Page 98 of Dare To Take

“Sure.” I try to prop myself up, fall back into the snow and laugh. “Guess not. Where’s Ari? She’s so pretty, isn’t she? Like an angel … angel … hah … snow angels.” I flatten my palms against the snow and swish my arms and legs back and forth.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” He wraps a hand around one of my arms and hauls me up into a seated position.

I sling an arm around his shoulder and pull him into the snow beside me and hug him. “I love you, Kell. You’re my best friend. You know that, right?”

“If I wasn’t so fucking worried you’re about to die, I’d totally be recording this for blackmail purposes later.”

“Do you need any help?” Another voice, one I should recognize but honestly don’t give a single fuck about right now, intrudes.

“Grab an arm and help me to get him upright.”

The world spins and then I’m on my feet, staring down at the snow. I throw my head back. “Hey, look. I can see the moon. It’s so … shiny.”

There’s a sigh from my left … or maybe my right. I’m not really sure.

“What happened?” That voice I should know speaks again.

I turn my head to search it out and find the guy Kellan wants to fuck standing there. I squint at him. “You’re …” I search my brain for the name, but my brain isn’t working. Which is weird. I’m usually very good with names. “I think it begins with M?”

“Miles.”

I snap my fingers, and the sound distracts me … so I do it again … and again.

“Eli! Concentrate.”

“Why haven’t you let Kellan fuck you yet? Are you scared?”

“What? No. We’re not—”

I snicker. “He says you give great head.”

“Stop talking.” A hand slaps over my mouth, so I do the only reasonable thing.

I lick it. The hand is snatched away.

Kellan’s fuckbuddy laughs. “Jesus fucking Christ. Is he high? What did he take?”

“He didn’t take anything. His drink was spiked.”

“Your hand tastes salty.” I roll my head sideways to find Kellan.

“I’m not even going to touch that comment. Let’s get you back to school before you die of hypothermia or something.”

“Is he always like this?” That’s Miles … I think.

“He’s never like this. Now I know why I annoy the fuck out of him so much.”

“What do you think happened?”

“Where’s Ari?” I interrupt, twisting around to find her. “We were gonna fuck.”

“No, you weren’t. And she ran off after drugging you with whatever the fuck was in that coffee.” The usual light-hearted tone of Kellan’s voice is missing.

“Pretty sure we were. I had her top off and everything.” I twist to find Miles. “Maybe that’s what you two should do. Find somewhere quiet like the chapel and just get it out of your system.”

“We’re not having sex.” Miles keeps his attention on the trees ahead of us.

“I know that. Kellan complains about it all the time. So have sex. That way, he’ll stop whining at me.”

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