Page 41 of Hairpin Curves

Oh, so apparently they were playing this again. It wasn’t exactly the best way to talk like adults, but at least it would make Megan talk.

“Truth.”

“How many people have you slept with?” Megan asked.

It wasn’t an unfair question, especially after she’d asked Megan the same thing, but she couldn’t be sure of Megan’s motives. It might not be curiosity. Still, she’d long since passed shame about her sexual history. “Fourteen.” Scarlett looked back over at her. “Does that shock you?”

“Nope.” Megan clicked the cruise control on and relaxed back. “Seems pretty normal for someone like you.”

Scarlett’s mouth fell open. “Excuse me?”

“Someone people want. Someone beautiful.”

Megan said it so matter-of-fact, like she was stating the weather or the miles they still had left to go. Scarlett was left reeling, not because Megan saw her that way, but because it was clear Megan didn’t see herself the same way at all.

“You don’t see yourself as a catch, do you?”

“I know I’m smart.” Megan’s tone sounded cautious, but Scarlett couldn’t hear deceit in her voice, only hesitation. “And I’m friendly, and I’m capable. I think I’m a good conversationalist. But I’m not beautiful. I’m not somebody that beautiful people want.”

Oh. “Would you believe me if I told you that you’re beautiful?”

Megan laughed, high-pitched and surprised. “No. I’d think you’re just trying to convince me.” She didn’t look away from the road, but she held up her hand to stop Scarlett. “I don’t need any ‘everyone is beautiful’ bullshit. I get that there are different tastes for everybody. But I’m not conventionally beautiful and I don’t need to be. It’s fine.”

Scarlett’s sudden flash of anger was surprising, along with weird feelings about the wrongness of everything Megan was saying. “I think most people aren’t conventionally beautiful,” she began.

Megan interrupted her immediately. “You are.”

Scarlett stopped, heat creeping up her face. “I—I have my own issues. With my looks.”

Megan looked across the car at her, really looked at her, before turning back to the road. “I don’t know why. You look like somebody I’d see in a magazine.”

She wasn’t trying to compliment Scarlett, either. She sounded like she actually believed that. It was flattering, and also kind of fucked up. “Thanks. I don’t see myself that way. I think a lot of us don’t see ourselves the way others do.” There was a whole industry devoted to getting women like them to hate themselves, but that was a separate issue. “You’re too hard on yourself. I could tell you everything that’s attractive about you, but you probably wouldn’t believe me. You’re not hot in the sultry, magazine model way, but that doesn’t mean you’re not attractive.”

Megan was quiet, tapping her thumbs on the steering wheel. Finally, she said, “Thanks,” in a quiet voice.

“If the people you’re sleeping with don’t make you feel like they’re the luckiest people in the world to get to have you, then fuck ’em.” Scarlett shook her head. “I mean, don’t fuck them. They don’t deserve you.”

Megan laughed, a bit of relief trickling out in the sound. “Okay.”

Scarlett probably shouldn’t add this, but she was talking before she could stop herself. “And if you’re feeling restless again this trip, well, you’re always welcome to relax with me.”

Megan kept her gaze on the road. “... Thanks.” Her tone was hard to decipher.

Silence fell, and the increasing awkwardness might just kill Scarlett if it continued. “You want to play more Truth or Dare?”

Megan hesitated. “Not really. I’m afraid of what’s going to come out.”

“Do you want to just talk some more?”

“What do you want to talk about?”

Might as well go back to basics. “Well, I’m starting to realize I don’t know you as well as I thought. So...what’s your favorite color? Is it still purple?”

Megan smiled a tiny bit. “It’s still purple.”

“Do you still hate horror movies?”

“Yes.” Megan was starting to relax, her shoulders easing down from where they’d been up around her chin.