Page 21 of College-Virgin & Dark Bully Next-Door

This is going to be a test, and I know it.

She wants to prove to me that I don’t want to spend time with her, but I get to stare at her ass all day. That alone is a fucking reward. Plus, I want to get her talking.

“Let’s play a game.”

“Why?”

“It’s still a twenty-minute drive, bumble bee,” I remind. “Truth or dare.”

“Get the fuck out of here with that.”

“Truth it is. Does my brother really get under your skin?”

“I don’t think about him when he’s not around. He’s a pain in the ass, but I can deal with him.” She lets it roll of her shoulders so easily.

“Truth or dare, dick.”

“Truth.”

“Why did you come back here?”

My lips curl into a tight fold as I contemplate my response. When we were kids, I remember boasting to Chase how I was going to make it big. Be like Rocky Balboa. Years later and I’m no closer to that dream. It feels terrible. I feel like a complete failure.

“I’m starting over,” I mumble. Simple and true.

Sky nods as if she totally gets it.

“You’ve always loved Rocky. Remember, he had to start over, too.” She says it so softly, I almost ask her to repeat herself, but I let the silence sit between us.

I didn’t expect her to remember anything about me really. Only the bad. But we used to watch Rocky together. Her brother and I would act out the scenes, and she’d rate our acting. She’d always end up giggling.

“Truth or dare?” I finally ask.

“Truth.”

We keep playing back and forth, keeping things safe. Until I park. I say truth because I’m mildly terrified of what she’ll dare me to do. She faces me, actually faces me without a trace of anger.

She licks her top lip, and I see more than confusion, there’s some hope there. It’s thin, it’s small, but it’s something that makes my chest squeeze. Two arguments, a bad choice, and me begging, then a twenty-minute car ride to get that.

“Why do you still call me bumble bee?” she asks.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“You can’t answer a question with a question. You didn’t call me that except to get under my skin,” she huffs while slinging her backpack over one shoulder.

“Because you were always doing things. A busy little bee. Flying around, stinging me if I got too close or wild. It fits now more than ever,” I murmur.

She slams the car door, stares at it, then motions to the trail. “Let’s go.”

Something in my answer must have been wrong. Why the fuck can’t I get a read on her?

Chapter 6

Sky

I kick myself again for agreeing to this. I was sure he’d say fuck it and pay me or tell me to pull my head out of my ass or try some more of that charm. But he isn’t doing any of that. He’s letting me choose the path, and we’re sticking to it. He doesn’t try to touch me, to corner me, nothing.

And it’s damning, just like him answering my questions. I glance back at him and watch him spray himself down again with bug repellent. I almost tell him to stop because he doesn’t know half the chemicals in there, but whatever. It’s his body, not mine.

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