Chapter 19 — Truth or Dare

Pelin had taken it upon herself to entertain us tonight. I wasn't concerned so much as long as she kept away from me.

Ashton had gotten me a jacket, and I was sitting cozy now, leaning into him while Emre was sitting on my other side, the faraway look in his eyes suggesting that his thoughts were elsewhere. 

Pelin had finally made her way over to her final destination, Eric, and was regaling with apparently funny stories from what I could see. 

Before I could ask Ashton if we could go back now, Zerrin, who had been sitting alone, stood up with an excited expression. I knew whatever it was, it couldn't be anything good. 

"Guys, guys," she said, "Let's play Truth or Dare!"

Of course she would come up with this. I should've known, then I would've pretended to be asleep.

"That's a great idea, let's," Pelin spoke up. I could see her mind already working on how she could further denigrate me in front of the others. I wished I could tell her that all her efforts were in vain. There was no one here I wanted to impress, the least of all Eric. 

"She couldn't have come up with anything more annoying?" Aston muttered to me.

"We all need to sit in a circle," she gestured to us.

"We're fine here," said Emre, and his tone made Zerrin abruptly turn away.

"Okay then," she said, slightly unsure, "Since we can't use a bottle because we're not sitting in a circle, we can just take turns and choose who we want to ask. Who wants to go first?"

There was complete silence only broken by the crackle of flames. I stifled a laugh.

"Zayn, why don't you go first?" Zerrin said She was smart, playing Zayn like that; he would pretty much do whatever she wanted. I didn't get Zayn sometimes. How did he tolerate the evil twins?

"Me? Okay. Hmm, let me think…Ashton, truth or dare?" Ashton probably knew he'd be the target. Who else would Zayn pick but his best friend?

I shifted away from Ashton to look at his face.

"Truth, I don't want to get up to do a dare!" he replied.

"Aw man, and I'd thought of such a good dare for you," Zayn groaned.

"I outplayed you," Aston smirked.

"Okay, let me give you a nasty one. What's your biggest secret? One so bad, you can't even think about it."

"That's such a cliché question," Pelin rolled her eyes, "You could have used your mind for something more original at least." 

"I already used it up to think of a dare. We aren't all as smart as you, Princess," Zayn taunted.

Ashton had become quiet, taking it too seriously. I'd thought he would just shrug it off or laugh or something. His face looked pale in the light of the fire, and he stared ahead.

"C'mon Ashton, can you answer in this century?!" Zerrin said "I…once," Ashton broke off, swallowed, and finished, "I once broke up two people who really loved each other."

Someone gasped; I didn't look up to see who because I was too busy taking care of the suspicions sprouting up in my head like mushrooms. At the same time, I was berating myself for being too self-obsessed. It couldn't be about Emre and me, could it? Eric didn't even know me back then, he'd been abroad. It must be someone else, but who was it? I resolved to get it out of him when we were alone.

"Hey, did you want the girl for yourself?" Zayn laughed, diffusing the atmosphere.

Ashton shook his head but replied, "Something like that…" 

I put my arm around him, giving him silent support.

"Okay, if we're done with the drama, it's my turn now." Zerrin replied, "I choose Emre!"

Emre sighed beside me; he probably knew Zerrin would be all over him if he so much as raised his eyebrow in encouragement. He gave no reply, just gave her one of his patient looks as if she were a pesky child.

"Truth or dare?" she asked.

I was pretty sure Emre would take Dare.

"Dare," Emre replied.

"Oh okay." She looked a little disappointed, as if she had wanted him to choose truth; I wondered what she had wanted to ask him.

"Ask him to jump in the ocean naked!" Zayn rubbed his hands together in evil delight. I guessed this was what he'd cooked up for Ashton. 

"No," Zerrin looked shocked, "I want you to sing a song."

"Sing a song?" Zayn looked disgusted, "Oh please, could you waste your dare any other way? Emre doesn't even have a good singing voice! No offense, bro!" 

"None taken, I'd rather jump in the ocean myself," Emre looked annoyed.

"Um, okay then, if you really don't want to, I just didn't want you to catch a cold," Zerrin looked embarrassed. She was so transparent with her crush on Emre written all over her face that I felt second-hand embarrassment just looking at her.

Emre stood up and stripped off his shirt in one smooth motion that had my mouth watering. 

Zerrin gasped, and I realized he was having the same effect on her. I didn't like it.

His body really was a work of art, smooth muscles and ripped abs, a body worth drooling over. I shook my head to dislodge all the naughty thoughts that had entered my head.

"Stop showing off and go jump in the ocean!" Zayn complained.

I laughed. Emre didn't take off his shorts and turned away to run down to the shoreline. We went a lot farther down than we had hoped, and we realized why when abruptly he took off his shorts too and slowly entered the ocean like a Greek God, going back into the sea.

We were all left staring after him, me with my mouth hanging open.

I wasn't sure why but everyone had gone pretty silent. They'd seen Emre without his shirt on before, I was sure, but I doubted they'd seen him completely naked. I wasn't sure about the guys, but the girls were all hot and bothered.

"We should steal his shorts," Zayn mumbled, but no one paid him any attention because Emre had just risen out of the ocean looking like he was shooting for the cover of GQ.

He swiped back his hair out of his eyes and slowly came up out of the sea. The water ran in rivulets down his muscled chest, down his body, and down his powerful thighs. He looked like a warrior, a conqueror. 

My mouth was so dry, I couldn't even swallow.

He snatched up his shorts and came back towards us. I looked up to his face, and he was smirking.

Oh Lord.

He ran a hand through his hair to dislodge the water. Droplets still clung to him though, running down his chest, making me want to lick them away one by one. 

Picking up his shirt, he sat down next to me. I turned my head away.

"Well, that was refreshing." He laughed, "The water isn't as cold as you would think, a good night for a swim. You guys should've joined me."

Zerrin's eyes still had a glazed expression, and even Pelin looked distracted.

I could see what had happened to them. Maybe I needed a swim too, I thought, I was burning up.