Truth or Dare: My Boyfriend Is a Dad

The laughter and amorous tension in the house suddenly ground to a halt, replaced by a deathly silence.

Tracy Sanderson was clinging to Alaric Lovell's arm, their proximity too intimate for comfort.

"You're back sooner than I expected." Looking guilty, Alaric stood up, only to blame me. "You could've called and said you were on your way home! You owe that much to your boyfriend, at least."

Ah, so he was aware that he was my boyfriend, not that it stopped him from flirting with Tracy.

I snorted. "So, the fact that you have a girlfriend hasn't eluded you, huh? I thought you were having too much fun to remember."

Alaric scowled. "What the hell does that mean, Elena? No need to get all sarcastic. Are you seriously throwing a fit when you just got home?"

A sense of weariness washed over me. I paid him no mind, scanning the matching cartoon slippers on his and Tracy's feet. Gone were the indoor slippers that had been mine.

Oh, Elena, this was such a farce.

I set my suitcase down and turned to look at Tracy. "I haven't heard the answer yet. What's the deal with that kid you mentioned?"

Tracy's smile hardened. She instinctively let go of Alaric's arm, but he pulled her back and flapped his hand at me dismissively. "It was just a joke, Elena! Don't take it seriously. It was only a game of truth or dare."

The blue-haired man beside him immediately chimed in agreement, his performance over-the-top, "Yeah, that's it! Don't get the wrong idea, Elena! We're used to joking around like that during games, just for the vibes, you know?"

Everyone else seemed to snap to their senses and hurried to keep the peace. "Oh, yes, that's right. You know how Tracy is; her brain can never keep up with her mouth!"

"If Alaric's first time was with her, we would've heard about it! We'd have made a running joke out of it, too!"

"Don't take it personally, Elena. It's all a bit of harmless fun. No point getting grouchy over it."

I watched as they pretended to be peacemakers when, in truth, they were implying that I'd overreacted.

My heart tightened. I was beyond annoyed and frustrated.

This wasn't the first time I'd encountered something like this.

If I ever had a problem with Tracy, Alaric and his group of friends would placate me with words like "You're just too sensitive" or "It's just a joke".

I didn't bother wasting my breath on them, staring at Alaric instead as I asked, "The DM a minute ago—was that a joke, too?"

Alaric's gaze turned evasive as he faltered, "I… I was just trying to surprise you, so I invited them over to brainstorm…"

Before he finished speaking, Tracy scoffed. "Your girlfriend needs a better sense of humor, Alaric. You wanted to give her a surprise, but here she is, giving you an ultimatum!"

I slowly stood up and turned to look at her. "Is that so? In that case, I brought a surprise, too."

I surveyed the room quietly, my gaze finally landing on Alaric's favorite crystal ornament on the coffee table. The next second, I raised it high in the air, then threw it on the ground like I was hitting a touchdown.

The ornament shattered into pieces at my feet, the sound breaking the false peace in the room.

Everyone fell into a stunned silence at my sudden behavior.

I met Alaric's furious gaze, then mirrored his and his friends' demeanor earlier as I sneered, "How's that for a surprise? Why the shocked faces, people? I'm trying to turn up the vibes!"

Alaric was shaking with rage. "Have you lost your damn mind, Elena?"