Truth or Dare: A Sweet Romantic Comedy Collection Page 11

  “They say people do crazy things when they’re in love,” Tessa says softly. I almost nod along but catch myself and hold still. Now is not the time to agree with Tessa.

  Jonah laughs derisively then shakes his head. “No. I can’t believe you think it’s okay to manipulate someone like that. I mean, that’s not how you treat someone you love.”

  “But baby, I just don’t know how to live without you in my life.”

  “You can’t make someone fall in love,” Jonah shouts back. His words hit me like a dagger to the heart.

  Tessa’s eyes shoot to me for a moment, then she looks back at Jonah. “Please, can we just talk about this... alone?”

  “I’m just as bad as her,” I whisper to myself, falling to my knees again. Tessa and Jonah continue their fight, walking back up the beach, while I sit misty-eyed looking at the dark ocean.

  How can I judge Tessa, when I’ve been doing the same thing? This Truth or Dare game is shrouded in deceit. Don’t fall in love, when that’s exactly what I want him to do.

  Maybe Jonah does have a type after all. Women who play mind games.

  I leave Jonah and Tessa and trudge back to the party with my head down, feeling like the world around me has turned to oblivion. Holly and Debbie take one look at me and leave the dance floor. “What’s wrong with you?” Holly asks. I shake my head, glancing up at Tessa and a troubled Jonah walking towards the pool.

  “What’s going on?” Debbie says, following my line of sight. “What is Tessa doing with Jonah?”

  “Not here,” I mutter, turning away and heading for the hotel. Holly and Debbie follow, linking arms with me.

  “Okay, let’s grab a coffee.”

  We sit in the quiet bar with our drinks and I tell the girls everything about Tessa being here and her confession.

  “Jonah is furious about her manipulating him. He feels betrayed and angry. When I left them, he was still ranting on about how you can’t just force people to be with you like that.”

  Holly and Debbie gasp.

  “I knew there was something off about them,” Holly says, her face scrunching up. “They’re too intense.” Debbie nods along.

  “I agree. What Mark and I have got going on is intense, but their act was on a whole other level.”

  “That’s saying a lot,” Holly adds with a smirk. Debbie’s cheeks flush and she grins at Holly, but then her face turns serious again and she turns to me.

  “What are you gonna do?”

  I swallow the last of my coffee and shut my eyes against the dull headache spreading across my forehead. “What would you do? Tessa wants him back. She’s willing to do crazy things to make it happen and now he hates her.”

  “So? That’s great. He doesn’t want anything to do with her. Why are you upset?”

  “Because…” I bite my lip until it stings. “I’m just as bad as her.”

  Debbie snorts. “Yeah right,” she says, her voice dripping in sarcasm. “You’re amazing, kind, and the smartest person in our group.”

  “Except for Ryder,” Holly cuts in. Debbie shoots her a look.

  I laugh half-heartedly. Holly’s right. My intellect does not match Ryder’s. But I’d love to be able to study his brain someday, find out how it works at a faster speed than everyone else’s.

  Maybe if I could just borrow it for a few hours, I could figure out a solution to this mess.

  “This dare... It’s a set up,” I whisper, a sickly sensation rises from my stomach and I shut my eyes to block out my friends' stares.

  “You and Ryder might be smart, but we’re not stupid Michelle.”

  My eyes snap open, surprised at the tone of Holly’s voice. She’s usually so chirpy and bubbly. But her baby blues are dark now. She's glaring at me. Debbie nods along with her arms crossed.

  “Look. The guys might think this is just for your college paper thingy...” Holly says.

  “My thesis, you mean.”

  “Right. Whatever,” Holly shakes her head with a huff. She hates it when her thoughts are interrupted. “But us girls know exactly what you’re doing.”

  Debbie smirks. “Are you sure you’re training to be a shrink and not secretly studying to become a matchmaker?”

  I grin sheepishly. “Is it that obvious? Do the guys…?”

  “Ryder knows. For sure. He finds it all entertaining.”

  “Hah. Just wait until it’s his turn.” Debbie says, her smile turning devilish.

