Truce or Dare (Sweet Fortuity Book 1) (6 page)

Realizing what I was telling him, I stopped.

“No, continue that,” he told me, and it held an edge of warning. He gave me a look that told me he wanted to know, and he would do everything to get that answer. From experience, lying was not a good idea.

“I’m sure it’s not someone watching me. What are the chances?” I trailed off, my laugh coming out shakily.

He didn’t look convinced.

His eyes were steely, and his expression, grim. “I don’t take chances. Do you have a ride home?”

“I walked here. It’s pretty close to–”

“Let me know when you’re ready.”

“Honestly,” I said, a little annoyed now, “this is going a bit overboard. No one is watching me.”

The conversation was cut short when Eva and Sierra arrived, and we went to have dinner.

* * *

I wanted a round two.

I wanted it so badly, I spent an embarrassingly long time twisting my neck and squinting my eyes just looking for another form of competition I could possibly win. Granted, there weren’t that many left by now, so we were torn between two stands.

We stopped over, deciding between two stalls.

"Are you both joining?" I heard a woman’s voice ask to my right. Her hair was tied up neatly, and she was beaming at us.

"What is it?" I asked curiously, eyeing the stall. It wasn’t flashy– it had a modest banner printed with red lettering that read ‘Chili Contest Corner’.

On the left were two medium-sized bowls of chili. There were glasses beside the bowls, and a jug of milk.

"Basically, be the first to eat as many as you can and win."

It wasn't that bad. I liked eating spicy food, we both did, so I was fairly sure I could hold my own. But I wasn't sure I wanted to do this right now. Didn't they say chili sent some kind of signal of pain to the brain that made you think it was a sort of burn? I wasn't a masochist.

"Scared of a little heat?" His eyes dared me to accept the challenge.

Not one to back down, I held his gaze. "Not on your life."

I didn't want to ask what type of chili it was– and did it really matter what kind of chili it was? I was going to send millions of signals to my brain that I was hurting myself. Jesus.

He was trying to rattle me, and I didn't understand why. Did he get off on making me mad?

It was a challenge, and there was no way in hell I was backing down. I wasn’t sure what exactly I was trying to prove, only that I knew I couldn’t lose.

Kate, Eva, and Sierra wisely refused, content on watching us. I longingly stared back wishing he hadn't incited the damn dare.

"I'm out," Haley said in a cough only after her third. "You both," she drank the glass of milk so fast. "Are insane."

Don't leave me
. I met her eyes, and I can imagine the look on my eyes must be panicked, because she patted my shoulder comfortingly.

When I finished the last piece, and through no small effort, I placed both my hands on the table, and said proudly, "What do I win?"

The woman looked at us like we were aliens, while Kate and Haley stood by the side, mouths gaped open. We've also managed to gather a small group of spectators. I didn't know how I survived that either, plus it couldn't have been good for the brain, hurting myself on purpose.

When I turned to my right to check on whether he gave up too, I swore.

His bowl was also empty and he picked up to drink a glass of milk.

I tortured myself with chilies and we ended up in a motherfucking tie. I lost it. "Nooo, you're hiding one! Flip out your pockets."

The corners of his eyes crinkled.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" I burst out indignantly.

"There's nothing inside, Sherr," he said, attempting to cover his laugh with a cough as he inserted his hands inside and pulled them out, making a point when they came up empty.

"Where is your chili stash? You've got to be hiding it somewhere," I said desperately.

The woman moved back. I think I scared her a little.

"Well…You see, we've never had anyone make it past eating two-thirds before one gave up," she said hurriedly, her words tumbling out in a rush, "we've got two tickets to see the Chrissy Barnes concert, this stuffed toy and a tub each of our finest honey and milk to wash away the heat."

I don't know how to halve a stuffed toy and how the heck do we divide a tub of honey right
now
?

"Do you have another tub of honey?"

"Those are our only ones for today sorry," she replied apologetically.

What was it with the shortage of stock today?

She held both hands up, clasped together, like she thought we'd breathe fire on her stall.

"Are you okay?" Haley asked me from behind, bumping my shoulder. "You two can't be human to have eaten that much."

"I'm fine."

"You're scowling," she snickered. "Cheer up. Granted you didn't win, but you didn't lose either."

God, she was having entirely too much fun with this.

"Alright. Lets figure this out the old-fashioned way," Chase said, his tone somber.

I stopped on my tracks. "You don't mean…?"

