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Stop. Stop looking at him that way. All it’s going to do is cause more issues, which is the last thing you need—
“We should play a game,” Jordan says, breaking through my thoughts.
I’m all for a game, especially if it means escaping being put on the spot to tell them another ghost story like last year on fire nights. I’m not much of a story-teller in general, and games are the perfect way to save me from a repeat embarrassment.
I lean forward, elbows resting on my knees. “What kind of game were you thinking?”
Jordan glances at Ashton, then to Colton. “That TikTok game might work, right?”
“TikTok game?” I ask.
“The put a finger down one,” my brother supplies as he looks at me. “You know the one.”
I can’t help the laugh that comes bursting out. “You’re talking about Never Have I Ever.”
“No, it’s called Put a Finger Down,” Colton insists.
“Yeah, but it’s based on Never Have I Ever.” I look between all the boys, each of whom are staring at me like I’ve lost my damn mind. “You just say ‘never have I ever’ and then finish the sentence with something you’ve never done. And anyone who has done it has to put a finger down. Last person with at least one finger up is the winner.”
“Why would you say a bunch of things you’ve never done?” Jordan asks, face all scrunched up in confusion.
“Sounds kinda lame,” Colton surmises, looking around the fire for confirmation from his friends and peers. Which he gets from a good majority of them.
Fucking kids these days.
And yes, I understand how much even thinking that sentence makes me sound like my grandparents.
“It’s more fun this way, I promise.” My gaze instantly shifts to Avery across the fire, and I give him a pleading look for some kind of back up here. Lord knows he’s played this at least once in his life.
Of course, in a shocking turn of events, there’s no back up to be found.
“Don’t look at me.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m not involved in this.”
That’s what he might think. “Oh, yes you are. You’ll be playing too.”
A deep frown draws down the corners of his lips. “For real?”
“Absolutely. Participation in camp activities is mandatory.” I arch a brow at him. “I take it you’ve got more skeletons in the closet you’re reluctant to share?”
Avery’s scowl deepens, and with the fire casting an eerie glow across his face, he looks more like a murderous psychopath ready to run rampant through the camp with a chainsaw than a twenty-two-year-old college student.
But he doesn’t complain or make another peep as the boys take their turns going around the campfire. They’re listing off things so ridiculous—never have I ever been to the moon or seen an alien being two of them—and no one has put a single finger down by the time it gets over to Avery on the opposite side of the fire.
“I don’t think you’re understanding how the game works,” he mutters, looking at one of my brothers who is seated beside him. Not that I can blame him, because Parker just said never have I ever died.
Like, seriously, Park?
“Never have I ever attended summer camp,” Avery says, and I watch as every single boy puts a finger down. Myself included.
“You need to put a finger down too,” Parker grouses when he notices Avery still has all five fingers up.
“I work here. I’ve never attended one. There’s a difference.”
A lot of eyes roll at his technicality, and they keep going right around the circle.
Now that the boys understand the goal better, they get a little more competitive and ruthless. Some of them purposely start going for each other, trying to get their friends out. Some of them try coming for Avery and I too, saying they’ve never graduated high school or played college baseball before.
Elijah, who has been very quiet and keeping to himself since his little runaway incident, even gets in on the fun. He stares Avery dead in the eye as he says, “Never have I ever worn boat shoes to go hiking.”