  “What about Mark and Cameron?”

  Debbie makes a derisive laugh and twists her hair around her index finger. “Maybe they figured it out... Maybe not. But I know one thing, neither of them had a problem with their dares––right Holly?” She nudges Holly who grins back.

  But this is not Ryder, or Mark, or Cameron we’re talking about. This is Jonah. The guy who told me, at Holly’s party, that he wouldn’t fall for it. He isn't looking for love.

  This is why I maintain that the dare “don’t fall in love,” is perfect for him.

  “Once he finds out I’ve been manipulating him too, he’ll never look at me the same way again,” I worry aloud.

  “Maybe not,” Holly says, taking my hand. “Or maybe he’ll see past the games and realize his true feelings for you.”

  “You two were amazing tonight,” Debbie says. “We’ve never seen you so happy. And we all saw the way he looked at you, even Mark and Cameron picked up on it.”

  “Oh, don’t even get me started on that adorable kiss and cuddle at the end.”

  “I know; somebody should have snapped a picture of it.”

  I force a smile as my friends gush over the performance, but my stomach lurches. I can still smell his cologne on my dress, and if I close my eyes, I can almost feel his arms around me.

  Thinking about it brings tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat.

  “The point is,” Debbie says finally, snapping me out of my head. “Jonah is happy when he’s with you.”

  “Tell him the truth,” Holly says firmly, gripping my hand.

  It’s a long shot. But if I have any hope of making this work, my friends are right, and now I know what I need to do.

  I jump up to my feet and nod, dazed. “Right,” I say, straightening out my dress. “I have to find Jonah.”

  Jonah

  I sit on the edge of a deck chair beside the dark pool as Tessa sits across from me, tears running down her cheeks.

  I have no idea where Michelle is nor what time it is. It must be the early hours of the morning though because everyone has vacated the pool and it’s just me and Tessa.

  “You see how messed up this is, right?” I blurt, my mind reeling at the fact Tessa followed me to Hawaii. Couldn’t she have waited until Monday to see me? Normal people ask their ex out for coffee in the city. Normal people don’t fly to Hawaii with a fake fiancé to win their ex back.

  Tessa sidles close to me, placing her hand on my thigh. “I’ve missed you, baby.” Her touch burns my leg and my fingers twitch. Before I can do anything though, she leans in close and kisses me fully on the mouth.

  I have imagined this scenario a thousand times in my head. Okay, maybe not this exact scenario, but the 'Tessa wants me back and now she’s kissing me' scenario.

  I should be happy.

  But everything about this feels wrong. The touch of her hand makes me want to recoil, the scent of her perfume which once drove me wild, now makes me nauseous. I lurch away from her lips as if I’ve been smooched by a fish.

  Even the look of devastation on her face isn’t enough to fill me with regret for pulling away.

  “You’re hurt... I get it,” Tessa says with a breath. She looks down. “But baby, I’m gonna make it up to you, I promise. Don’t you get it? I need you.”

  “Jonah!”

  I look up at the sound of my name and Tessa’s face blurs from view. Instead, my eyes focus on Michelle standing on the other side of the pool. She’s let her hair down, and it's hanging in soft waves. She stands there, a vision in red,
like a flame, as the reflection of the pool water dances across her dress.

  My limbs have a mind of their own as I find myself getting up and walking around the pool to join her. What have I been doing, sitting and talking with Tessa?

  “I’m sorry,” I blurt as we reach each other, grasping hands.

  “No, I’m sorry,” Michelle says, shaking her head. I’m not sure what either of us is apologizing for. But all I know is I should never have let Tessa get between us. I shouldn’t have agreed to talk to her like this. Instead, I should have scooped Michelle up in my arms and danced with her all night. We gaze into each other’s eyes and she smiles at me as if she can read my thoughts. A tiny tear rolls down her cheek.

  A snort in the distance pulls us out of the moment and we both turn to watch Tessa slink her way toward us.

  “Are you two for real?” she asks, resting a hand on her hip. “You don’t expect me to believe your act, right?”

