Truth or Dare: A Sweet Romantic Comedy Collection Page 12

  Jonah puffs air from his cheeks. “I don’t think I let myself consciously think about it. At first, I just thought it would be fun to spend the weekend in Hawaii.” He laughs.

  Well, he’s not yelling at me. That's something. I was so sure he’d be disgusted with me as soon as I told him the truth.

  “And then…?” I press him for more. Jonah meets my gaze and he smiles again. My heart flutters back. “Well, then you kissed me.”

  I gulp. Just like that, his words transport me back into the steamy massage room. The memory of the kiss I stole makes my mouth dry.

  “I don’t mean to mess with your head. To be honest, until Tessa’s confession, I didn’t even realize I was manipulating you.” I hold his hands, and, to my relief, he doesn’t pull away.

  “I’m sorry. I should have been honest with you from the start.”

  Jonah leans in to kiss me again, but I hold up my finger. “Wait. Aren’t you mad?”

  Jonah looks at me blankly for a moment, then he shrugs. “Should I be?”

  My jaw drops to the floor. How is he okay with this? I just confessed to doing the same thing Tessa did. And yet, he’s acting like I just told him something insignificant.

  “You want to know why it doesn’t bother me?” he asks, moving across the bed on all fours like a predator. My stomach does somersaults as his face hovers an inch away from mine. He moves over and presses lips to my ear. “I’m yours, and you can play with me however you want to.”

  His whispers bring heat to my face until my cheeks are on fire.

  I’ve decided I’m definitely dreaming. This whole trip to Hawaii isn’t real. I’ll probably wake up in my bed back in New York, and none of this would have happened.

  But if this is just a dream, what’s the harm in enjoying some of my fantasies?

  “Jonah, I love you,” I blurt, with my newfound confidence. Jonah pulls back to look into my eyes.

  “For real?” he asks. I give him the most serious look I can muster and nod. His eyes twinkle at me. “Well then. Come here.” He pulls me in, and I collapse against his chest. I’m all elbows and knees, knocking his legs as I scramble to keep my balance. Then Jonah scoops me up with a laugh and lays me down. I prop myself up and he plants chaste kisses all over my face. Then he leaves a trail of feathery kisses down my neck and stops at my collarbone.

  My stomach is a tangle of nerves. His cologne washes over me, and I can taste the salty sweat on my upper lip. My breath hitches at the pressure of his hips against mine. Maybe this isn’t a dream?

  I look out the open window at the orange sunshine. A sweet floral scent mingled with the smell of seaweed floats in and I suddenly realize I have no idea what it smells like in Hawaii. But I could never have guessed the air would smell fruity. I grip Jonah’s biceps as he hovers over me, nuzzling my neck.

  “Is this real? Am I awake?” I say. Jonah lifts his head and laughs, then he climbs off me and sits on the edge of the bed. “Come over here,” he pats the space beside him on the bed.

  I crawl over and settle with my legs dangling over the edge.

  “Look,” Jonah says, nodding to the sea. Birds chirp in the distance and the beach is a rainbow of colors as the rising sun lights up the sky. Jonah slides his arm around me and pulls me in to lean on him for a cuddle. “This is as real as it gets,” he says softly. Then he turns and presses his lips to my forehead. “And for the record. I love you too.”

  THE END

  Epilogue

  Katia

  I can’t believe it happened again. Another dare is over––and Michelle and Jonah totally failed. Now, our group of friends is split up into three couples, leaving just me and Ryder. The last two singletons.

  I take a long swig of my drink as the girls get up and dance. The club is loud and not my type of scene, but Debbie wanted to do something wild for her bachelorette party.

  The wedding is in just a few days. It’s been a crazy whirlwind of planning, shopping, organizing guest lists, and seating. Finding cheap flights for our family to fly over from Italy has been a mission in itself.

  Now, everything is in place and Debbie is dancing with her friends, looking like the happiest woman on the planet.

  No one has mentioned the dares for several weeks. A few months rolled by and for a while, I wondered if Ryder and I got off scot-free. Maybe Michelle will forget? Now that she’s all loved up with Jonah and has what she wants... There’s no need to put me through any misery, right?

