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Everyone else starts shouting the same sentiment. I smile shyly, but it only grows when I spot Knox in the crowd. He tips his beer at me and winks, making the butterflies in my stomach multiply. Tessa looks between the two of us. I can tell the minute she puts the pieces together because her jaw drops. She pushes her way through the crowd and meets me on the staircase.
“What happened?”
I know the entire party’s eyes are on us, so I need to be careful with what I say. “I’ll tell you later.”
“You better.” She throws her arm around me and holds up the bottle of champagne in her other hand. “We’re finally legal, bitches!”
A chuckle bubbles out of me while the house erupts in cheers. I may have no idea what’s going on between Knox and me, but I like where it’s heading.
AS TWO O’CLOCK ROLLS around, the party starts to wind down, but the people who matter stick around. I dance to the music with Savannah, ignoring the feeling of not one pair of eyes but two burning into me. Compared to Sav, being as she’s a professional dancer and all, I probably look like I don’t have an ounce of rhythm in my body, but it’s my birthday and I don’t care.
“Laney!” Tessa shouts from across the room. “We’re going to play a game. Come on.”
A game? What are we, twelve? Savannah and I share a confused look before going into the den. People are starting to gather around, sitting in a circle. There’s probably only about fifteen or so of us left, but of course both Carter and Knox are among them. The second I notice the bottle in the middle, my eyes widen.
“Relax, Lane. It’s truth or dare,” Tessa whispers, noticing my alarm.
She takes a seat next to Easton and I follow Savannah over to Grayson. Of course, Carter ends up sitting beside me. I don’t miss the way it causes Knox’s scowl to deepen.
“All right,” Tess starts. “Rules are simple. You spin the bottle and ask truth or dare to whoever it lands on. I’ll go first.” She spins the empty champagne bottle, landing on Paige. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
My sister grins. “Is it true you and Jace have been hooking up on the down-low?”
A bark of laughter comes from Jace as Paige’s cheeks turn a deep red. Carter nudges his best friend, and Grayson is the first one to speak, his eyes on Jace.
“Oh, so your own secrets are sacred, but mine you spill to the damn world?”
He chuckles. “Hayworth, I don’t know what world you live in, but shit with you and Savannah was never a secret.” Then, he turns to Paige. “It’s fine. Answer the question.”
She smiles at him dreamily before looking back at her lap. “Yes.”
A few more rounds go by. Paige dares Gage to shotgun a beer in under ten seconds. Gage gets Savannah to admit she and Brady Laurence were never actually dating. Savannah dares Knox to twerk—a rather entertaining ten seconds of my life.
As Knox spins the bottle, I mentally beg for it to land on anyone other than me, but luck doesn’t seem to me on my side. He smirks as the tip of the bottle stops, pointing so directly at me that I can’t even try to argue a re-spin. Fuck.
“Truth or Dare, Bambi?”
“Bambi?” Savannah murmurs under her breath, looking at Grayson who mirrors her confused expression, but my eyes stay on Knox.
“Truth.”
He bites his lip. “Out of every guy here, which one would you most like to hook up with?”
As soon as the question leaves his mouth, I know exactly what he’s trying to do. The answer isn’t something he doesn’t already know. Given what happened in my bedroom, that much is obvious. No, he’s trying to hurt Carter and get me to admit it’s him in front of everyone.
“Dare.”
Leaning back against the couch, he puts his hands behind his head. “Kiss Savannah for five seconds, and none of that peck shit. An actual kiss. You know how.”
“You’re such a pig,” Savannah chastises him.
Jace’s face lights up. “You know, Vaughn, somehow I hate you just a little bit less right now.”
Kissing my best friend definitely wasn’t on my agenda for the night, but it’s a hell of a lot better than the alternative. Hurting Carter is not something I want to do, and answering that truth would be exactly that. Knox isn’t getting to gloat tonight if I have any say in the matter.
“Come here, Sav.”
