If You Dare (Dare #3) — Chapter no 10

CHAPTER TEN

DEMI

MONDAY MORNING, I walk into my first period at Westlake High and plop down on my seat. This is my first year here. My third month into the first semester. My mother made me move from Oregon to Texas for my senior year, and I hate her so much for it. I had gone to Collins all my life. I had friends. I had been on the cheerleading squad since fourth grade. Then when my sister told my mother she wanted to move to Texas to be with her friend Austin, my mother told me that I no longer had a choice. That there was no one there to look after me anymore. She completely forgot the fact I have a father! He even went to bat for me. Tried to talk my mother into letting me stay there living with him.

“Angelica.” He sighs. “She will be fine. Her junior year is almost over.

She can finish off her senior year here.” He paces the living room while on his phone.

I sit on the couch, biting my nails off one by one.

“So what if Becky isn’t here? I’m am.” He comes to a stop and squares his shoulders. “I’m her father!” he snaps. “Listen …” he trails off, and I can hear my mother raise her voice, and I know she’s won. She’s been trying to get me to come to Texas ever since their divorce five years ago. My only leverage was that Becky was here. I hate her, but my mother felt she was responsible enough to help my father raise me. Even though the truth is I’ve pretty much raised myself.

Our father isn’t a bad guy. He’s not an alcoholic, and he doesn’t bring strange women in and out all hours of the night. In fact, he hardly ever dates at all. He’s married to his work. That has always been his mistress.

And that’s what drove my mother to have an affair with her now husband.

She left him, and he just buried himself deeper. But he’s always been there for me when I needed him. Even if it was through a phone call.

He hangs up, and I look up at him, already feeling the tears threaten my eyes. He turns to face me and lets out a long breath.

“Please don’t make me go,” I beg. “I want to finish school here. With you. My friends.”

He kneels in front of me and takes my hand. “Pumpkin …”

“Don’t,” I shout, yanking it from his. “You always take her side. What about what I want?”

He stands, pocketing his cell phone. Any sympathy he showed me moments ago is now gone. She’s made up her mind, and he’s decided as well. He’s not going to fight to keep me. And she just wants me there because of Becky. “I’m sorry, Demi, but your mom wants …”

“Fine!” I run out of the living room and up the stairs to my room. As I pass Becky’s room, her door swings open, and she steps out, blocking my way.

“Why are you crying?” she asks, looking me up and down.

“I hate you,” I say, wanting to punch her in the face. She is a waste of air. All she does is take and take from me. And she does it just because. I’ve never done anything to her.

“And I hate you too.” She shrugs. “Mom called me. Asked if you’ve been good.” She looks down at her nails and smiles. “I told her that I’ve seen you with a boy.” Her eyes meet mine. “An older one …”

“You fucking bitch!” I scream and shove her into her room. She trips over a jacket lying on her messy floor, and I go down with her.

“He never wanted you!” she shouts, yanking on my hair.

“You took him from me!” I fist my shaking hands and hit her in the face.

She killed him!

“I’ll take them all from you.” She growls.

I go to hit her in the jaw, but I’m yanked back by my shirt. “What the hell are you two doing?” our father shouts.

“She attacked me.” Becky begins to sob, placing her hands over her

face.

Fucking fake bitch!

I try to kick her, but my father shoves me out of her room. “She …” He slams the door in my face, closing himself in there with her to hear her side of the story and calm her down.

My world just got ripped out from underneath me. I have to move right before my senior year. I’ve got less than a month left of my junior year, and in just a few months, I’ll be packed up and moved to Texas to live with my mother. The only thing I can hope for at this point is that Becky moves in

with Deke because that’s the only reason she plans on going there. For him and for her best friend, Austin. I overheard her saying that Austin is following Cole and his little sister, Lilly, to Texas. And I plan on making my sister’s life a living hell just as she has done to mine.

“How was your weekend?” my friend Lauren asks as she enters the classroom and sits down next to me. We’re not close like I was with my friends back in Collins. But I don’t have to have friends. I’m just fine being

alone.

I groan. “Shitty. Yours?” I ask.

She gives me a big smile. “Perfect. I got to see Billy.”

