Dare Series Collection - Shantel Tessier Page 0,236

are we going?”

“Tonight,” I say, and everyone’s heads turn toward me when the word comes out a little too snappy.

“Okay.” Austin spins around in Cole’s arms so she can face him. “I’ll call Misty …”

He doesn’t even let her finish before he leans down and presses his lips to hers. His hands go to her hair, and she lets out a moan when he pulls her head back to give himself better access to her mouth. Becky exits the kitchen, rolling her eyes.

I stay where I’m at, being the pervert that I am. Plus, it’s not like I haven’t ever seen them kiss. Hell, I once recorded them fucking in a bathroom while at a high school party and then posted that shit online for all to see. All because he told me to do it. That was before he fell in love with her, though. And also ’cause I can be an asshole.

“Austin?”

She pushes Cole away, breathing heavily when Lilly enters the kitchen. “Yes, Lilly?” she asks, breathlessly.

The cute little six-year-old smiles up at her. She is Cole’s little sister, and he’s raised her since the day she was born. Celeste, Austin’s stepmother, killed Cole’s mother by shoving her down a flight of stairs when she was pregnant with Lilly. Lilly survived, but their mother did not. “I don’t know where my phone went.”

Austin takes her hand and pulls her own cell out of the back pocket of her jeans. “I’ll call it.”

“I think it’s dead.” She frowns.

“We’ll find it,” Austin assures her before they walk out of the kitchen.

“Need a moment?” I ask Cole, jokingly.

“More like an hour,” he answers.

I turn to face him, and he has his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Things have been awkward around us since the night he told me all his secrets in Collins. He thinks I’m mad at him, but I’m not. He did exactly what I would have done, so I can’t fault him for being like me. But I hate that I’m still keeping my own. Maybe he’s pulling away from me ’cause he knows I’m not being honest with him. And it makes me think of Eli. How close we all once were, but how many secrets we had among us. Were we all ever really friends? I think that’s the hardest part about all of this. I was loyal to the sharks. I may have been an ass to most, but I would have laid my life down for any of them. Even Kellan. But in the end, I helped Cole kill him. Would Cole have helped me kill Eli if he hadn’t died that night in the car accident? Would Cole have dug with me to get the answers I needed? Still want? I’m not sure. And I hate that I’ll never know. You can’t kill someone who is already dead. But the unanswered questions still eat at me.

He finally looks away from where Austin exited the kitchen with Lilly, and his eyes meet mine. “You gonna be okay with Becky tonight? I can tell Austin I don’t want to go—”

“No,” I interrupt and wave him off. “It’ll be fine. How bad can it be?”

His dark brows rise at my question as if to say really? You gonna ask that? Because we both know just how bad shit can get.

Austin pops her head back into the kitchen. “Found the phone and Misty is gonna come stay with Lilly.”

Neither one of us says anything to her.

Her green eyes narrow, and she walks over to me. “Please be nice.” I open my mouth, but she continues, “It’s just one night.”

I grind my teeth but nod once ’cause that’s the first time Austin has ever asked me for anything. And I love that girl like my own sister. Even if I did once aim a gun at her, planning on ending her life in the middle of a cemetery. But now that’s water under the bridge and all that. “One night.” I’ve put up with worse in my life.

She smiles and looks over at Cole. “I’m going to take a shower and start getting ready.” Then she turns and walks out of the kitchen once again.

And no surprise, Cole all but runs out of the kitchen to follow her up to their room for a little shower time of his own. He’s been on her ass more than usual and doesn’t let her out of his sight. If it were anyone else, I would say their relationship