Chapter 59 59.Truth or Dare
Tabitha’s POV
The sun begins to sink, streaking the sky in shades of orange and rose that bleed into the darkening blue above. The waterfall catches the light as it crashes down, its spray turning molten for a moment, like liquid fire spilling into the basin below. A comforting silence settles between the four of us as we relax and appreciate the scenery. Evren drapes his jacket over my shoulders before I even ask, the fabric faintly smelling of leather and forest, something he must have grabbed from the car.
“Thanks,” I mumble. I pull it closer and tuck my towel underneath, still damp from the swim.
It’s a good thing that the boys at least had the decency to bring towels. Otherwise, we’d all be freezing to death here—or maybe I’d be freezing alone. I heard werewolves have a higher tolerance for extreme temperatures.
It’s a good thing that the boys at least had the decency to bring towels. Otherwise, we’d all be freezing to death here—or maybe I’d be freezing alone. I heard werewolves have a higher tolerance for extreme temperatures.
I bask in Evren’s scent from the jacket as I watch Luca crouch low, stacking woods and striking a lighter until sparks catch. The flame grows fast and soon the bonfire roars with life. We circle around it, the heat rushing against our faces in waves. I spread my palms out and greedily let the warmth seep into my fingers, chasing away the bite of the evening air.
“Here.” Jace passes me a stick tipped with marshmallows.
“Thank you.” I happily torch the marshmallow through the bonfire. “Can’t remember the last time I had these.”
The sweet smell of sugar toasting soon mixes with the smoky air. My marshmallow blisters at the edges, gooey and golden, and Jace smashes it between two chocolate squares and a cracker. I slide it off the stick with my fingers and take a bite. Delicious.
Jace taps the empty soda bottle against his knee, chewing on his uncooked marshmallows. “Man, we can’t just sit here like we’re eighty. Let’s play something.”
Luca snorts. “What, you wanna play bingo?”
“Yeah, someone grab me a marker, I’m feeling lucky tonight.” Reed grins.
I snort into my s’more, nearly choking on crumbs.
“Fuckers. I was gonna say truth or dare,” Jace shoots back, flicking the bottle cap at Reed.
Luca rolls his eyes and pulls a face. “Perfect. Should we paint each other’s nails and gossip about our high school crushes next?”
This time I actually choke on the marshmallow, coughing around a laugh that bubbles out before I can swallow.
“Don’t be such a pussy, man. It’ll be fun, and it’s not like anyone brought a deck of cards or a chessboard.” Jace grabs the empty plastic bottle and spins it on the ground. “I’m just trying to make use of what we have here.”
I laugh, licking sticky marshmallow from my fingers. “Truth or dare sounds harmless enough. Why not?”
Jace immediately swings the bottle toward me like it’s proof, then he gives Luca a smug look. “See? Tabi’s down. She’s not a killjoy like you.”
Luca rolls his eyes. “Just spin the damn bottle, best friend. Don’t forget to pass the lip gloss after.”
I laugh and watch Jace flip Luca the finger before we start circling the bottle, keeping close enough to the bonfire for its warmth to reach me.
“Alright, here goes…” Jace spins the bottle. We watch in eager anticipation as it slows and finally stops pointing at Luca.
“Truth or dare, best friend?” Jace asks, grinning.
“Dare,” Luca answers confidently.
Jace’s eyes light up. “I dare you to sing ’I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ and actually do the dance.”
Reed snorts and laughs, shaking his head.
Luca glares at him. “What, you think I won’t do it?”
“Then, do it,” Jace fires. “Please entertain us.”
And Luca actually does. He stands, brushing dirt from his jeans, then throws himself into a dramatic twirl around the bonfire, belting the chorus in a half-decent falsetto. I throw my head back, guffawing at his ridiculousness. He flaps his arms in an attempt to mimic some 90s disco moves, his hips shaking shamelessly, and by the time he spins past me, I’m laughing so hard my sides ache. He’s so silly. Even Evren cracks a rare grin, shaking his head in disbelief.
When Luca finally collapses back onto the log, breathless but smug, Jace claps, looking immensely entertained by his brother’s shamelessly awkward performance.
“Next round.” Luca spins the bottle. This time it lands on Reed.
“Truth or dare?” Jace asks.
“Dare,” Reed says easily, tossing a marshmallow into his mouth. This man never stops eating.
