Page 75 of You Found Me
“So, are we playing board games or more adult games here? Like truth or dare, or two truths and a lie,” B asks.
“Oooh. Let’s do two truths and a lie. I think that’s a good way to get to know each other more than we already do. And if we get the lie wrong, we drink.” Emmaline wiggles her brows at us.
Beckett agrees, “I’ll go first. I’m left-handed, I absorbed my twin in the womb, and I can play the guitar.”
Emmaline and I blurt out, “Twin” at the same time, making B laugh.
“Nope. When we were at Grammy’s the summer I was eight, she was showing me photo albums while you and Grampy went to the store. She was pointing things out and because she was having her adult lemonade, Grammy said, ‘you coulda had another brother, ‘cept you absorbed him in yourmama’s belly.’I knew even at that age that maybe she wasn’tall therewhen she had those lemonades,” he says with a laugh. “I waited until the next time we visited to ask about it, and she was so upset. I had to promise not to tell Mom because it would hurt her. Of course I kept it a secret. Now, drink up.”
“Beckett, that’s awful. I’m sorry.”
He waves off Emmaline. “It’s cool.”
And I know he means that. “When did you learn to play guitar? I remember you actively avoiding instruments growing up.”
He laughs, taking a drink of his beer. “I learned about two years ago. I can’t play well, but I can play it. Your turn, Jay.”
“I wanted to be a professional dog walker when I was younger, I’m allergic to strawberries, and scary movies are my favorite.”
“Dude, it’s two truthsand alie. Singular lie.”
“I gave two truths,” I shrug. “It’s not my fault you don’t know me.”
“Fine. There’s no way you wanted to be a professional dog walker.”
Emmaline smiles. “Nope. I feel like that one’s true. It changed once you got bitten by that German shepherd. I’m gonna go with scary movies as the lie.”
Beckett busts out laughing and I don’t have to guess why. “He told you it was a German shepherd?”
“Was it not?”
I sigh. “Okay, so maybe I fib about that because I’m embarrassed. It was actually the neighbor’s demon chihuahua, Petunia.” They share a look before absolutely losing it. “Yeah yeah, laugh it up. She was a menace.”
Beckett calms down enough to add in, “She was an elderly dog, who was blind in one eye. She had a reason to be a menace. You should’ve never tried to pet her.”
“SHE CAME UP TO ME! I thought that’s what she wanted.”
That throws them into another fit of laughter, and I patiently wait for them to stop. When they do, I tell Emmaline it’s her turn.
She smiles. “Sorry. I got carried away. I played volleyball throughout junior high and high school, I’ve never broken a bone, and my favorite animal is a penguin.”
Beckett doesn’t think too hard and blurts out, “Aren’t you a little short to play volleyball? That’s the lie.”
She turns to me, waiting for my answer. I feel like volleyball is plausible. She seems like she’d be athletic, and I’ve noticed a stuffed penguin toy at her apartment—granted, that could be Mia’s.
I take a chance. “You’ve broken a bone, so that’s the lie.”
Her grin is so wide. “You’re correct.” She swings her gaze to Beckett and attempts to glare. “Just because I’m short doesn’t mean I didn’tcrushiton the court. Even with you being seven feet tall, I could kick your ass.”
I watch B’s eyes widen before he looks at me and loudly whispers, “Your girlfriend scares me—in a different way than how her best friend scares me.”
We play for another half an hour and in that time, I miss four, Emmaline three, and Beckett all six. I like to think I handle my alcohol pretty well considering I’ve only got a light buzz. Meanwhile, Beckett is three sheets to the wind.
We’re sitting in comfortable silence when Beckett says, “I can’t come up with any more lies, so I’m gonna drop a couple truths, free of charge. I feel like Mom and Dad will never be proud of me in the way they’re proud of you.”
“Beckett,” I say, but he continues on.
“Both of the girlfriends I’ve had in my sad, little life broke up with me because when it came time to have sex, I couldn’t do it. Not to say I have zero experience with women. I very much like to get my partner off as many times as I can because I know I won’t be able to give them more.”