  If Michelle does give us a dare, I’m not sure what it would be. Ryder was my first kiss, my first love. He was the yin to my yang all through high school.

  Then college took us to opposite ends of the country and Ryder, ever sensible Ryder, broke it off. It shattered my heart at the time, but he was right: long-distance relationships never work.

  I knew girls in my dorm who tried to keep a relationship going long distance. None of them lasted.

  And now we’re back. He’s got a tech job in the city, and I’m doing my dream job, working at Perrier Frances’ 5 Michelin star restaurant.

  Does Michelle think that after all these years, we should give things another go?

  Just as the thought crosses my mind, a man plops down at the table. I look at him with surprise, then recognize the small scar above his lip.

  “Ryder? What are you doing here?” I say. Ryder looks different. His hair is greased to the side and he swapped a polo shirt for a black button-up. My gaze hovers over the top two buttons left undone, showing off his defined collar bone.

  Ryder clears his throat, his Adam’s apple bobs, and I jolt out of my daze. “Michelle told us to meet you here for something.”

  I lean to the side to look under the table. I'm surprised to only see a pair of legs in waxy denim jeans. “No laptop?” I ask, looking at him with a teasing smile.

  Ryder keeps his face neutral, but I can tell he’s inwardly rolling his eyes. “Funny enough, no.”

  Mark, Cameron, and Jonah turn up with drinks, shouting over the dance music.

  “Hey, we’re over here!” Mark says, waving gallantly at the girls. Michelle sees him and her face lights up. As everyone grabs a seat in the circular booth, Ryder and I slide closer and closer to give them room. Finally, we end up sitting next to each other, and our thighs touch briefly. I try to ignore the way it sends my heart fluttering.

  “Thanks for meeting us,” Michelle says, her eyes glinting.

  My stomach drops. I know that look. It’s the look she makes when she’s plotting something awful. Like the time she threw me a surprise 16th birthday party and all our classmates trashed my parents’ house. Debbie and I were both grounded for weeks.

  My eyes narrow at Debbie as she steals a quick kiss with Mark. She’s different. The Debbie I grew up with hated parties, and she would never be seen near Mark, her nemesis. But here she is in a club, having the time of her life just days before marrying the boy she hated at school.

  Her gaze lands on me and the corners of her mouth twitch. Whatever Michelle has planned, she's in on it.

  “Oh boy,” I mutter under my breath. Michelle slams a glass jar on the table. That catches everyone’s attention. My heart sinks at the sight of the folded pieces of paper. The other guys all go “Oooooh,” and Mark plays a drum roll on the table.

  “Oh, no. Not here,” Ryder says with a groan. I sigh. Clearly his level of excitement about this dare is the same as mine. Michelle opens up the jar and offers it to Ryder. “It’s time.”

  I hold my breath and watch as Ryder sticks his hand in the jar. Holly and Debbie practically squeal with excitement at each other across the table, while Michelle watches with beady eyes. After a drawn-out time of rummaging around, Ryder withdraws his hand, clutching a piece of paper.

  My ears begin to ring, and I scratch my arm, trying to keep my breath steady.

  Part of me wants to make a run for it. Maybe if I slide under the table, I can crawl between everyone’s legs and bolt for the exit? Ryder clears his throat and I loo
k at him, studying every part of his angular face. He unfolds the paper and I swear, this guy has the best poker face on the planet. I can’t tell if he’s happy, disappointed, scared, annoyed... Or just bored? That paper could have the date of his demise and he’d keep his expression cool.

  “Well, what does it say?” Debbie bursts out. A wave of chuckles from the others follow.

  Finally, Ryder looks at me. His thick brows are set low and his bottom lip is protruding slightly. I suddenly get flashbacks of nibbling that bottom lip in the back of his car.

  “Pretend to be mine... Care to explain?” he says, looking at Michelle. I gulp so loud, I’m sure the others heard it, even over the loud music. Michelle looks at Debbie, who grins back with a nod. Then she turns to me.

