Page 81 of The Wrong Bachelor

“Like that’s a chore,” Laurie replied with a smug smile. She stood up and started dancing before a timer had even been set. Laurie was a cheerleader, so she knew how to move and was completely comfortable in her body. Almost too comfortable, it seemed. Her dance moves were far from innocent, and I could see a couple of the film club looking a little hot under the collar as they watched on.

It became especially uncomfortable when she started dancing toward me. Her eyes didn’t leave mine as she ran her hands up and down her body, stopping right in front of me like she was putting on a private show. I wanted to close my eyes and pretend it wasn’t happening, but I knew I couldn’t when the cameras were rolling. Laurie grinned when she noticed how uncomfortable she was making me. I kept glancing away from her, which only seemed to encourage her more.

“I think that’s been a minute,” Madi finally announced.

Laurie’s dancing slowly came to a stop, and she flipped her hair over her shoulder, giving me a confident smile before returning to her seat once more. She had enjoyed that dare way too much.

“So, truth or dare, Madi?” Laurie asked, sounding suddenly bored.

“Dare,” Madi replied, surprising me. I had assumed she wouldn't want to take the risk of letting Laurie come up with her dare. Perhaps she was more afraid of whatever truth might be uncovered though. I didn’t blame her.

“I dare you to swap clothes with me,” Laurie said.

“Seriously?” Madi frowned, with a quick glance toward the cameras.

Laurie shrugged. “You playing this game or not?” she asked.

“I don’t think you can put the girls stripping on the show, Angus,” I said, chiming in.

Angus slowly nodded, thinking it over. “You’re right. I don’t think it would go down well with Principal Green. Laurie, pick another dare.”

Madi sent me a grateful look, but Laurie looked annoyed. “If you don’t want to do my dare, Madi, you need to do a truth instead,” she said.

“Fine, truth,” Madi said.

The answer brought a smug smile to Laurie's face. “Truth: were you in love with Cole before you and Jake broke up or was it only after?”

Madi’s eyes widened, and I gripped the arm of my chair as I waited for her to respond. The question wasn’t fair, but I wanted to know the answer.

“I’m not in love with Cole,” she whispered. A small part of me withered inside at her answer. I knew it was way too soon to be saying things like that about each other, and that she couldn't talk about us in front of the others, but her denial still hurt.

“Okay,” Laurie replied. “Maybe not love, but like. Did you like Cole before you and Jake broke up? Were you playing the both of them at the same time?”

Madi stood and glared down at Laurie. “How can you even ask that?”

Laurie stood and met her eye for eye. “Because it’s clear you don’t care about either guy.”

“What?” Madi responded.

“You just want to be with whichever guy gives you the highest profile.”

“That’s not true,” Madi replied. “We broke up because we didn’t make sense as a couple anymore.”

“Or was it because you felt like you made sense with a more popular guy?”

“That’s enough, Laurie,” I said, standing up.

Laurie glanced at me. She didn’t look finished—not by a long shot—but she relaxed when she saw my irritated expression and gave me a sweet smile.

“Sorry, Coley, I was only playing.”

It was hardly just playing, but as long as she stopped, I didn’t care what she called it. I took in a deep breath before slowly blowing it out.

“Tonight is supposed to be fun. I won’t have any fighting. The next person who starts a fight is eliminated. Okay?”

The two girls slowly nodded.

“Angus,” I said, turning to him. “Next game. Now.”

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