Page 3 of Double Dare

“I mustn’t be a burden, ladies.”

“Fuck that,” Nina scoffs. “Vent, girlie.” I nod to agree, just wanting Gen to feel secure and loved for maybe the first time in her life.

Gen blows her nose, sits up straighter, clears her throat, and jumps into it. “He has dictated my entire life! I’ve never done anything for myself, and I think I got so comfortable with it I didn’t even realize it was so wrong. You know what’s pathetic?” she asks, sniffling, trying not to cry. “I don’t even know how to think for myself because I’ve never been allowed to make a decision.”

“You’ve been doing a hell of a job since you got here, Gen,” I remind her.

“Thank you.” She offers a tight smile.

“Was it the marriage thing that finally tipped you over?” Nina asks.

Gen nods. “Yes. I…Nathanial is a wonderful person, and I know he would have done everything he could have to give me a life that I wanted, but…but it was just one more thing my parents decided for me. That coupling has been set since I was ten years old, and my father never even let me celebrate the end of medical school! He just said, oh, you’re getting married in two weeks, and that was it. I’m frickin’ sick of it!” She pauses to huff. “He thinks I’m fat, so even everything down to what I eat is dictated!”

What a twat. “You’re fucking gorgeous, Gen. You know that, right?”

“I’m beginning to learn that,” she says, wiping away tears. “Thank you, ladies. I’m just tired of it all. I’m tired of having no say in my own life. I don’t want to run charities and organize fundraisers. Those are all great things, but I want to practice medicine, be the doctor I trained so hard to be, and do it for me, not him.”

“So do it,” Nina says. “You’re in control now.”

“And you’re allowed to dream.”

I can’t even imagine growing up like Gen has. I don’t understand what it’s like not to have the support of a parent, but even more so, I don’t understand the desire to dictate someone’s life.

“Do you want your parents to be a part of your life?” I ask.

“I hope they will want that,” she admits. “But on my terms.”

The door bangs open and Four rushes in. No more hesitation from him as he steps up to Genevieve, pulls her to her feet, and holds her cheeks.

“You don’t fucking need me, got it? But I’m here.” He stares her right in the eyes, and holy shit, I can feel his determination to remind Gen how incredibly capable she is all on her own. “He’s gone for now. Whatever you want to do, you can do it. I’m here, Genevieve.”

Nina gives me a look of pride, the two of us getting up to leave them to their moment. When the door closes, Nina laughs.

“Fuck, he’s next,” she says.

“I honestly thought it would be Hardin,” I laugh.

“Oh, Hardin is an in love fool, but he’ll forever get off on calling Freya his local hookup, and she’ll secretly love to hate him for it!” Nina grins.

The Dare boys might have dirty mouths, but their hearts are pure. They have a reputation for being wild, but in my opinion, Freya is wilder. Hope Hardin always encourages her to stay free and untamed like that.

“Lakes!” Jed shouts, the slam of the front door following it.

Nina gives me another look, a devilish grin on her face, before slipping into Bo’s room and leaving me to deal with the troubled duo. Guilt is a bitch, and I’m definitely wrapped up in her claws, but at the same time, I refuse to feel guilty for something we all wanted but don’t know how to face now that it’s happened. We need a chat, but those two are hard to crack.

Jed might have shouted my name, but he’s in no rush to get to me. Him and Kade are in the kitchen, bickering over how the coffee maker works and what order to put the water and grounds in. I can tell they tried to clean up, but there’s still blood on their faces and dried into the cracks of their knuckles. I realize fighting is a form of conversation to them, so however it went, I hope they at least settled something. They both look a little calmer, which has to be a good sign. Right?

“Lakes.” Jed notices me, leaving Kade to fend for himself. He walks right up to me, fingers weaving into my hair, his lips on mine. “Is Gen okay?”

He smells like sweat, blood, and coffee, and I gotta say, it’s working for him. I rest my temple on his chest, wrapping my arms around his strong torso. Shit, sometimes it hits me how sexy he is. I used to think he was cocky, and he is, but that confidence goes a long way with his appeal. He’s sure of himself, and I like the way it feels on him.

“She’s okay. Four is with her.” I pull back to look up at him. “You guys okay?”

He grins like a true Dare. “Kade’s pride is hurt because I won. And don’t you fucking tell him that I didn’t hold back as much as he thinks I did.” He grips my chin and tilts my head up. “You okay, love?”

I nod. “Clearly, we have to talk about this shit, but yeah. As long as you guys are.”

He groans about talking, ending the conversation by pulling me to the dining table. We sit down, a random assortment of Dares at the table this morning. Dom walks in the front door with purpose, but as soon as he looks around, he just sits down and doesn’t say anything.

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