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I shove my keys and wallet into my jeans pocket. “Go around the back.”
We could swipe into the building, which has all-hours access, and go up the staircase to the roof. The lock on the rooftop door to the tower isn’t that hard to pick, and the security camera never works. But there’s a service ladder that goes all the way up the side of the building, and this is a dare, after all.
Time to see just how stubborn my girl is.
She stares at the ladder like it’s a wall of fire. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You chickening out?”
She practically bares her teeth at me. “No.”
I take a step in her direction, forcing her to angle her head up to meet my eyes. I take her chin in my hand. “I won’t push you if it’s too much.”
There’s pure steel in her eyes. “You want to keep those fingers?”
I let go of her and spread my arms out. “After you, angel.”
She climbs onto the ladder. Her butt wiggles cutely as she adjusts her weight. “If I fall, save my Junior Mints.”
“Absolutely not.”
She sticks her tongue out at me. “Rude.”
“Just don’t look at the ground. You’ll be fine.”
I stand at the bottom and watch as she climbs. When she’s up a few rungs, I pull myself up too.
“Oh, wow,” I hear her say when she gets to the top. “This is incredible.”
“Wait until you get into the tower.” I join her on the roof, wiping my hands on my jeans. “We just need to get the door open.”
“Oh,” she says. “I can pick the lock.”
I grin. “I was gonna do it.”
“Nah.” She fishes a hairpin out of her bag. Her smile looks like mine feels—bright and unfettered and more than a little giddy. “Truth or dare?”
50
MIA
“You’re goingto have to pick truth eventually, you know,” Sebastian says.
I flop down next to him. In the past hour or so, I’ve prank called Penny, balanced on my head—a party trick I haven’t broken out in a while—pointed out, correctly and without using my phone, every visible constellation in the sky, and posed like Rose inTitanicon the ledge of the tower. I think the last one freaked out Sebastian more than me, because he yanked me back into his arms.
Why was I ever afraid of heights? I can’t remember. It felt so fucking good to stand up there with my arms spread wide, no railing, my heart about to beat right out of my chest. I turned in his arms when he grabbed me and kissed him until I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t focus on anything but the taste of soda and chocolate on his tongue. I’m still breathing fast as I turn my head into his side. His masculine scent calms my racing heart.
I have no idea how he knew I needed this when I texted him to pick me up, but I’m grateful.
“Or you could keep giving me ridiculous dares.” I sit up on my elbows. He brushes a dead leaf out of my hair. “You haven’t dared me to strip yet.”
He rakes his fingers down my bare arm. “I’ll take it into consideration.”
“It’s my turn. Maybe I should dare you to strip.”
He snorts. “You’re on a sugar high.”
“I forgot how magical Coke tastes. My nonno used to keep quarters in his pockets so he could get us one to split if we came across a vending machine.”
