Page 36 of Scrum Heat

“I think it’s just symbolic,” Theo shrugs. “You start.”

I scan the group. Jax is watching me calmly. Rory is pretending not to look at all. Theo’s smirking. Finn’s trying very hard to seem neutral.

“…Finn,” I say, because he’s the safest option. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” he says immediately. “But I reserve the right to clarify.”

“Okay. Um…” I think. “Who was your first crush?”

He blushes. Actuallyblushes. “My physio in junior league. She used to tape my knee. I thought we were soulmates because she gave me a granola bar once.”

Theo howls in laughter, while Rory just rolls his eyes. Jax doesn’t look as though this is news to him in the slightest.

“My turn,” Finn says quickly. “Frankie. Truth or dare?”

I squint. “Truth.”

“What’s the worst thing you’ve googled since moving in?”

I cough. “Is it illegal to accidentally scent-bond in your sleep.”

A beat of silence.

Then Theo starts laughing so hard he chokes on a tortilla chip.

Rory’s mouth twitches even as he reaches over to give Theo several hard whacks on the back. Jax raises an eyebrow but says nothing, and Finn looks somewhat apologetic.

“My turn,” I say, recovering. “Theo. Dare.”

He brightens, wiping his eyes. “Finally.”

“I dare you to go ten full minutes without saying anything innuendo-adjacent.”

His face falls. “You want me to die.”

“Rules are rules,” I shrug.

He dramatically zips his lips.

Rory picks next. “Frankie. Truth or dare.”

“Truth.”

“What were you thinking the first time you saw us?”

My mouth dries.

“I—uh—” I glance at the group. “All of you individually?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I thought Jax might murder me and hide the body efficiently. I thought Theo’s compression shorts were a cry for help. I assumed Finn was going to hug me and start reeling off affirmations. Andyou”—I look directly at Rory—“I thought that you were intimidating as fuck.”

Rory nods. “Fair.”

Theo throws a chip at my head, and the game spirals from there.

We learn that Finn once cried because a goose made eye contact with him during a nature walk and “seemed really lonely.” Jax can sing but refuses to. Rory broke a table in high school and blamed the janitor. I admit I once pretended to be allergic to dry-erase markers just to get out of group projects. Theo calls it “strategic brilliance.”

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