He nodded carefully. “Exactly that."

"What way is this?" Kate asked, intrigued.

We stood in front of each other, not letting go of the stare-down.

"At my count of three," he said.

I nodded.

"Three… Two… One."

With hands on our back, we pulled them out front and swung.

Slowly, I whispered, “Sci-ssors, pa-per, rock.”

Him, paper, me, scissors. Score!

"Yay!" I did a little dance and skipped on the way back. Yeah, it was unnecessary, but it was a win even if by luck, and I wanted to rub it in a little for his little 'grease your palms' speech earlier.

I picked the honey, which he seemed unhappy about, and I felt a little satisfaction with that.

* * *

O
nce the countdown was over
, fireworks burst across the sky, bright and luminous, but short-lived. Each consecutive one shot across the sky, and my eyes followed them in wonder. I got a glass of wine as I watched.

We eventually split, and I ended up with Eva and Chase.

Eva was busy snapping some shots on her phone, and I was about to do the same, when Chase stalked up to me, and I stepped back instinctively. He did this until my back hit a wall. Only inches apart, it made me acutely aware of his close proximity. My cheeks felt hot. I was glad it was dark.

“Are you seeing someone?”

What? Where did that come from?

I shook my head. And was that my imagination that relief flashed across his face? “Are you?”

I didn’t realize I’ve been holding my breath, waiting a reply, until he responded, “No. Haven’t in a while.”

Wow. Not in a while?

“Really?”

Satisfaction flickered in his expression at my response.

I knew I had no right to, but that made me absurdly happy.

In the back of my mind, I wondered if he thought of me at all the past two years, the same way he occupied my thoughts, no matter how hard I tried not to.

Something had changed between us. I couldn't point my finger on what it was exactly.

And I was scared. I was scared because I didn't know what we were, where we stood, or where the hell this was going.

* * *

C
eline Davis was
Chase’s mom, and she looked striking now in a white fitted dress, with her hazel eyes, and hair in an intricate braid. Smiling broadly as she saw us, she ran over and hugged me tightly. “Sherry! So good to see you again.”

"Celine," I said brightly. "It's good to see you too. Oh–thanks for the pizza. They were amazing."

“I'm glad you liked them," she beamed back at me. "Can you come over for dinner on Monday, the week after?” she asked me. “We just finished a renovation on the house, would be nice if you can come and see it.”

Her expectant gaze made me cave. There was no way I could say no. I found myself accepting the offer.

I
just knew
this wasn’t going to end well.

* * *

I found Wes by a hotdog corner. We talked for a bit as he waited in line, and he offered me a bottle of beer he got for free. I was feeling a buzz after my second glass of wine, which Sierra poured in everyone’s glasses equally so we could discard the bottle. I was never able to hold my liquor well. But I accepted it anyway, because free was free. Maybe I could put it in the fridge later.

“Thank you. I’m still mad at you about the game, though,” I told him.

He looked back at me sheepishly. “Sorry. Never seen the guy want a scarf so badly.”

I scowled. “It was supposed to be mine.”

“Maybe you can try asking for it,” he suggested.

“I’m sure he’d enjoy that,” I muttered.

After a while, he asked about the things I’d done while I was away.

"You haven't seen the Skydeck?” he asked, disbelief on his face. He gaped at me just as he was about to eat his hotdog roll. “What about the Millennium Park?”

"Well," I picked at the thread at the rip of my jeans. “I saw the park. Once. Briefly. But I’ve kind of set strict deadlines for myself," I continued, feeling like I had to explain, and– why the hell did I feel like I was making excuses?

And it struck me, this sense of family, and I had traded it for… What exactly? Solitude?

Just like fate to gift me something beautiful, bow-wrapped and sparkling, pull it away under my feet, and bring it back in all its wrapped-up glory.

"But you've always said you wanted to"– he paused, and looking at me oddly, asked a little more gently– “what happened to you, Sherr?”

I said I wanted to see the Skydeck together with Chase. That made me not want to see it.

“I learned that when you let someone get close to you, you give them a part of yourself. And that part of yourself you can never get back, no matter how hard you try, or pretend to.”

I didn't want to do deep conversations anymore. Perhaps a little too abruptly, I stood up and swayed, but I held myself up on time, putting a hand on the table. “Whoa. I think I had too much…”

“You think?” Chase’s smooth voice said from behind my ear, sarcasm heavy.