  The question makes my stomach churn and I realize lines between make-believe and reality have become blurred. I forgot we had been posing to be a couple, when in fact... We’re just friends.

  Tessa throws her head back and crosses her arms with a smirk. “Your friends should be more careful about where they talk. I know all about the dare.”

  My stomach lurches again, but before I can think of a reply, Eddie walks up behind Tessa, towering over her like a giant.

  “There you are, baby girl.” He grabs her waist and plants a kiss atop her head. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  “Oh please, you can drop the act too. Tessa told us everything,” Michelle says.

  Tessa’s expression turns vehement as she glares at Michelle, then she frowns at me. I shake my head, giving her a hard look.

  It’s never gonna happen. She gets the message and turns to Eddie, planting a hand on his chest. “Come on, I need a strong drink.”

  She steers a bewildered Eddie back to the hotel, leaving me dazed.

  Slowly, I turn back to Michelle, and the sight of her glassy eyes tugs at my heart.

  “Sorry for the drama tonight, things didn’t turn out how I had hoped,” I say, brushing a few strands of dark hair away from her brow.

  Michelle laughs softly. “It’s late, do you wanna go back to our room?”

  The hopeful tone of her voice decimates whatever thoughts I had left of Tessa and my heart quickens. Something is thrilling and equally comforting about the way she says our room.

  The deep maroon glow of sunrise invades the dark sky, eliminating the twinkling stars from view. Michelle is quiet as we walk hand in hand. I wonder if all of the Tessa stuff has freaked her out. She’s probably silently psychoanalyzing everything, like why Tessa would go to such lengths to mess with my head. And how it might affect my ability to have a healthy relationship in the future.

  Once back at our room, I longingly gaze at the perfectly made bed. What I would give to curl up with Michelle right now and fall asleep.

  But even though breakfast is just a few hours away, and my head is throbbing as if I’d just spent the whole night taking a beating from Mike Tyson, I can’t sleep yet. Not without telling Michelle how I feel.

  “I’m too tired to even get out of this dress,” Michelle says with a heavy exhale. She collapses on the bed and lays there face down like a starfish. My heart leaps and I chuckle at the sight.

  “Are you really laughing at me?” Michelle says, turning over to shoot me a hard look, but her lips curve upward. I join her on the bed and we just lay facing each other for a few moments.

  “I still can’t believe Tessa is here,” I whisper. “What do you think about it all?”

  Michelle’s dark brows twitch as she frowns. “Me?”

  I nod and rest my hand on her waist. “You’re training to be a therapist, right? Well... I’m sure you have some opinions.”

  Michelle sits up and gives a fake laugh. I know it’s fake because it sounds nothing like her normal laugh and her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. Something’s troubling her. I can read it all over her body. From the way she hugs herself with her knees pulled up to her chest to the little line between her brows. Does she feel threatened by Tessa?

  “Tessa and I are never getting back together. Never, ever, ever,” I say, resisting the urge to sing a Taylor Swift song to emphasize the point. “And it’s not just because she followed me here and lied.” The thought reminds me to block her on social media. No one wants a stalker on their list. Michelle uncoils, lets go of her knees, and looks at me with her eyes like saucers. “What do you mean?”

  I drag a hand over my face and give a tired sigh. “Listen. I haven’t told anyone this.”

  I swallow and tug on the collar of my shirt. Is it hot in here? I’m sweating. Michelle sits perfectly still and watches me with those big, round eyes. She’ll make a great shrink. She never jumps in on a conversation. Now she waits for me to gather my thoughts.

  “I’ve been able to reflect, and I can finally admit to myself that Tessa is not right for me.”

  I stop to smile as one of Michelle’s brows goes up and the other stays motionless. “Go on,” she says in a measured tone.

  “Nothing I ever did was good enough. She was pretty high maintenance... And she asked for money. A lot.”

  Tessa had her way of making me feel special. She could tear me down with a look or build me up, depending on how she chose to use her powers. Earning her approval became an addiction, and our relationship revolved around her. I can’t think of a single time she asked me how I was or wanted to get to know my friends.

