The Dare That Changed Everything
Chapter One: The Dare That Changed Everything
Cameron
I glance over at Audien, my best friend since we were twelve — the one I’ve been in love with since we were fifteen — and think, not for the first time, that I must be the biggest idiot alive.
He’s sitting on the arm of the couch, laughing at something Emma said, drink in hand, cheeks pink from alcohol or heat or maybe just being this fucking close to me. His jaw’s sharp, his hair flops messily over one eye, and he’s wearing a hoodie that used to be mine.
I shouldn’t be looking at him like this. I shouldn’t be thinking about the way he smells when he’s freshly showered. I shouldn’t be aching when he pulls that hoodie off and reveals the tight white tank top underneath that clings to his chest like it’s in love with him too.
But I do. Every damn time.
“Cameron!”
Jackson’s voice cuts through my longing like a dull knife. I turn my head slowly, blinking like I’ve been caught staring — which I have.
“We’re playing Truth or Dare,” he says, holding up a bottle of Fireball like it’s a trophy. “Get your ass over here.”
Our friends — mostly football guys, a few cheerleaders, some from our dorm hall — have created a lazy circle in the living room of the off-campus apartment. Someone already spilled something sticky near the fridge. The music’s loud, the lighting low, and the air smells like sweat and regret.
“Seriously?” I mutter, standing.
“You used to love this shit,” Jackson says.
Yeah. I used to love a lot of things. Before I realized I wanted the one person I could never have.
I settle on the floor, heart hammering as Audien shifts and ends up sitting directly across from me. He gives me a small, easy smile — the kind that kills me. He has no idea. He never has.
“I dare Cameron to kiss Audien,” Trent says, grinning like the devil.
The room goes silent.
No one laughs. No one even moves. I think I forget how to breathe.
“You two can go into the hall if you want,” Emma says helpfully, like this is just a little joke and not the exact fantasy that’s haunted me for years.
Audien looks at me. I look at him. And I know he’s going to laugh it off. Joke his way out. Say something like “ew, gross.”
Instead, he stands.
And follows me out of the room.
Audien
My heart is pounding so hard I’m afraid Cameron can hear it. Or worse — that he can see it in my chest.
We step into the narrow hallway, the bass from the music thumping through the walls. The door closes behind us with a soft click, and we’re alone.
Cameron leans against the wall, arms crossed. His jaw is tight. His gaze flickers over my face like he’s trying to figure me out.
“I’m not going to kiss you,” he says.
“Why not?” I ask, trying to sound casual. “It’s just a game.”
“What if I don’t want it to be a game?”
I blink. “What are you saying?”
He doesn’t answer. Just turns to walk away.
“If you walk back in there, I’m telling everyone you’re a horrible kisser.”
He stops.
Turns back.
“I am, in fact, a very good kisser. So I’ve been told.”
“Prove it,” I say, before I can stop myself.
There’s a beat.
A dangerous pause.
Then he pushes me gently but firmly against the wall and kisses me.
His mouth is hot, urgent, soft but demanding. I gasp. I’ve never been kissed like this. Actually… I’ve never been kissed, period. And suddenly I’m wondering why I waited so long, why I ever thought I was straight, because this—this—feels fucking amazing.
His hand grips my waist. His body presses into mine. He deepens the kiss and I melt into it. Into him. My hips move instinctively, and I feel him — all of him. He’s hard. And so am I.
I don’t know what this means. I don’t know what I’m doing. But I never want him to stop.
When he finally pulls away, we’re both breathless.
“I really shouldn’t have done that,” he mutters.
Then he leaves me standing there — stunned, shaking, and very, very turned on.
