Page 49 of F*cking Shattered

He grabs my arm. “I’m sooo getting you back.” He drags me from the room, while my giggles continue.

As we’re walking down the hall towards the exit, another lady approaches us. River stops, being the polite man he is, but he doesn’t look happy about it.

“Hi there, sweet-stuff. I saw you on the beach today and couldn’t help but to notice how thin you are. So I whipped up a batch of brownies.” She smiles at him sweetly before giving me the death glare. “Don’t you know how to feed your man?” she asks me.

My mouth hangs open. What happened to sweet old ladies? The only ones I’ve seen here are horny as hell.

River takes the plate and bows his head. “Thank you. That’s very nice of you, Mrs…”

She turns back to him, sweetness dripping from her voice as she says, “Ms. Pen. Vivian Pen.”

River holds out his hand and she places hers in his. He places a kiss to the top. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Pen. And thank you for the brownies. I won’t be sharing any of them.” He flashes me an annoyed look.

I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest.

The lady blushes and covers her smile with her hand.

Before anyone can say anything else, River grabs my wrist again and pulls me out the door.

“You’re sooo dead,” he seethes.

“Please, stop. My stomach can’t handle any more laughing.” I hold my side that is already aching.

Chapter Twelve

River refuses to leave the room for the rest of the day. He snacks on his brownies that look thick and delicious, but he refuses to give me one. We watch some TV and finally break out his flask because we’re both so bored. I wanted to go to Miami Beach, but it was already so late in the day that I decided to push it off until tomorrow.

I pull out my list as we’re sitting on the floor around the coffee table, taking turns with the flask. I make sure I’ve marked off everything that I can, and study it for my next accomplishment.

“Hey, I know what we can do.”

“What’s that?” His eyes find mine.

“We can play truth or dare.” I flip the notebook around to show him number nineteen.

His brow wrinkles. “How have you gone your whole life and not played truth or dare?”

I set the list back down on the table. “I was always afraid I’d have to do or answer something embarrassing, so I never played.”

He shakes his head but agrees.

“Okay, truth or dare?” I ask him.

“Truth.”

I think up a question. I don’t want to get into anything too hard or deep just yet. I want to play nice so that maybe he will do the same with me. “What’s your last name?” I can’t believe I never thought to ask him that before.

“Wilce,” he answers.

“Hmmm. River Wilce.” Jovi Wilce? That sounds weird but I bet I could get used to it.

“Truth or dare?” he asks me.

I think it over, going with the ‘ease into it’ approach. “Truth.”

He places his hand on the floor behind him and leans back while watching me. “Did you enjoy being on that stage, stripping while all eyes were on you?”

My heart picks up, and my stomach fills with butterflies at the memory. I swallow down my fear with another shot. “I did. It was exhilarating, not that it is something I will ever do again.”

---