Cole’s once pursed lips are now smiling, but it’s destructive.
Hailey squirms in her seat. He starts on the closest person and works his way around the circle. “Your maintenance is as unbelievably high as your desire to fuck Finn.”
Beer foam spouts from Finn’s mouth. Still coughing out his shock, he doesn’t get the chance to get a word in because Cole’s already moved on to him.
“Finn, you once told me these exact words, and it takes one to know one, so now I’m telling you. You really think I’m that stupid?”
Moving on. I swallow. Unfortunately, that means I’m next.
I’m the only one he seems to hesitate on. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down like he can’t decide if he wants to say it or not. In front of our audience.
There’s a heaviness that settles there.
Squaring his jaw, it diminishes into something else. Equally as honest, just not as substantial. “It broke me the day you left.Bothtimes.”
My stomach flattens, sucking to my ribs. I don’t think I have any air left in my body, or if I do, it’s stagnant. Cole had said that softer, but it doesn’t make it any less painful to hear.
A weight settles around the fire at his omission. I can feel everyone else watching me, gauging my reaction, but I can’t move.
Both times…
He’d been dared to tell the truth, but he doesn’t give me a fair amount of time to react. Those piercing blue eyes break contact as he moves on to the only person left before I give a full blink.
Eli’s shoulders double in width.
“I understand the appeal, but what’s mine is mine. Andhonestly, you can try but I’ll always win.”
What the hell?
Again, Cole doesn’t allow the chance for anyone else to react or speak. “Hailey, truth or dare?”
“Truth,” she squeaks. Understandably hesitant.
Some sort of power trip radiating off Cole now.
The words fly out venomous. “Have you done us all a favor and actually let Finn inside your pussy yet? Because if you haven’t realized, he did all this for you.”
He’s talking about our trip. Finn had done this for her?
My still-stunned reaction from Cole’s earlier confession doubles now. More surprise sprouting. My reaction is similar to Hailey’s gaping mouth. She hadn’t known either.
“Guessing by your reaction, I’m thinking not, on either part,” Cole muses, unsympathetic.
If words are poison, then with the way he’s acting right now, Iceman’s making sure he won’t be the one choking on them.
Hailey visibly shrinks in size. Her frame small, bundling herself into her chair. Cole’s posture unwavering the entire time as her head whips back and forth between them.
“What is he talking about? Is what he’s saying true?”
“My turn,” Finn snarls, jumping in, avoiding Hailey’s questions and her confused face.
My skull throbs.
Groaning, I knew this game was a bad idea. Too many overshares are happening. We’re supposed to be having fun, not going after each other’s throats. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.
Anticipation grows as the apprehension suffocates. That something that’s been building in the air, almost ready. Don’t ask me how but I can tell it’s coming, and it’s not going to be good.
Finn’s wrath targets only Eli. “Does Rory know how you feel? How you’ve liked her since all the way back. Even when we were kids?” Not giving him the truth or dare option. Going straight for the jugular.