Page 96 of Man On

“Oh, I’m just wondering where my grouchy, repressed, sexually reluctant stepbrother went.”

I shrug. “He’s still here. I’m just… I don’t know. Going with the flow for a minute.”

“Big change for you. How long do you think you can keep it up?”

“Yeah,” I huff out a laugh. “That’s an understatement. And I guess we’ll see, based on whatever terrible questions you’re going to ask me.”

“So… you wanna play the game, then?” His fingers are tapping on his knee nervously. What is he up to?

“Is there a prize if I win?”

“Definitely,” he answers, waggling his eyebrows to make me laugh.

“Alright, what’s the game?”

“Truth and then dare.”

“What’s that?”

“We take turns asking each other questions. We each get to ask three questions and have to answer three questions. For every question you don’t answer, you have to do a dare at the end of the game.”

“So it’s truth or dare, but different.”

“Basically. I’m not that creative,” he says, grinning.

“Is this a trap to get me to tell you all my secrets?” I ask jokingly, trying not to betray my very real fears about this game.

“Is that one of your questions?”

“Who said I agree to play?!” I ask, then sigh. “What’s the prize?”

“I’ll clean the apartment from top to bottom and do your laundry.”

“Uh, yeah, no dice. No offense, but you’d do a shitty job, and I’d just have to clean behind you and get new clothes.”

“Rude. But fair.” He thinks for a moment. “Fine. I’ll do that whole foods thirty day challenge thing with you.”

“And run with me every morning.”

“What?! I’ll die. Three days.”

“Five days, four miles each.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “Three days, three miles. Final offer.”

“Fine,” I concede. “And what do you want if you win?”.

“Another sick day.”

“Seriously? We already missed a whole day of school and practice. You want to miss another?”

“And stay in bed all day sword fighting? Hell yeah I do.”

I huff a laugh and turn my eyes up to the ceiling.

“God can’t help you, Lane Blakely,” Noah says. “You’re mine now, and I don’t share my toys.”

My gaze snaps to his. I should be surprised or offended, but I’m not. I rather like the idea of belonging to Noah Milner.

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