“And how did that go?”

“Amazing.” She sighs heavily. I want to puke. “He’s having a bonfire party this weekend out on his parents’ property. Wanna go with me?”

I stiffen. The last time I went to a bonfire was my sophomore year while I was still living in Collins. Back when things were somewhat normal.

I sit on my bed, flipping through the channels and looking for something to watch on TV. As usual, there’s nothing. A knock on my door has me shutting it off. “What?” I ask.

My sister pops her head in. “Wanna go out tonight?”

I eye her skeptically. She wears a crimson long-sleeve shirt with black lips on it and matching black skinny jeans with a pair of black boots, and her blond hair hangs straight down her back. “No.” She never asks me to hang out with her, so for her to do it now is sketchy as fuck.

“Come on.” She pushes my door all the way open and steps into my room. “I just spoke to Deke, and the GWS are gonna be there.”

My heart skips a beat at the mention of the sharks. I don’t know why. He doesn’t know I exist. And if he did, he would never like me the way I like him. “Pass.” I turn my TV back on. Might as well save myself the embarrassment.

“This is your chance, Demi. Dad is out of town. And Mom keeps threatening to make you move to Texas.”

I bite my bottom lip as I think that over. My mother doesn’t mind that Becky lives here with our dad, but she’s been telling me for four years now that she’s going to make me move to Texas to live with her. The only reason she hasn’t forced that on me yet is because she’s gone more than my dad and she doesn’t want me left home alone. I’ll hate her if she makes me move. I’ve only got a couple of years left in high school, and then I’m off to

college. And I’m going to choose the first place that accepts me that is far from my family. “Fine,” I growl.

She gives me a big smile, and it throws up all kinds of red flags, but I ignore them because I do want to see him. No matter how much I tell myself I shouldn’t. “Get dressed. David will be here in fifteen to pick us up.” Then she leaves, shutting my door.

I jump out of bed. Fifteen minutes? I run to my closet and yank a T-shirt off a hanger and then snap another one from pulling on my jeans too hard.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” I have to hurry! I don’t have time to shower.

I pull my jeans up, kicking them in the process to help slide the tight- fitting denim up my legs. I fasten the button and pull up the zipper. I don’t even remove my sports bra. I just throw my black T-shirt on over it. Sliding my feet into a pair of black Converse, I pick up the lip gloss and quickly apply it, looking at myself in my vanity mirror. Then I grab the jacket hanging over the chair and run down the stairs.

“Demi, he’s here early …” Her voice trails off when she sees me. She gives me a smile that tells me the fucker was already here when she asked if

I wanted to go.

God, I hate her.

“Let’s go.”

I follow her out of the house, and sure enough, David’s leaning up against the hood of his car, and his best friend Maxwell stands next to him.

Fuck. I hate this guy. He likes me. At least I think he does. At this point, I’m not sure if he’s just fucking with me or if he truly is interested in me, but I don’t care because he’s not the one I want to see tonight.

“Hey, Demi, glad you could join us.” David smiles at me.

I’m not sure how she got him to date her. He’s a nice guy, but she fucking cheats on him. And with Deke Biggs, no less. One of the biggest players in our school. I overheard her talking to him on the phone the other day when she thought I wasn’t home. She plays it off as if they are just friends, but he doesn’t have any girls who are friends. She was telling him about how much fun she had in the back seat of his Range Rover after one of his swim meets.

“Hey.” Maxwell wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a hug. I leave my hands down by my sides and try not to choke on his cologne. The guy is swimming in it tonight.

“Come on.” David nods his head to the driver’s side of his black Aston Martin.

“Thank you,” I mumble, and he nods his head once at me.

I climb into what should be a back seat, but it’s not really. It’s cramped, and David is so tall that he has to have his seat shoved all the way back.

But I’m not about to sit behind Maxwell. He’s just as tall.

“Shit.” I hiss.

“What?” Becky asks, getting in beside me.

“Nothing,” I answer, looking away from her.

“What the fuck is it?” She snaps at me, showing her true colors.

“It’s nothing,” I growl.

She huffs.

“You sure, Demi?” David asks, his dark green eyes meeting mine in his rearview mirror.

