Page 58 of The Dare

“We should talk to Charlotte about having paramedics standing by,” Sasha says as we climb the stairs to her bedroom. “Abigail’s liable to drop dead of jealousy any minute.”

“I don’t know about jealousy.” In Sasha’s room, I plop down in her beanbag chair and toss my hair over one shoulder. “I think what drives her crazy is that her cruelty backfired into actually making me happy.”

Sasha sits on the other beanbag and fixes me with a serious look. “So this is legit then? You and Conor are a real thing now?”

“It’s something,” I say for lack of a better word. “I don’t know what.”

“But it’s real.”

I swallow hard. “I think so. I mean, we’ve kissed and whatever. Messed around a little in Buffalo.”

“You drove seven hours for a booty call,” Sasha says, laughing. “I hope it was more than a little.”

“Six and a half hours. And fine, it was a little more than a little.”

“Do you still have your V-Card?” she demands.

“I’m as yet unacquainted with his penis.”

That earns me a snort. “All right. So. Where’s your headat? Is this like a fine-for-now thing, or is it headed in a linear direction?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I’m into it. Things are a solid A in the fooling around category. He’s sweet and respectful and makes me feel comfortable.”

“But,” Sasha says for me.

“But I’m still hesitant. He’s been nothing but wonderful to me, and yet I can’t shake the idea that if I have sex with him, I’m still a number on a very long list. It feels…” I trail off, unable to find the words.

“That’s the patriarchy talking. Who gives a shit how many women he’s slept with? Did he cheat on them? Did he promise them a ring to get them into bed and then sneak out in the middle of the night? Is he posting sex selfies on Insta and passing trophies around to his friends?”

“Not that I’m aware of, no.”

“So fuck it, then. Or him.” She wiggles her tongue impishly. “If you want to. When you feel like it. If the mood strikes.”

“Okay,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I get it.”

“Society tells boys to divide and conquer, and tells girls to save ourselves for some younger future version of our father. Just doing some quick math in my head and…yep, that comes out to a bunch of hypocritical bullshit. Your self-worth is not tied up in your vagina or how many girls came before you.”

“No pun intended.”

“Precisely.”

20

CONOR

IHAVEN’T FINGERED A GIRL THIS MUCH SINCE HIGH SCHOOL.

Taylor lies in my bed on her side, cheeks flushed and lips parted slightly. Her bra is tossed across my desk in the corner. Her shirt is pulled up to expose her perfect tits for me, jeans pushed down only enough for me to get my hand beneath her skimpy white panties. I haven’t even seen this girl fully naked yet, but she’s the most erotic thing I’ve ever witnessed. Blonde hair splayed over my pillow and warm little body wrapped around mine while she writhes against my hand. Her eyes clench tighter every time I swipe my thumb across her clit. I could do this all day.

“Stop.” Taylor pulls her mouth from mine and I freeze. Shit. Was I being too rough? It’s been a while since I screwed around with a virgin.

“Am I hurting you?” I ask immediately.

“No, it feels amazing.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just… I think I want to go down on you.”

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