“Truth!”

  “Lame.” Lexie coughs into her drink and I laugh.

  “Okay, if I roll a seven,” he smiles at the easiest number to roll, “you have to tell us what happened with you and our physics teacher after graduation.”

  Her mouth drops open and so does mine because even I don’t know the details of that. “Lucas!” She says and I think she may actually be a little irritated because while there was a rumor, for one of her closest friends to bring it up would lead most people to believe that something really did happen.

  He holds his hands up. “Listen, I waited four whole years for this moment. And you were eighteen! It’s not like it was illegal, come on!”

  I chuckle. “Avery!” Rory smacks my arm and I can’t stop the smile on my face because I really want to know too.

  “What! What do you want me to do!?” I point at him. “I didn’t tell him to ask that!” I can’t stop giggling as I start to feel my drinks a little and she glares at me. “Okay, Lucas, this is not the conversation for mixed company.” Another laugh breaks free even though I’m trying my best to be serious. “She doesn’t have to answer.”

  “The hell she doesn’t!” Lexie cheers and leans forward. “I knew it by the way! How big was it?” She holds her hands apart and moves them back and forth to guess the length. “Tell me when.”

  “You guys suck.” Rory snaps. “We made out, that’s it. Get your minds out of the gutter.”

  “She’s lying!” Lexie cheers as she points at her. “Oh, this is good.” She nods at Rory. “I know. I know.” She mouths, fanning herself. “He was so hot.”

  “I hate all of you.” She snatches the dice and looks at me. “And you, giggles.” She glares at me. “Truth or Dare!”

  I let out a breath, not knowing which the safer option is. Truth, always truth. “Truth.” Her eyes narrow at me and for a second my stomach drops. No no no do not ask. “Rory,” I warn, hoping she can figure out what I’m trying to tell her with my eyes.

  DO NOT GO THERE.

  “If I roll a seven, you have to tell us who you snuck off with after your grad party.” She winks and scrunches her nose and my eyes immediately go to Lucas who’s staring at me with a furrowed brow.

  “Wait what?” Lucas asks and I am trying my best not to make eye contact with Theo.

  “Seven!” Rory cheers before looking at me with a grin. I am going to kill you, I tell her with my eyes.

  “You said you went home?” Lucas says and Rory’s smile fades instantly before she turns to me.

  “Wait, it wasn’t Lucas?” She whispers to me behind her hand and when I glare at her she blanches.

  “Who?” Lucas chuckles. He looks around the room, probably thinking it’s someone from high school before turning back to me.

  “First of all, I didn’t sneak off with anyone. I did go home and this game is dumb.”

  “Hey! Don’t blame the game,” Lexie says as she takes a sip of the wine in front of her. I finally meet Theo’s eyes and they give away nothing. Most of the people standing in the circle don’t give a shit about my answer, but the damage is done and now Lucas suspects I not only lied to him but that I’m hiding something. “I have to go to the bathroom,” I say without another word before walking out of the kitchen just as I feel my phone vibrate.

  Rory: SHIT! I am so sorry. I figured it was Lucas!

  Avery: I could kill you! Why would I hide that from you?

  Rory: I don’t know. Because you’ve been friends forever and you’re finally getting together! And maybe you weren’t ready to tell people yet? It would be huge!!

  Avery: So, you were going to out us during a drinking game!? You’re the worst!!!

  Rory: I know ugh, I’m sorry!! Don’t hate me. That really was why I asked. But, look no one cares.

  Avery: Lucas cares, Rory!

  Rory: So!? He’s not the boss of you or your man.

  Avery: I told him I went home that night so he thinks I lied

  Rory: Did you?

  Avery: Yes, okay! I did meet up with someone. You don’t know him, he’s from Pitt. We used to hook up sometimes. That’s it.

  Keep things vague, I tell myself. No names, no descriptions, he could be anyone. No face, no case!

  Rory: How could you not tell me this!?

  Avery: Because it meant nothing! Do I know about all of your hookups!

  Rory: Uh, yes?

  Avery: Well…sorry.

