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But somewhere between finals, first apartments, broken hearts, and learning how to be adults, they stopped being about embarrassing each other.

They became permission.

Permission to do the thing you secretly wanted to do but were too afraid to try.

There were rules.

The dare had to be harmless.

It had to push you outside your comfort zone.

And once you accepted...you followed through.

No excuses.

No changing your mind halfway through.

We alternate between the three of us and naturally, now it’s my turn.

“Fine,” I say.

Harper freezes. “Fine?”

“One coffee.”

Ivy sits straighter. “Really?”

“Hurry before I change my mind.” Micah quickly unlocks his phone.

Harper moves closer to me. Ivy does the same from the bed.

Gray takes one step back with Charlie.

He understands survival.

Micah finds the contact. “Ready?”

I open a new message and type the area code.

He reads the number quickly.

I enter each digit while Harper watches over my shoulder. My fingers are shaking, which is unlike me.

Micah says the last four digits.

I finish entering the number.

“What do I say?” I ask to a room full of my closest friends who have all found the loves of their lives and are hoping it’s my turn.

Four people answer at once.

Ivy wants friendly.

Harper wants confident.

Gray suggests a joke that no one acknowledges.

Micah says I should be myself.