Page 86 of Wild Fury (Fallen Royals 6)

“A spare key to a future car, then.”

The last time I gave her a spare key, she put rotten eggs under my seat the following week. It took weeks for the smell to fully fade. And she still uses that damn thing.

“Deal,” I say.

“And a key to your apartment.”

I glare at her. “Don’t push it, Lux.”

She raises her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. So we’re in agreeance—if I win, I get a spare key to your car, and if you win, I’ll show you my portfolio.”

“No, I changed my mind.”

She sighs. “I’m tempted to tell you to fuck off.”

“But you won’t, because whatever this dare is, it’ll be worth it. Right?” I lean in. There’s still plenty of space between us, but I don’t miss the way she tenses. “I don’t just want to see your portfolio. I want to keep it.”

She scoffs. “I—I can’t do that. I need them.”

I shrug. “Not my problem.”

Her expression when she gives in is sweeter than I could’ve anticipated. A rush goes through my chest, my lungs expanding. It takes too long to realize I’m not miserable. I’m not carrying around a crushing weight. It might be her, or getting revenge on Sebastian, but…

I can breathe.

“Okay,” she whispers. “You can have it if you win.”

I nod.

“I dare you to pretend you love me,” she says, determination entering her expression. “For two minutes, pretend it’s something you’re capable of and kiss me like you mean it.”

My heart lurches.

“I can’t love you.” I shake my head and glance away. “If I do this, it might hurt worse. Later on, when you think…”

“I don’t—I won’t think anything.” She scoots back, pulling the blanket higher. It’s a shield against me, I think. “If you won’t do it, then the game is over.”

“Two minutes,” I confirm and retrieve my phone.

She watches with wide eyes.

I set a timer and place it on the coffee table. Before I start it, I close my eyes and push away all the black emotions that are constantly bombarding me. It’s like seven minutes in heaven, that stupid game we’d play at parties. Heaven always seemed a bit out of reach—especially since it was just kissing.

Heaven was cruising down a coastal road in a convertible, top down and wind in my face. Heaven was scoring the winning touchdown, throwing the perfect pass. Kissing seemed… less so. A clinical thing that was somehow sloppy. Saliva and lips and teeth. Nothing I needed—nothing I wanted.

“Theo,” Lux says.

Somewhere along the way, something broke inside me.

I don’t want what guys my age should want.

Except… except when it comes to her.

With that in mind, I can give her what she wants. I can pretend that we’re both not broken things. That I could be capable of love.

“Theo,” she demands.

I snap my eyes open and take a deep breath. And then I start the timer.

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