I nod. I forgot my phone upstairs, but I don’t need it. I know David won’t leave me behind. It’s my sister I’m worried about. And I doubt Maxwell will let me out of his sight.

The car purrs to life, and he puts it in gear before we tear out of my parents’ driveway. Sitting in the back, I tune out their conversation and focus on the radio. “Invincible” by Adelitas Way plays.

David drives us to the outskirt of Collins where all the bonfire parties are thrown—on the beach. Kids bring in kegs and tables. They litter them with bottles and cups. They get fucked up. Most end up passing out on the sand or in the forest right off the beach. I’ve only been to a couple of them, and both times were because David told my sister to let me come. We’ll get there, and my sister will ditch me, but David will make sure to keep an eye on me. I trust him.

We pull up and get out. I stretch my cramped legs as my sister walks around the front of the car. “Don’t get fucking lost.” She throws over her shoulder to me, heading over to the beach. “Keep an eye on her, Maxwell.”

“I forgot my phone,” I tell David, ignoring her. “Do you know how long we will be here?”

He digs into his pocket and holds out his. “Take mine.”

“What?” I look up at him wide-eyed.

“Here. Take it.” He offers it to me. A lazy smile on his face. “The code is 1234.”

Well, no one ever said he was smart. Most of the rich kids of Collins aren’t.

“In case we get separated. You can call your sister’s,” he offers.

“Thanks,” I say softly, “but I doubt she’ll answer.”

He waves it off. “I’ve got hers in my other pocket.”

I smile up at him before he, too, turns and walks off after her. To my surprise, Maxwell follows him, leaving me completely alone.

I put my jacket on and place his phone in the pocket, then I make my way down to the beach. Kids stand by the tables, filling their drinks. Another group has their jeans rolled up with their feet in the water as they get high.

And others sit on big logs that surround the fire. I make my way over there because the breeze from the ocean has me shivering.

Sitting down, I look over to see all the Great White Sharks together.

Becky was right; the man I wanted to see is present.

Deke, Bennett, Kellan, Eli, Maddox, and Landen each drink out of their own bottles. The only one who’s missing is Cole. I don’t see him anywhere.

Deke has his arm around a redhead. She’s got her legs across his lap. He looks over at me as I sit down. He looks me up and down in a way that tells me what I already know—I’m not wanted here. But then he surprises me when he asks, “Want a sip?” and holds the bottle out to me.

Everyone laughs. “Deke, she’s too young,” his date says. Her brown eyes look at me, but I don’t think she really sees me. She’s far too gone at this point.

My jaw tightens. These kids forget I’m not much younger than they are. I may be a sophomore, but they’re only juniors. They’ve been running Collins High since they walked in the doors their freshman year, though.

Eli’s eyes meet mine, and I feel a blush creep up my cheeks. He’s by far my favorite out of the group, and the only one who ever seems to notice me.

Like I’m not invisible. All the others treat me like Becky does—a nuisance.

“I bet you pass out before Demi does,” Eli says to the girl on Deke’s lap, giving me a wink. And my breath hitches as my body begins to heat up.

Whew. The fire is hot all of a sudden.

“She looks to almost be there,” I say, and everyone laughs. My shoulders relax a bit.

Deke still holds out the bottle to me, and I yank it from his grasp and down a gulp. I pull it away from my lips, gasping for air. My lungs burn, and I cough at the invasion of the liquid fire.

Again, they all laugh at me. I tilt my head back and bring it to my lips, drinking some more. I’m prepared to show these fuckers I can hang with

them, even if I have to fake it, when the bottle is yanked away. The vodka runs down my chin and onto my T-shirt.

“Fuck’s sake, slow down,” Cole growls. He stands beside me, glaring down at me with the bottle in his hand. “None of us are gonna hold your hair later when you’re puking everywhere.”

“I’ll hold your hair, Demi.” Eli smirks at me again. “I’m a gentleman.”

I bite my bottom lip, trying to hide a smile.

“Yeah, only because your favorite position is doggy style,” Deke quips.

Everyone laughs, and my heart beats faster.

