Page 71 of My Pucked Up Enemy

“Bessie?” James says. “Oh. Never mind. These are now officially adorable.”

Connor reaches over and steals one. “Tell her they are fire.”

“I will,” Parker says with a proud dad grin.

Lizzie passes a stick to Coach and gives him a side-eye. “You burn it, you eat it.”

Coach toasts it with mock solemnity. “I accept your terms.”

I glance to my right. Nina’s between me and Coach, long legs folded, her boots half-tucked beneath the bench. She’s wrapped in a cream knit sweater that keeps sliding off one shoulder, revealing a thin strap underneath and a hint of skin that’s gonna haunt me all damn night.

I nudge her knee with mine. “You’re judging my marshmallow skills, aren’t you?”

She barely turns her head. “You lit yours on fire on purpose.”

“It’s called caramelization.”

“It’s called sabotage.”

I smirk. “You say sabotage. I say culinary innovation.”

“You say a lot of things, Chadwick.”

“And yet, here you are. Sitting dangerously close,” I mumble under my breath.

“We are all sitting close. It's called a bonfire,” she deadpans, but I feel the brush of her knee shift just a little closer.

Ethan whistles. “Ooh, Alex, you just got burned by the Doc.”

"Maybe I like it hot."

Coach Stephens breaks in. "While we are roasting our desserts and each other, Nina is going to fill us in on tonight's activity."

Nina stands, brushing graham crumbs off her sweater, and holds up a small stack of cards. "Alright, gentlemen. Tonight’s game is called 'Pass the Question.' Each of you gets one card. It has a question on it. It may be personal, random, embarrassing...but nothing cruel. You answer it honestly, then toss it into the fire. No take-backs, no lying, and definitely no blaming me when you reveal something mortifying."

James groans. "What if I plead the Fifth?"

"Then you get two questions instead," Nina says, straight-faced. "Those are the rules. Now suck it up, Henderson."

"Are you in, too, Doc?"

"I will play it as well if you want."

I lean over, giving her a mock serious look. “No backing out now, Doc. If we’re all emotionally undressing around the fire, you’ve got to toss a layer too.”

James cackles. “Damn, Chadwick. That was poetic and threatening.”

The guys laugh as she starts passing out cards. "Parker, no editing. Ethan, no dramatic pauses. James... just try to act like a grown-up for five whole minutes."

"Wow," James mutters, flipping his card. "This already feels like therapy with s’mores."

The radio gets turned off and the game begins.

James pulls the first one. “What’s your most irrational fear?”

“Lettuce,” he says without hesitation.

A chorus of groans follows.

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