please don’t start, Skylar. This exact dramatic bullshit is why I didn’t choose you.”