  “You two have to pretend to be engaged.”

  Ryder and I exchange looks. “What?” We say at the same time.

  “For the wedding. You two are totally in love,” Debbie says, grinning at me. I stare at her like she just spoke gibberish. Because none of this makes any sense.

  “But it’s your wedding day. You don’t want us stealing the limelight,” I say. Ryder looks down with a deep frown but doesn’t say anything. Typical. Leave it up to me to fight this.

  “But Debbie... Our parents. Our family. All our friends…” I hold my hand to my open mouth with horror at the thought of facing everyone while pretending to be engaged to Ryder.

  My parents hate him for breaking my heart. In fact, I’m not sure what my dad will do the next time he sees him. But whatever it is, it won’t be pretty.

  “Don’t forget there’s always the forfeit,” Michelle says, wagging her finger. Cameron and Jonah groan in unison. “You don’t want to do it,” Jonah says.

  Holly shudders. “The Hudson is freezing this time of year.”

  I imagine the headlines. Skinny Dippers Become Popsicles in New York.

  “Fine.”

  Everyone looks at Ryder with identical looks of shock. Fine? Fine? What does he mean? He can’t possibly be up for parading around as my fake fiancé at my sister’s wedding. Can he?

  He looks at me with a resolved expression on his face and shrugs. “There’s no way I’m taking the forfeit. Besides… I like a good wedding, and I think your parents will be happier to have me there as your fiancé, rather than the boy who broke your heart.”

  His words fly at me like daggers and my eyes prickle.

  “So... Katia? Will you do it?” I drag my gaze to look at Michelle, blinking against the tears welling in my eyes. Then I look at Debbie. Being twins gives us the advantage of silent conversations. And in the few moments of the groups’ silence, listening to the steady thump of the music, we have a whole debate.

  Finally, happy that Michelle didn't strong-arm my sister into this, I nod, resigned.

  “Sure, okay. Why not?”

  The group cheers, except for Ryder and I, who look at each other as if we’re about to go into a gladiator arena. We only have to fake it for a wedding. It's just one day.

  Besides... What’s the worst that can happen?

  Dare Number Three: Pretend to be Mine

  Katia and Ryder’s story.

  Katia

  Memories flood my mind as I sit in the old coffee shop a few blocks from China Town. New York City has been my home ever since my parents brought my twin sister and me over from Italy. That was before we could talk. So, even though we're not native, we both feel like true New Yorkers. I took my usual seat by the window so I could watch people passing by.

  Debbie says it’s weird and stalker-like to watch people. But I find it relaxing.

  A young couple walks past hand in hand, their faces flushed as they laugh at each other. They’re oblivious to the world around them, much less to people like me. I cradle my cup of coffee and wince at the twinge of jealousy I feel in my chest.

  Behind them, an elderly woman is dragging a grocery cart. She's braced against the cold air. Storm Sally is due to roll in later this week. I just hope it can hold off until after the wedding.

  I still can’t believe my sister is getting married. To her enemy, Mark, no less. For years, she had me convinced she hated the guy. But since the two of them got locked in a basement for the night, she’s become a completely different person.

  On the bright side, the change has been a good thing. Debbie loves her creature comforts and hates attention being directed at her. But with Mark, she’s got bundles of confidence and seems up for anything. Anything except a traditional wedding––much to our parents’ annoyance.

  Seeing as all the good venues are booked, Mark thought it would be fun to go to Atlantic City. And considering their five-week-long engagement, I don't think we have a choice. The time we have is barely enough to make the rest of the preparations.

  So our dad won’t be walking Debbie down the aisle of a catholic church, but as I pointed out to him on the phone, it could be worse. At least the wedding isn't in Vegas, where an Elvis priest would have blessed their marriage. Although, it won’t surprise me if we turn up at Atlantic City and find out they have Elvis impersonators there too.

  Anyway. They’re keeping it pretty small. Just family and the group––Holly and Cameron, Michelle and Jonah... And me and Ryder. I wonder; was the realization that everyone else had coupled up what made Debbie scheme with Michelle over my dare?