  Rory: What’s his name? Is he cute? Pics!!

  A knock on the bathroom door startles me and when I open the door, I see Lucas in the hallway. I came upstairs to use the bathroom to get away from everyone and also to hide for a minute.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey,” I say, turning off the light and stepping into the hallway.

  “You good?” He asks as he leans against the wall.

  “Yeah, of course. That game is just super invasive. I never liked it,” I lie, because I used to love it.

  He hears the lie, and more importantly, knows why I’m lying now. “Are you seeing someone?” He asks.

  “I—ummm…” Think and think quick. “It’s not serious.”

  He scratches his jaw and looks at me contemplatively, like he’s not sure what to ask me next. “So, you did meet up with someone that night?”

  “Well—”

  He crosses his arms in front of his chest. “You lied to me? Why?”

  “I didn’t want you to worry about me and you tend to ask a lot of questions.” I bite my bottom lip nervously.

  He chuckles. “Because I care about you, obviously. Who is it?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Sort of?”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know, Avery. Maybe I want to know who my best friend is dating!?”

  “We aren’t dating. It’s a guy from school and it was casual. He was leaving to go back home. That’s it. It’s over.”

  He narrows his gaze at me and then finally shrugs. “You could have just told me that.”

  “Could I have?”

  “What does that mean?”

  I sigh, the unspoken words hanging between us.

  Because I don’t want to hurt you?

  Hours later, it’s nearing midnight and most of the party has cleared out. Including Lucas, who decided to leave with a bunch of people to go downtown. He didn’t even press it when I said I had to be up early tomorrow so I shouldn’t go out and I wonder if it’s because of the revelation from earlier. The air between us shifted in that two-minute conversation and I wonder if this is a turning point in our friendship. Theo had long since gone upstairs, after the Truth or Dare game, and hadn’t returned. Although, now everyone is gone and as I start to clean up because that had always been my job when Lucas was too busy puking or passed out, I hear someone coming down the stairs. I smile because we are finally alone and more importantly, I may finally get to fuck Theo in his bed.

  He moves through the kitchen, his hands in his shorts pockets, and stares at me as I throw away the last of the red cups. When I start wiping down the counters with Lysol wipes, he speaks up. “You don’t have to do that.”

  I cock my head to the side. “Two things. One, you’d be pissed if you woke up tomorrow and the kitchen was a mess, and two, who do you think always cleaned up after Lucas had people over?”

  “I figured.” He moves closer to me and pulls a bottle of whiskey from the cart in the corner. “Have one with me?” He asks.

  Even though I’m still a little tipsy, I nod and he pours some in each glass. “Did he give you a hard time?”

  I shake my head before tossing the wipe in the trash and washing my hands, wanting to be done cleaning for now. “No. I told him it was a random guy from college.”

  He nods. “Rory doesn’t know?”

  “No, she knows I left that night. But I never told her who with. Evidently, she thought I left with Lucas and she was trying to have some drunken dramatic reveal that we are actually together. I’m quite mad at her right now.” I’m only half joking because while I am mad, I know it won’t be for long.

  “Fair.” He chuckles as he moves closer to me and pulls me into his chest. “Interesting little game.” He pulls his hand out of his pocket and reveals two dice. He moves them around his hand, before giving me a sexy smirk. “I would imagine it’s more fun in…smaller parties.”

  We’re in my room after we’ve finished cleaning up the kitchen. I also set the alarm in case Lucas comes back before I expect him and it gives us at least a little bit of time for Avery and any of her discarded clothes to be moved out of sight in case Lucas wants to pop his head inside to say good night. My heart fucking stopped earlier hearing Rory’s question, but Avery handled it well. Effortlessly cool and not at all like she was also panicking. I’m sitting on the edge of my bed with Avery in my lap straddling me as she moves around far too much.

  I brought the bottle of whiskey upstairs with us and we each had another drink and now Avery is practically attached to me. “I’m horny,” she moans in my ear before biting down gently on it.

  “Good,” I tell her. “So am I. It’ll make the game more fun.”