Cole just snorts, giving me his back as he walks off with the bottle in his hand. I reach up and wipe the alcohol off my chin and stand. I shouldn’t have come. It was a bad idea. I just wanted to party and be around my sister, but she hates me. Not sure why. We’ve never been close, but it’s been worse ever since she noticed I had a thing for Eli.

“You okay?”

I look up to see David walking over to me. A quick look, I see my sister is by one of the tables making a drink.

I nod, crossing my arms around my stomach. It’s on fire from those two drinks I had. “I should go home.” He frowns. “I’ll find a ride.”

“Nonsense.”

“Yeah, I shouldn’t have come.”

He looks over my shoulder at the bonfire where I was sitting a moment ago. His jaw tightens. Everyone hates the GWS. They are their own group, and they don’t allow anyone into their stupid club of dares and illegal activities. Pretty sure the only way you get in is if you beat the shit out of someone. But they no longer take new members.

“Come on.” He throws his arm over my shoulder. “You can hang with

us.”

I groan. “It’ll just make Becky mad.”

He snorts. “She wanted you to come.”

The question is why. She never wants to hang out with me. What would make this night any different?

We come up to the table, and David speaks. “Hey, babe, hand me that

drink you just made.”

She turns around. “Why?”

“Your sister needs one.” He holds his hand out.

She eyes his hand and then the drink. She spins back around, giving us her back. “Babe …”

“Here.” She hands it to me, cutting him off, then smiles. “I topped it off for you. You’re welcome.”

I look down at it to see it’s full of what looks to be water, but the strong odor tells me otherwise. “What is it?” I ask him.

He laughs, pulling me into his side and answers. “A good time.”

Her blue eyes instantly narrow on me, and I pull out from under David’s arm. “What is she doing?” she asks, not even bothering to say my name.

“She’s gonna hang with us,” he answers.

She rolls her eyes, giving me her back, and walks away. “Babe?” He calls after her.

I turn around to go wait for them by the car when I run into a body.

“Shit. Sorry …”

“It’s okay.”

I look up into a set of brown eyes, and I feel my breath catch. “Hey,” I

say lamely.

“Wanna get out of here?” Eli asks.

My heart begins to pound in my chest at his question, and my hands get sweaty. He’s the only guy at our school who has ever made me feel this way.

It’s scary. “What?” I blink. I’m afraid he may be talking to someone who stands behind me, but I’m too nervous to turn around and check. This could be some kind of joke. And I hate the thought of it not being real.

He tilts his head as his brown eyes look me up and down in a way that tells me I should run. No one should look at you like that. The hunger in his eyes makes it clear what he wants. And I want to give it to him.

He reaches down and takes my drink from my hand. Bringing it to his nose, he smells it. “Mmm vodka. My kind of girl.”

I bite my bottom lip and look at my shoes in the sand. Without a word, he grabs my right hand, and I allow him to lead me off the beach and over to his car, praying he doesn’t feel how it shakes with nervousness.

“I’m not sure,” I answer her, pulling myself out of that memory. That was almost two years ago. Right before things went to shit. I’ve tried to forget it, but it’ll never go away. Not completely. It’s just another reason I hate my sister.

“Come on. Invite Seth.” She shrugs. “We’ll sit around the fire, tell some ghost stories, and get trashed.” Lauren wiggles her eyebrows. “It’ll be fun.”

I pull my cell out and send a quick text.

Me: Wanna go to a bonfire this weekend?

He messages me back immediately.

Seth: Of course.

I look over at her and smile, knowing that Seth will never hurt me. Not like others have tried. I trust him with my life. “We’re in.”

DEKE

I open my heavy eyes as I stare out my tinted driver’s side window. Leaning against it, I enjoy the cool glass on my skin. Cole sits in the passenger seat with his back ramrod straight and stone-cold silent.

I sat outside for another twenty minutes this morning with him while he swam, but we didn’t speak. After I had a couple of cigarettes and enough to drink, I left him and went to bed. When I finally woke up, Austin and Lilly were already gone, and he was in the kitchen. He didn’t even look up at me; he just told me we were leaving in an hour to go pick up Bennett at the airport.

