“I have no idea.”
She opened the door of her room and Ethan stood in the hallway, a blank look on his face, but his eyes burned with anger. Oh shit.
* * *
No one said anything when Delaney rejoined the group. Ethan avoided her eyes, preferring to regress to junior high school days and hang with the boys while the girls sat opposite them, cliques to the end. Although, judging by the looks being shot across the fire by the other couples, Delaney and Ethan weren’t the only ones struggling with the pairing and matchmaking. After pizza and lots of beer and wine, Caroline gathered everyone around the fire pit on the patio and introduced the next challenge.
Blood roared in Delaney’s ears, and she jumped up. “Hell no.”
Ethan reclined on the stone wall against the house and smirked at her. “Something to hide, Laney?”
She whirled to face him, hands firmly planted on her hips. “We all have stuff to hide. I’m not playing a stupid game of truth or dare where I’m the target. Absolutely not.”
Anna stood, a smug smile. “So, you forfeit the challenge and give up your chance to win? The lamp will look great in your apartment.”
Delaney froze. Shit. She’d forgotten about that stupid challenge. Anna’s face was firmly set. There was no way she would budge. She was too competitive. She looked at Ethan, but his face was impassive. It was her decision. He wouldn’t make it for her.
She sighed and sat down. “What are the rules?”
Anna grinned, a gleam of triumph in her eyes.
Caroline nodded. “Similar rules as before. We tally points by team. You accept and complete the truth or dare and you get a point. You fail, you lose a point. Final tally by team, couples. Whoever has the most points wins the money and designates who gets the lamp.”
Brigid, ever the lawyer, raised her hand. “So, nothing life-threatening or insulting, right?”
Caroline nodded. “Correct. Nothing too outrageous. Matthew and I will act as judges.”
Immediately, the entire group protested.
Delaney spoke for everyone. “No, you paid in. You participate.”
Matthew stood. “We never even finished the scavenger hunt. There’s no way to win.”
“You never know. Delaney might bolt again,” Anna replied.
Well, that truce lasted all of a few hours. Damn. Could she risk it? The money would be nice. What was once pocket change was now more precious and meant a bit more disposable income. And, she had to face it. Her car wouldn’t last forever, judging by the rattling coming more and more frequently. No, she wanted that money, but she wanted Anna to have to display the lamp. She wanted that so badly, she could almost taste it.
“I’m in.” Delaney crossed one leg over the other and sipped her wine.
One by one, everyone agreed and paired up. The game started innocently enough. Anna was challenged first, and as usual, she took a dare. Brigid took the truth, again staying true to form. When it was Delaney’s turn, she went with the dare. Truth was too risky.
Caroline gave the challenge. “Wear this blindfold and kiss one man. You must tell us who it is without touching him with anything but your lips.”
Delaney’s hands were shaking when she put on the blindfold and stood in the center of the patio. A presence loomed next to her, alerting her to his nearness. A hand was placed on her shoulder to steady her. She took a deep breath and a pair of lips settled on hers, a brief pressure of lips touching hers, impersonal and remote. Who was it? She had never kissed anyone else in their group. She expected Caroline would make Ethan kiss her, force them together. The lips lifted from hers and she automatically reached out, but the body shifted out of place.
The guys were all drinking beer, so that wasn’t a sign. She searched her memory for what she remembered about each guy. Could it be Ethan? Who else would Caroline have asked to step in? She was matchmaking everyone. If she used anyone else, someone would be pissed.
“Time’s up, Laney. Who was it?” Anna’s voice sang out.
Delaney took a deep breath and her nose caught a brief scent, a tease really of an aftershave. Her lips curved in a smile. “Ethan.”
She pulled off the blindfold to see Ethan standing a few steps away, an inscrutable look on his face. He nodded once and turned away. No further reaction. Her shoulders slumped. Maybe she really had pushed him away for the last time.
She rejoined the group, and the game continued. As they played late into the night, they skipped the beer and wine and shifted to tequila shots. By the time the moon was high in the sky and midnight was approaching, they were each more than a little drunk and feeling more reckless. As they were tied, they declared the final round a truth round. No exceptions. The words pierced Delaney’s haze, and she put down her drink, struggling for soberness before the inevitable.
Anna stood, swaying a bit. “My turn. My turn. Okay, I’m going with the elephant in the room. Delaney. Truth. Why did you walk away from all of your friends?”
She slowly lowered herself into her chair, her eyes never leaving Delaney. The laughter of the group died abruptly, and all eyes turned to Delaney. This was it. The day, the time she had been dreading for the past several days. Truth. She could bow out and lose the challenge. It wasn’t a big deal. She’d lost before and had survived. She’d survive again.