Jace smirks. “Alright. I dare you to do a handstand until I count to ten.”
“Piece of cake.” Reed kicks himself up against a tree, legs flailing before he steadies. Jace drags out the count obnoxiously slow, stretching each number until Reed’s face is beet red. When he finally crashes down in a heap, the smug grin never leaves his face.
Next spin, it’s Jace.
“Truth,” he says, grinning as if he already knows he’ll get away with something.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you this. Back when we were kids, were you the one who hid the butler’s dentures?” Reed asks.
Jace smirks. “Of course it was me. Manfred shouldn’t have fallen asleep with his mouth open. That shit was an invitation.”
“Oh my god. I forgot just how mean you are!” I shake my head in mock disappointment.
“Hey, he was always yelling at us for tracking mud inside. I was seven, okay? Hiding his dentures was the only power move I had. Besides, I’m practically an angel now compared to that.”
I roll my eyes. Right. He was still a bully. I wait for the usual irritation that always comes when I hear about their bullshit, but nothing stirs. It is hard to stay mad when they were the ones who dragged the elders off my back and brought me here. Fine. They get a free pass for now.
Jace grabs the bottle and spins it again and this time, it lands on Evren.
“Truth or dare?”
“Truth,” Evren answers in his usual indifferent tone, as if this game is boring him. But I know better.
Reed leans forward, a sly gleam in his eye. “Alright then. What’s your favorite sex position?”
His—what? Heat rushes to my cheeks so fast I nearly choke on air. Of all the questions… of course Reed would go there. The brute.
My mind reels. It feels almost intrusive, especially because Evren is the last person I expect to entertain something like that. He is the quiet one, the one who never flaunts anything private. Not like Jace, who is known as the local fuckboy or Reed for his crazy escapades.
Evren’s face doesn’t so much as twitch as if the question doesn’t bother him at all. “Doggy style,” he says in a confidence that almost makes my head spin.
I try not to visualize the position he just casually confessed to, but my mind betrays me anyway. Nope, stop it. I’m not imagining it. Totally not.
Reed lets out a bark of laughter. “Say it all serious like that again, I dare you. Actually, don’t just say it. Show us.”
Evren narrows his eyes. “I said truth, not dare. Why are you making me do things?”
“C’mon,” Reed eggs him on, practically bouncing in his seat. “Just a quick demo. For educational purposes.”
“Demonstrate, Professor Evren. Today’s lecture: How to break a woman’s spine, respectfully.” Jace grins.
I’m not sure if I should laugh or cover my face to hide my flushed cheeks. God, they’re so shameless.
Luca smirks and gestures at the ground. “Yeah, enlighten us, brother. You’re not getting out of this one.”
At first, I’m sure Evren will ignore their request. But my lips part in shock when he moves. He drops onto his knees. One hand clamps the log in front of him and the other digs into the dirt. His hips snap forward in a hard thrust that makes the ground shift. The move is crude, almost violent, and it rips a shiver through me. My thighs press tight together before I can stop myself. His eyes lift and catch mine for a split second.
Reed whistles. “Knew it. It’s always the quiet ones.”
“Look at him—man’s ready to break backs for sport.” Jace snorts.
Shit. I should really look away. Definitely. I should not be locked in a staring contest with my stepbrother while he humps a tree. But it’s hard to look away when he looks so hot—so undone—that I forgot that this man is emotionless most of the time. There’s nothing indifferent about the way he's looking at me right now. It’s almost as if he’s challenging me to watch his hips buckle in such a primitive way.
For a moment my mind betrays me. I picture him in a bedroom, driving into me with that same rough thrust, skin slick with sweat, hair damp at his temples. The fact that he’s shirtless right now only fuels it. Heat crawls up my neck, and I have to wrench my gaze away before the images get any darker.
What the hell? Keep your shit together, Tabitha.
After a few more seconds, Evren pushes off the ground and straightens up. He wipes his palm against his jeans. “Happy now?”
“I don’t know man, I think you just got the poor log pregnant.” Jace snickers.
“Yeah, you should start paying child support,” Reed mutters around a grin
Evren shakes his head, a low grunt leaving him as he drops back onto the log. He snatches the bottle and gives it a sharp spin. It whirs in dizzy circles until finally stops and points at me.
“Look at that! Your turn, princess.” Reed winks.
“Truth or dare,” Luca asks, his voice sounding rather solemn.