So we’re playing hooky from classes today, and here we are, sitting in uncomfortable silence. I don’t know what to say to him. Or what I can do for him. At this point, I’m afraid he’s about to jump off the deep end. And I wish I could say I feel lighter now that he knows Becky was lying, but I don’t. Instead, I feel worse. And I hate that bitch even more for putting us all in this situation.

“Why the fuck did he bring him?” Cole snaps.

I look out the windshield to see Bennett walking toward us and right beside him is Shane.

Well, fuck! I don’t think Cole’s seen or spoken to him since the night at the hospital when Kellan shot Austin.

Cole, Bennett, and I all sit in the waiting room. Becky cries, and I try to console her, running my hand through her hair, but there’s not much I can do or say. Honestly, I’m surprised they haven’t come out to tell Cole that she’s dead.

Cole hangs up his phone with his nanny, making sure she can take care of Lilly. Seconds later, he jumps to his feet, and I look up to see Shane standing in the waiting room. I push Becky off me and do the same.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Cole snaps.

Bennett snorts, waking himself up. He looks up aimlessly and wipes the drool that runs down his chin. He slowly rises to his feet. “What’s going on?” he asks roughly before clearing his throat and trying to focus on his surroundings.

We all look at Bennett. “I don’t know. You tell me,” Cole demands, thinking that Bennett has informed Shane about what Kellan did to Austin.

He holds his hands up when he sees Shane standing there. “I haven’t said anything—”

“I saw the news,” Shane interrupts him and then looks at Cole. “Hours ago. I’ve been calling you guys. Why aren’t you answering?”

I’ve been ignoring his ass. I’m here for Cole and Austin. Anything involving Shane could wait. And Cole hasn’t had his phone. He handed it to me when he willingly got arrested because I didn’t want them taking it away from him. I just gave it back to him ten minutes ago.

Shane’s jaw clenches when no one answers him. He takes a quick look around the waiting area, and then asks, “Where’s Kellan?” Shane steps up to Cole when silence follows, his eyes narrowing. “Where. Is. Kellan?”

Cole closes the small distance between them. “Why don’t you ask—”

“Cole!” I interrupt him and yank him back by his arm. “I’ll talk to him.”

“It’s none of his business,” he snaps at me.

Shane lets out a rough laugh. “Did you make him disappear, Cole? Is that why his phones are off, and he’s nowhere to be found?”

“He fucking shot her!” he yells.

Bennett walks over to Shane, grabs his shirt, and all but drags him out the double doors.

I go to stand before Cole. “You need to calm down, man,” I whisper harshly. I search the room, and thankfully, it’s not crowded this time of the night. But the few people who are in here with us are staring our way.

“Cole?” I snap when he stares past me at the doors. Reaching up, I slap his face. Not hard enough to hurt but enough to get his attention. “Listen to me! If you make a scene and get kicked out of here, then that’s it. You’re done.” I place my hands on his upper arms. “The police are just looking for a reason to lock you up, so keep your shit together just a little longer.”

“What is going on?” Becky asks, confused about what just happened.

I ignore her.

Cole shoves me out of the way and storms out the sliding glass doors.

I throw my head back. “Fuck.”

“What is going on, Deke?” She stands.

“Stay here.” I growl and then spin around to run out after him. I walk out to see Cole shove Shane backward. “Cole, don’t—”

“No,” he interrupts me. “If he wants to be a part of this group, then he’s going to fucking tell me.”

“Group? What group?” Shane demands, throwing his arms out wide.

“You guys have completely lost your fucking minds.”

Cole fists his busted knuckles. “No! Kellan lost his mind the moment he decided to want what was mine!”

He throws his head back, letting out a loud laugh. When his eyes meet Cole’s again, his laughter dies. “She was never yours. His plan all along was to make her his.”

Cole goes to jump him, but I wrap my arm around him and haul him back. “Cut it out!” I growl in his ear. “You’re causing a scene!” I whisper, “He could be lying just to get you wound up.” At this point, my friends have all taken sides. And Shane is obviously not on Cole’s. Who knows what he is gonna say or do to push Cole to make a move? It won’t take much. It never has when it comes to Cole.

