Page 52 of The Dare

“That guy back there is a total idiot, and you shouldn’t waste a second worrying about the dumb shit that comes out of his mouth,” Conor says. “It wouldn’t have mattered who was standing next to me, trust me. Kai would’ve found a way to insult them. He picked on you because he knew it would get a rise out of me.” I hear him sigh. “That’s not fair to you. It’s fucking mean and I’m sorry it happened, but please don’t let this ruin your weekend.”

“He hit on the one nerve,” I find myself whispering.

“I know, babe. And if you knew him like I do, you would’ve stabbed him in the nuts with one of those heels and gone on about your life without a second thought.”

“Shit.” I breathe out a sad laugh. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because you have tact.”

I give him a sideways look.

“Most of the time,” he says with a smirk. “My point is, forget about what that asshole said. You look amazing tonight.”

“You always say that.”

“It’s always true.”

A blush rises to my cheeks. I hate how easy it is for him to do that, to get a physical response out of me.

I take one of the pillows from the barrier and hug it to my chest. “Who is he to you, anyway? A friend from California, I take it?”

Conor’s head falls back against the headboard as he lets out another long sigh. I wait, watching the story play out across his face, as if he’s deciding how much to tell me.

“Kai was my best friend growing up,” he finally reveals. “Back in my old neighborhood. We’d skateboard together, surf, smoke weed, whatever. When my mom got married and we moved to Huntington Beach, I’d still see him now and then, meet up to surf, but it’s hard when you’re not attending the same school anymore, you know? So we drifted apart. By college, I’d stopped returning his texts and that was pretty much it.”

I don’t know Conor well, certainly not well enough to have any read on his relationship with Kai. But I think I’ve spent enough time with him recently to know when he’s holding something back. There’s a wound there, something deep. Whatever it is, it’s a step too far to let me see it.

“You’re not convinced he tracked you down just to say hi, huh?”

“Not a chance.” There’s an edge to his voice. “I’ve known Kai most of my life. He’s never not been up to something.”

“So what do you think he’s up to?”

Conor chews on that, his jaw working. The muscles in his neck twitch. “You know what? Not my problem and I don’t want to know.” He rolls onto his side to face me. Something about his vivid gray eyes, the way his lips part when he’s staring at mine, does my head in every time. “I was having a great night before we were interrupted.”

I can feel myself blushing again. I bite my lip a little too hard, just to remind myself of the pain that’s always waiting when I let myself pretend. And yet I can’t stop myself from saying, “Me too.”

“I would’ve really liked to see where it was headed.”

“Where do you think it was headed?” Oh boy. Does that throaty voice actually belong to me?

His gaze turns molten. “I’ve got about a thousand ideas, if you’re into it.”

Am I into it?

Of course I’m into it. I’m way too into it and that’s the tricky part. Because right now is when I make the decision—go all in on total emotional destruction with Conor, or make a clean break for good.

Why does he have to smell so nice?

“I have to tell you something,” I say, squeezing the pillow to my chest and staring at my toes. “I’m…” A coward. I take a deep breath and try again. “I’ve never been with anyone. Like at all. Well, I’ve done a little. But not much.”

“Oh,” is his response.

It hangs there, that infuriating little syllable. Like a wisp of smoke growing larger as it fills the room.

Then he drawls, “I was a virgin too, once.”

I jab him with an elbow.

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