  “Touch me, please,” she says, reaching between us for my belt when I grab her hand.

  “Get on the bed,” I command and she does, getting into a kneeling position with her legs slightly spread. I take a sip of the whiskey and hold the dice in my hand. “Truth or dare.”

  “Dare,” she whispers.

  “Oh.” I smile cockily. “Someone’s brave all of a sudden.” I roll the dice around in my hand. “If I roll a six, you have to take off your dress.” I throw them on the bed and they bounce before landing in front of her and sure enough, it lands on a two and a four. Her eyes move from the dice to me. “I should probably tell you, my dad taught me to play Craps when I was about seven years old, so I’m pretty good with a pair of dice.”

  “Oh.” She smirks. “Lucky me.” She gets off the bed slowly slides the dress down her body leaving her topless, clad only in a pair of panties. I rub my dick, desperate to relieve the ache when I see her starting to remove her panties.

  “Just the dress,” I grunt. “Leave them.”

  She moves around the bed until she’s standing right in front of me. “Fine.” She raises an eyebrow conspiratorially. “Can I have a sip?”

  “Since you asked nicely.” I hand her the glass and snatch the dice off the bed to hand them to her.

  “Truth or dare?” She asks.

  “Truth.”

  “Scared?” she asks before taking a long sip of the whiskey.

  “No.” I shake my head.

  “If I roll an eight, you have to tell me about the first time you thought about me while you touched your dick.”

  I let out a breath, knowing she was going to ask me something along these lines and I nod towards the bed, telling her to roll. She does and of course, an eight.

  “First of all, how old was I?”

  I scoff. “You are a horny little degenerate.” I repeat her words from earlier. “You were eighteen.”

  “Like the stroke of midnight on my birthday, eighteen? Or like eighteen and nine months.”

  I cock my head to the side. “You want to hear the story?” She giggles and nods her head. “It was the summer after your freshman year of college and there was a bunch of you in the backyard at the pool and…you were wearing this black bathing suit that…God, it should have been illegal. It showed entirely too much of your ass. But I didn’t notice.” I shake my head remembering the moment she went from Avery Summers, the girl that lived next door, to the smokeshow who had me fucking my hand every night. “There were some guys in the kitchen”—I roll my eyes at the memory—“getting ice for their non-alcoholic drinks of course, and one of them mentioned you and they started talking about how hot you looked and some other not so respectful things. Things they wanted to do to you…whatever. I heard it. Reamed them out for it and told them to get out of my house.” I take another breath. “And then when I looked outside, it was like I was seeing you in a whole different light. Maybe it was their words still ringing in my head, I don’t know. I never noticed your breasts or your ass before and now it was…very hard to miss them. I went to my bathroom and fucked my hand for an hour.”

  “Oh my God,” she whispers and presses against me, running her fingers up my chest. “Take this off.”

  “You didn’t dare me.”

  “I don’t care.”

  I oblige because I’m getting warm and I love her eyes on me and the way she ogles my body. I pull my shirt over my head and she presses her lips to my chest. “That is so hot. Will you fuck me now?”

  “Why the rush?” I smile. “It’s my roll.” I grab the dice. “Truth or dare?”

  “Dare.”

  “If I roll a seven, I get to drink this whiskey…off of your body.” I run my tongue over my bottom lip.

  Her eyes dart from my mouth to the bed waiting for my roll and when it lands on seven, she smiles wickedly. “Should I lay on the floor?”

  “Of course not, get on the bed.” I gesture for her to lie down.

  “What if you spill whiskey on it?”

  “I won’t.”

  “Have you ever done this before?” She lies on her back, her tits still on display and I realize I haven’t even touched them. I give her a look and I don’t mistake the envious look that flashes before she shuts her eyes.

  I lean over her, dragging my tongue around one of her dusty rose nipples and her eyes pop open just as I close my lips around it, sucking it hard. “Don’t be jealous,” I tell her as I move to the other, kissing and licking it before hollowing my cheeks and letting her go with a loud, wet pop.

  “I’m not.”

  I snort. “Okay, angel. You ready?”

