Page 13 of My Accidental Valentine

And to my dismay. I was hoping he’d pick truth—I hadn’t even figured out what I wanted to ask yet, but it was definitely going to be a question, not a task. Now, with the weight of the dare hanging between us, I freeze, completely taken aback. My mind races as I scramble for something that doesn’t sound ridiculous.

We just stare at each other for a long moment. Adam sits there quietly, his expression calm but slightly amused, like he’s waiting to see if I’ll fold first. And then, almost on impulse, I blurt out, “Show me the last message you sent to Peter.”

I mean, I suspected it had to be something good—the friendship between Adam and Peter is special, a lot like mine and Millie’s. But the second the dare leaves my mouth, Adam’s face flushes crimson—so fast I’m caught off guard. I figured there’d be something funny or mildly embarrassing between them, but I didn’t expectthis reaction.

Peter immediately grabs his own phone to check what I’ve just unearthed, and the second he sees it, he slaps a hand to his forehead like,Oh God, this is worse than I thought.

Adam exhales through his nose as though he’s debating whether to show me, but then he reluctantly pulls out his phone, scrolls for a second, and finally holds the screen toward me. He’s pinned the message with his thumb so that only one is visible.

“Yup, and it doesn’t help that I’m so fucking horny.”

My heart slams into my ribs like a wrecking ball. I can feel the room watching me, but all I can focus on is that one sentence. My face heats up so fast I probably look like I’m seconds away from spontaneous combustion.

The girls start hollering, leaning in and demanding to know what it says. Adam quickly pulls the phone away before they can peek, and I just shake my head, unable to form words.

To be fair, I have no ideawhyAdam is horny. But considering he sent that to Peter just a few hours ago—after everything that’s happened today, after the bathroom incident, after seeing him naked and hard—let’s just say, my delusional side is having a field day drawing parallels and making connections.

“Nice,” I say to Adam, adding a teasing lilt to my voice to mask my own embarrassment.

But it doesn’t help—he looks absolutely mortified. His gaze stays fixed on the floor, his face still flushed. When Amira prompts him with a cheerful, “Your turn, Adam!” he downs the rest of his wine in one swift gulp before finally looking up.

Right at me, his eyes glinting dangerously. “Truth or dare, Sammy?”

A shiver runs down my spine at the way he says my name.

“Truth,” I say, panicking slightly because there’s no way I’m letting Adam freaking Payne peek intomyphone.

“Alright,” Adam says as he casually picks up the wine bottle from the coffee table and pours himself another glass. “What did you and Millie talk about when you went upstairs?”

The blood drains from my face the second I register his question. My mouth goes dry, and to make matters worse, Millie squeaks—a dead giveaway that therewassomething to talk about. Adam’s gaze stays fixed on me, steady and triumphant, like he knows exactly what he’s doing. My brain screams at me to lie, to come up with something harmless, but before I can even try, Adam’s voice cuts through, low and gruff: “You can’t lie.” Like he’s read my fucking mind.

I take a big gulp of my cherry juice, but the sweetness coats my throat, and I regret it immediately. Everyone’s attention is on me again—they might not know what’s going on, but they can tell I’m freaking out, and that’s enough to make them lean in, eager for the drama.

“We…uh,” I stammer, searching for a vague answer—something that skirts the truth without being a complete lie. But when I meet Adam’s gaze, it’s steady and unflinching, daring me to be honest, something shifts inside me.

Screw it,I think. I’ve already caused enough chaos today—what’s one more confession? Besides, there’s something different about Adam tonight, something that makes me feel like if I push just a little, I might end up somewhere entirely unexpected.

“We were talking about you,” I say at last, meeting his eyes head-on. “Can’t say what, though.” I give him an innocent smile, fully aware of everyone's attention on us. “Not really something I can tell the whole class.”

To my surprise, Adam’s lips twitch before betraying a full-on smirk. He shakes his head incredulously, like he can’t believe I actually said it.

The game rolls on, and Amira is next, daring Chara to count the number of boyfriends she’s had in her lifetime. I immediately clap my hands over my ears when Chara starts answering—there are some things a brother doesn’t need to know.

Finally, it’s Emilia’s turn again, and I can already see where this is headed: she’s gearing up to confront Adam. I feel an urge to stop her somehow—signal that I don’t want to get the answer this way, forcing it out of him—but there’s no subtle way to pull it off without making things obvious. I brace myself as she turns to Adam.

“Truth or dare, Adam Payne?” she asks, her voice deceptively sweet.

“Truth,” Adam says, his tone casual, almost unsuspecting. He probably thinks he’s playing it safe—unlike earlier when he had to show his phone.

Emilia’s face lights up—she’s been waiting for this, and she’s not even trying to hide it. “Why didn’t you come to my birthdays all these years?” she asks, her voice casual but razor-sharp beneath the surface.

Adam’s expression gives nothing away at first, so I think the question didn’t hit like she hoped. But then half a minute stretches by, and Adam still hasn’t answered. The silence feels heavier with every second. His jaw tightens, and a faint flush creeps up his neck. He exhales slowly before finally saying, “I didn’t want to come.”

“Why?” Millie asks, refusing to let it go.

Before Adam can respond, Peter steps in. “Millie.” There’s a warning in his tone—kind, but firm.

“What?” Millie shoots him a quick look. “The answer can’t be vague—that’s the rule.”

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