“It did,” Sam chimes in. “Wait, who doesn’t love her back?”
I look down at my lap. Thankfully Sophie gets the hint. “Sam Hunt,” she whispers conspiratorially.
Samantha giggles. “I saw him live. He totally winked at me.”
“So did the janitor at work.” Sophie nods at Jax. “Get her drunk.”
“Talk about peer pressure,” I mumble, taking the shot from Jax. I toss it back and hand him the glass. “Next you’re going to dare me to take a shot naked.”
Sam laughs and then says, “Ohh! We should play truth or dare.”
“Oh yes!”
“I’m down,” Jax says.
Everyone looks at me expectedly. “Why do I feel like I’m going to regret this?”
“Raina, go first since you thought of it. Truth or dare?” Sam starts off.
I’m lost. I thought of this? “Truth…”
“What color are your panties?” Jax asks, grinning at me.
“Pink lace.” I watch him squirm.
“Hot,” he says. “My turn. I pick dare.”
“I dare you to take your shirt off and lick your nipple,” Sam orders.
He shrugs and does what he’s told. He takes his flannel shirt off and then attempts to bend his head to lick his nipple. The girls love it. I can’t help seeing an anteater.
“I pick dare,” Sophie proudly chooses.
“I dare you to kiss Sam. With tongue.” Jax nudges me with his elbow like I’m a horny man.
I roll my eyes at him.
Samantha and Sophie make kissy faces at each other. And then Sam grabs Sophie’s face and presses their lips together.
Beside me Jax exhales. “Truth or dare, Sam?”
“Dare,” she answers before going back to making out with Sophie.
I look away when I see tongue. Look what you started. I need another shot.
“I dare you to give her a hickey.”
“How seventh grade of you,” I tease him.
He nods, watching Samantha suck on Sophie’s neck. “Seventh grade was good days.”
Sam giggles when she pulls away, rubbing the red spot on Sophie’s neck. “Do you have work tomorrow?”
“No!” she explodes, laughing.
“Truth or dare?” Jax taps my shoulder.
“Dare…” I don’t like the way Sophie’s looking at me, daring me to say “truth” so she can talk about Kent. Kent and Samantha and Raina will not mix tonight.
Sam grins. “I dare you to make out with Jax.”
“Of course you do.” I shake my head and grab Jax’s hand. “Are you a good kisser?”
Jax raises his eyebrows. “Doesn’t matter. A dare’s a dare. Lay it on me.”
I lean over and press my lips to his ear. “If you even think about kissing me I’ll rip your balls off and shove them in your pocket so you can think about me every time you sit down.”
He tosses his head back and laughs. “Oh man, you’re so hot.”
I kiss his cheek. “Truth or dare, Jax?”
“Let’s go with truth.”
“What is your deep dark secret?”
His eyes shoot to Sam, who is laughing at something Sophie’s saying. He looks down at his hands and then back up at me. A second later he shakes the truth off. “Unrequited love is no joke. Truth or dare, Soph?”
“Dare me to kiss Raina. I’m totally a lesbian tonight anyway.” She takes a shot like it’s nothing.
“Aww, don’t butter me up,” I tease, getting up to sit next to her. I throw my legs over hers and press my lips to her cheek. “I’d kiss you without a dare.”
Sam takes out her phone and starts texting like a crazy person. “You should have brought Kent,” she says.
Sophie and I look at each other. She hides her smile in my shoulder and I, my frown in her hair. “You want to go dance?” she whispers.
“Please. Come dance with us, Jax.” I grab his hand. He’s glaring at Sam.
We pull him unwillingly onto the lawn, creating a sandwich out of him and grinding against him until all he can think about is keeping up. Even when the party starts to taper off we don’t stop. We take breaks for shots and then we return, dancing as the sun rises. If I’m being honest, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had without Becca. I toss my head back and laugh like nothing matters, even though I know everything does. When the dancing’s over life will come hurling back. I know it. But for one night I pretend it’s Sophie and Jax and R. Kelley. At five thirty I am so drunk I can’t even walk without help.
“Call someone to come and get you.” Sam comes out of somewhere, half asleep and half dressed. “You guys are not driving like this.”