  She nods and I tip the bottle just enough for it to pour into her belly button. I get on the bed and kneel between her legs, and slowly move my hands up her smooth thighs until they meet the apex.

  “Theo. Don’t tease me, I’m trying to hold still.”

  “Hmmmm.” I moan as I press my nose to her panty-covered sex. I inhale her, smelling and feeling how wet she is against the tip of my nose.

  “God!” She whimpers as I drag my tongue over the satin covering her pussy. She shakes but still manages to keep the whiskey in her belly button. I hover my lips around the area before my tongue darts out and I lap at the alcohol slowly, swirling my tongue around her skin before sucking it all into my mouth. Once I clean all the traces of alcohol from her skin, I drag my tongue up her torso between her breasts and into her mouth, wanting a taste of her tongue.

  “Best shot of whiskey I ever had,” I grunt against her lips before moving off her and helping her to her feet.

  “Truth or dare,” she says and I can tell she’s getting antsy because her eyes are glued to my groin and she’s rubbing her thighs together.

  “Dare.”

  “If I roll a seven, I want you to get naked.” She starts to roll before she stops. “And I’m going to get naked.”

  “Okay.” I chuckle because I’m not going to argue with that.

  She starts to roll again but she stops. “And then we sixty-nine.” She smiles.

  “I don’t think you’re playing right? I think you get one, I gave you the second…”

  “Are you complaining?” She drags a finger down my body and cups me through my pants. “What happened to wanting to put your mouth on my pussy before I left here tonight?”

  “Oh, believe me, that’s happening.”

  “This is fun and all but I just…want to get the party started already.”

  I nod. “Okay so you roll a seven and you sit on my face while you suck my cock.”

  She bites her bottom lip and lets out a breath before shooting them on the bed and letting out the sexiest fuck yes, when it lands on seven. I barely have a second to register the number before her hands are on my belt and I realize she’d already pulled her panties off.

  “Fuck me, Avery.”

  “Yes, yes please, let’s do that.”

  “I want to put my mouth on you first,” I grunt as I slide off my jeans and briefs leaving me naked. I get on the bed, my dick hard and leaking and dying to get inside of her as I lay on my back. She drags her eyes all over me and shakes her head.

  “God, you’re so hot.” She kneels on the bed and I reach for her, pulling her to my chest and pressing a kiss to her lips.

  “You somehow grew into the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.” She narrows her eyes like she doesn’t believe me and when she starts to pull away, I grab her by her jaw, squeezing it gently. “Tell me you believe me.”

  “Sure, Theo. You were a football star for a decade and met models and movie stars and women all over the world but the girl next door is the most gorgeous? You’ve already got me in bed,” she teases and shoots me a look. “I don’t need all that.”

  I squeeze harder and sit up slightly. “You calling me a liar?” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Because I won’t let you come if that’s the case.”

  Her mouth drops open. “That’s not fair. I dared you and I won.”

  “Fuck the dare.” I tell her. “You were sitting on my face regardless. Now I’ll ask you again,” I say as I drag my finger over her nipples that pebble under my touch. “Are you calling me a liar?”

  She shivers and shakes her head. “No.”

  “So you believe me when I say that while yes, I’ve met tons of women throughout my life, nobody has turned my head like you have. You are, by far, the most gorgeous.” She nods and if I’m not mistaken, I see her eyes glisten slightly. “Now be a good girl, and put your pussy on my face.”

  Her eyes widen and she gives me the sexiest smile before she turns around to straddle my face and I don’t waste a second before reaching up and putting my mouth on her cunt. “Oh fuck, Theo.” She moans my name as I swirl my tongue around her and suction my lips around her clit.

  God, it fucking sounds good on her lips.

  I find myself thinking about her calling my name in just a normal day to day routine.

  No. Stop that. Dangerous territory.

  “Theo,” she moans again. “Fuck, you’re going to make me come so hard.” She grabs my dick with one hand and wraps her lips around me and I groan, which I’m guessing sends a vibration through her because she squeals and lets out the sexiest, breathiest giggle that almost makes me explode down her throat.