  I tell Michelle everything. From the fact that Tessa would pick out my clothes and keep tabs on what I did every day, to the fateful day she rejected my proposal, all because she was unhappy with the ring I chose. She claimed she didn’t want commitment, but this was after weeks of consistent hints about getting married. Tessa loved to stir up a scandal. She got a kick out of it.

  Michelle hums lightly and nods as she listens. She’s a stark contrast to Tessa.

  “But you…” I say softly, sliding my hand around her neck and fisting her hair. I’m done talking. And the dark look in Michelle’s eyes tells me she’s done listening.

  I lean in, and flashbacks of our couples’ massage flood my mind. As our mouths reunite, the heat in the room dials up a notch. I pick Michelle up and settle her in my lap. She presses herself against my chest. It’s a full-body hug, and with our lips tenderly joined, my heart is threatening to burst with joy.

  This kiss feels right.

  But it’s not just about lust or passions. There’s something metaphysical about it. I make a mental note to discuss the thought with her later. But right now, nothing else matters. Kissing Michelle feels like rediscovering something that had been lost. Like a child finding their blankie after hours of panicked searching. Or a warm cup of hot cocoa on a snowy day. We throw caution to the wind, tangling together in a way that makes me wonder where I stop and Michelle begins. She leaves a trail of burning kisses along my jaw and clutches my biceps, her sharp nails pinching me. I run my hands up the back of her dress and graze my thumb over the zipper. But just as I get a grip on it, Michelle lurches back with a look of horror on her face.

  We sit apart, panting, and my brain scrambles to make any sense of why we’re sitting so far away from each other. The air around my body turns icy and sizzles against my steaming skin. I want her. I need her. In the absence of her warmth, I shall surely freeze to death.

  “What’s wrong?” I blurt. She looks at me with her reddened lips parted. Did I move too fast? Did I read her signals wrong? We’ve been making out on a bed for the last ten minutes, where else did she think this was going?

  “I have to tell you something,” Michelle says, her voice low.

  “Okay…” I cross my legs and rub the back of my neck. Hopefully, she’ll just say whatever she’s got to say, and we can get back to where we left off. Right now, I couldn’t care less what it is she has to tell me.

  T
here’s a tarantula on your head. Okay. Now, where were we?

  I’m an alien. Hmm. Let me teach you things. All the human things.

  The apocalypse is here. Cool. Let’s get back to kissing now.

  “I’ve been manipulating you,” Michelle says, her eyes downcast.

  “What?”

  Michelle

  Jonah sits quiet, his flushed face fading of color as I confess all of my deepest secrets. The biggest one: I brought you here to fall in love with me by using reverse psychology.

  “So, this truth or dare thing... It's really just a game to you.” It’s not a question, but a statement. Like Jonah’s connected the dots. Only, he’s got his dots all messed up. Because he’s completely missed the point. My heart quickens as I wipe the sweat off my brow.

  “I see how it can look that way,” I say, using my training. Don’t get defensive Michelle. Be cool. “But the truth is, I was too scared you’d reject me if I just came out and told you how I feel.”

  Jonah’s hardened look softens. “And how do you feel?”

  I suck in a deep breath, mustering courage. How hard is it to say I love you?

  I mean. It’s three words. Three one-syllable words. Maybe I can mime it out in a game of charades. Or do it with sign language.

  But I’d rather show him I love him. By rubbing his back when he’s stressed, or bringing him soup when he’s sick, or listening to him rant about Tessa for hours.

  Right now though, he’s asking for words. And all my words are stuck somewhere between my brain and my mouth. I glance away, swallowing against the ball of jumbled thoughts collected in my throat.

  “You know, I kinda knew what I was getting into... Coming here with you,” Jonah says.

  I look up, surprised. “You did?”

  Jonah smiles for the first time and it’s warmer than the rising sun. “You forget that I know you, Michelle. And we’ve already seen two dares play out. I know what you're trying to do.”

  My breath catches in my chest. “Why didn’t you say anything?”