He shakes me off, and I choose to let him go with every intention to jump him if he lunges for Shane again.

Bennett comes to stand beside Shane. “He remembered her,” Shane spits out. “He wanted her! He was only fucking Celeste for his own revenge on Bruce!”

“What did Bruce do to him?” I ask and wonder why in the hell Shane knows this information but not us? One look at Bennett and I know he too knows that secret.

I turn my attention back to Shane. He laughs, shaking his head. “It doesn’t fucking matter. None of it fucking matters anymore.” Then he turns and walks away, and Cole allows it.

Cole jumps out of the passenger car door, bringing me out of that memory, and I get out as well, though much slower. I pop the hatch to my Range Rover when the guys near us.

Shane looks at me and then at Cole, narrowing his eyes, and I hold in a sigh. I don’t even think they’ve spoken to one another since that day at the hospital five months ago.

“Why did you bring him?” Cole asks, not even bothering to hide his hatred for Shane.

Bennett opens his mouth to speak, but Shane is the one who answers. “I got a message too.”

I scratch the back of my head. This can’t be happening. “From—”

“Evan Scott,” he interrupts me. “It was in a three-way chat with Bennett.”

“You didn’t mention he was in the chat.” I look at Bennett.

“Yeah, well, my mind wasn’t completely alert when I was woken up in the middle of the night.” He glares at Cole. “After I was hung up on, I looked at it again and saw where Shane was also involved in the message, and I called him. Told him the same thing I was ordered to do, which was ‘pack a bag and get his ass to the airport.’”

I grab their luggage and place them in the back and then slam it shut before we all crawl into the SUV. Silence fills the inside of the car, and I can’t take it, so I turn up the radio. “Can’t Go to Hell” by Sin Shake Sin plays.

“So, what …?” Shane begins to ask, but Cole reaches forward and turns it up louder to drown him out.

I take a quick look at Shane in the rearview mirror, and his eyes are glaring holes into the back of Cole’s head.

This should be fun.

We walk into Cole and Austin’s house. “You’re at the end of the hall.”

Cole gestures to Bennett. “You’re on the couch,” he tells Shane, not bothering to look at him.

“Don’t you have four bedrooms?” he asks.

“I’m in the other one upstairs,” I answer him. It’s been months since I’ve spoken to Shane. The last time was the night he got into it with Cole at the

hospital.

He frowns. “You’re living here?”

“Isn’t that what he just said?” Cole snaps.

Shane drops his duffle bag to the tile floor in the entryway. The motion makes Austin’s damn Halloween ghost go off.

Here we go.

“What is your problem?” he snaps at Cole.

Cole takes it as an invitation and doesn’t waste a second. He’s just waiting to beat the shit out of someone. “You are my problem!” He growls, getting in his face. They’re nose to nose. “I don’t trust you here! Around Austin.”

Shane snorts. “That’s rich. Out of the four of us in this room, you and Deke are the ones whose body count are the highest when it comes to our dead friends. And he’s fucking living here!”

“I trust him.” Cole growls.

“He’d kill Austin without a thought if you told him to.”

Cole goes to punch him, but I push his chest, knocking him out of the way. “Okay!” I say, stepping between them. “Can we at least limit the bloodshed to outside? I don’t want Austin killing me when she comes home

to find blood everywhere,” I joke.

No one laughs.

“Come on, Shane.” Bennett slaps him on the back and pulls him out of the entryway, grabbing his bag up off the tile.

Cole goes to walk up the stairs, but I stop him. He looks at me over his shoulder. “It doesn’t hurt to have numbers on our side,” I tell him.

“It only helps if you know they’re with you and not against you.”

I feel a pain in my chest for him. “No one is gonna touch her, Cole. I promise.” He says nothing. “You know I would protect her, right?” Austin is like the little sister I never had. Shelby was always the big sister, and we’re close, but Austin is just different. She’s just like us. Not afraid to get her hands dirty. Where Shelby would run and hide, Austin would jump to be out in the front. And I think that’s what scares Cole the most. He can’t hold her back if she decides to dive in.

He finally nods, and with that, he turns and walks up the stairs.