  Most likely. Getting Ryder and me to pretend we’re engaged will stop either of us from bringing another plus one.

  Maybe this dare is a matter of convenience. Besides, there is no way Mark wouldn’t want Ryder at the wedding, seeing as he’s the best man. And if we turn up as a couple, it might stop my dad from throwing him death stares.

  On the other hand, my dad is still furious at Ryder for breaking my heart, and there's really no way around that. So maybe seeing Ryder and me together will provoke a violent reaction.

  The way I see it, it can go either way.

  The door opens with a jingle and I look up sharply. Ryder flashes me a quick smile then turns to the counter. Now his back is turned, I take the opportunity to check him out. His hairline makes the shape of a V. I used to twirl that tuft of hair around my index finger as we sat together in Biology. Sometimes, when the teacher was busy scribbling on the board, I’d get away with resting my head on his shoulder too. The smell of his sandalwood aftershave would flood my nostrils and give me flutters.

  No. I can’t think about that. Those days are long gone and reliving them is too painful. I tear my gaze away, take my jacket off the chair next to me and stuff it under the table. I look up to see him approaching. The sight of a cup in his hands makes me smile.

  “Don’t tell me, double mocha latte?”

  The corner of his mouth twitches and his eyes twinkle at me. “You got it.”

  Ryder and I sit across from each other and sit in silence for a few moments. I glance out of the window again, this time watching the man playing guitar on the street. Streams of people walk by, paying no attention to him. Which is a crime, really. He’s good.

  “It’s been a long time since we’ve sat in here,” Ryder says mildly. I turn away from the street and let my gaze settle on him again. He lifts his steaming mug to his lips and looks at me as he drinks. His eyes lock me in place, and I can’t even bring myself to blink.

  “Yes,” I say, a little breathless. “You remember?”

  Ryder sets the mug down and offers a casual smirk. Then his thick brows cock upward.

  “We used to cut classes every Friday afternoon and, if I’m not mistaken, I believe we used to make out on that couch.” He jabs his thumb to the old leather couch in the corner. I tingle all over as I look at it, vacant and haunted by the memories of my past. I turn around in my chair, covering up my blush with a hand and a fake yawn. “I thought you might have forgotten.”

  “Forgotten? Come on,” Ryder says, smirking again. The heat of his gaze is like sitting under a spotlight. Sweat gathers above my upper lip and I swipe it away with the back of my hand before d
ropping it in my lap.

  It’s been almost two years since college ended. I came back to the city first, while Ryder went traveling around Europe. His parents moved from London to New York when he was in his freshman year of high school, so he always had a bit of a British accent. But after he came back from Europe his accent has been on a whole other level of sexy.

  Six months. That’s how long he’s been back in the city. And apart from a few parties with our friends, the two of us have barely seen each other, and we definitely haven't talked. Until now.

  All it takes is a glint in his eye and all the memories and feelings come rushing back like no time has passed at all.

  I clutch my cup a little too hard in a desperate attempt to stop them from trembling.

  “I’m guessing you didn’t bring me here to reminisce over old times?”

  Ryder takes a casual sip of his drink but averts his eyes for a moment. His question is like a shot of adrenaline and it bolts straight to my heart. Can nerves kill? If so, I’m a goner.

  “You’re right,” I say, putting down the cup. “I want to talk about the dare.”

  Ryder

  Katia is adorable when she’s nervous. Even though she tries to cover it up, I know all of her tells––which is why she stopped playing poker with me. She’s got two.

  One. She blinks more than usual, making her thick lashes flutter.

  And two. She fidgets.

  She's squirming in her seat now, and my cheeks prickle as I let a smile take over my face.

  “What dare?” I say mildly. Her eyes darken and she stops moving to give me the biggest frown ever. But her reaction just makes my smile grow wider. I’m teasing her, of course. I know exactly what dare she’s talking about. The dare. The one Michelle dumped on us without any warning at Mark’s bachelor party.

  Pretend to be mine.