Page 15 of Hers To Keep

“Spin the bottle—have you honestly never played, Silver?” Jade asks, cocking her head to one side, acting surprised.

“No, I guess I just…” Stella answers nervously beside her but is interrupted by Kinsley who slithers on by.

“When was Stella going to get a chance to play? First, she’d have to have friends, and second, someone would have to be willing to kiss the poor little virgin,” Kinsley says mockingly, although she’s the desperate one who’s been following Bass around like a pathetic little bitch all night.

“Oh shut it, Kinsley. You’re just hating on Stella because there’s nothing virgin left in you, well, if there ever was,” Jade sneers, stepping toward her. Jade’s dark blonde hair is down from its usual ponytail and falls straight down her back in soft, beachy waves. Her outfit, much like mine, consists of cut-off jean shorts, and an off the shoulder, black, long-sleeved top. The denim jacket she earlier had wrapped around her waist, now lies on a log on her spot around the fire.

Kinsley smacks her lips, pouting but holding her own, “Like you’re any different, Wolfe. The way you parade around in your slutty outfits. If the rumors are true, you’ve already slept with half of the lacrosse team.” Kinsley’s shorter than Jade, but I have to give her some credit for not cowering at Jade’s furious glare. She’d surely knock her out with just one punch, but I’d like to think Jade has a bit more self-control than that.

“Enough, Kinsley!” Bass shouts, standing abruptly and violently crushing a can of beer in his hand. “Like any of the guys on the lacrosse team would stoop so low,” he scoffs, glaring toward Jade who stands with her hands on her hips. Her shorts hang low on them, and her cropped top displaying her tamed and toned stomach and a brand-new gemstone ring.

Jade’s scowls deepens as she directs her fury on him as he speaks. Bass’s flannel shirt falls open with each word, revealing histoned abdomen underneath. Jade's earlier furious gaze turns playful as she admires his physique, showing a glimmer of lust as her eyes trace over Bass’s exposed chest.

It’s the end of November, the air is cooling, but around the firepit they’ve built, the air is warm, causing a few of us to remove our sweaters and jackets.

“Well then, what are we waiting for, Silver,” Jade answers him in her sultriest voice, stepping toward him. She places a hand on his bare chest, her fingers tracing over his bulging pecs, and I notice his chest rise as he holds in a breath. “Show me how it’s done, Sebastian.”

His eyes dilate at the sound of his name coming from her lips and he quickly grabs a bottle of beer from the table beside us, opening it with the edge of his teeth and chugging it down in a matter of seconds.

“After you, Little Wolf,” he says playfully back at her, but his gaze is anything but playful.

We all move to sit in a circle around the firepit, sitting on blankets Stella brought out earlier from inside. The queens sit on one side, my friends and I on the other, with the Horsemen between us. Ace inserts himself between Jade and me, leaving her to sit beside Bass on my right.

“So the rules are clear?” Jade asks, looking around at everyone. “You spin the bottle and the person who it lands on has to choose either truth or dare. The person who spins gets to decide the challenge of course, and then the one who was chosen spins, y’all comprende?” We all nod as Kai passes everyone a new beer.

“You skip out on the dare and your punishment is to chug the entire bottle. I’d say let’s make things interesting and strip off an article of clothing instead, but I wouldn’t want your pretty little asses to freeze out here,” Kai says, looking directly toward Carrington.

“And what makes you think we’d skip out on a dare, Malachi?” Carrington coos using his full name, while flipping her hair backflirtatiously. It makes me gag as I turn to Stella and see a nervous look on her face.

“Well, princess, you haven’t played with us poor kids before. We’re brutal in spin the bottle. Not much else to do in the slums,” Kai adds, sitting back at his place beside Stella. He meant it as a joke but he’s not wrong. I can name more than a few times our nights ended this way.

My first kiss with Drake was on a dare, of course Kai knew exactly what he was doing when he dished it out. My heart aches as I’m reminded of Drake, and it’s enough to make my mood go sour.

“Please, like we couldn’t handle you,” Carrington scoffs back at Kai and I’m so close to saying fuck it and slapping the bitch..

“Okay, first up since this was your idea, sweet Kins,” Jade says, interrupting Kai and Carrington’s playful banter and saving dear old Carrie from a beating.

“Of course,” Kinsley says, nearly flashing us all when her short, flowy dress shifts up her leg as she inches closer to the middle where the bottle sits. She reaches over to spin it and we all watch closely as it lands on Alek sitting across from her. “Alek, truth or dare?” she asks with a sinister smile.

“Dare of course,” he responds, straightening his shoulders back and smiling arrogantly.

“Okay, well since this is the entire reason we’re playing, I dare you to kiss little Silver,” she says mockingly, turning toward Stella with a patronizing glare.

“Really, Kins,” Alek whines, also looking toward an embarrassed Stella to my left.

“Like hell you’re gonna kiss my cousin!” Bass yells out, quickly standing up, an intense fury coating his dark gray eyes. Stella groans into her hands at Bass’s interjection.

“Wasn’t planning on it man,” Alek assures his best friend who looks like he’s about to beat his ass.

“I’ll do it,” Kai answers from his spot sitting beside Stella. Stellalifts her head from her hands in surprise, her face instantly paling at his comment. Kai winks at her and I shake my head in disbelief. He doesn’t know he’s playing with fire here.

“Fuck no you won’t!” Bass shouts even louder, stepping toward Kai with his hands firmly fisted at his side.

“Well then who will, Bass?” Kinsley asks, annoyed this isn’t going the way she’d hoped. “A dare is a dare, and a Silver must be kissed.”

“You’re my brother and all, Bass, but I will not kiss you,” Alek mocks, trying to loosen up the tension and grabbing his beer, chugging it in one gulp.

“Then I’ll do it,” Bass says, causing us all to turn to him in horror.

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