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Peterhad shrieked like a little girl and run out of the room so fastCeliaalmost expected to see little cartoon puffs of dust coming from under his expensiveItaliandriving loafers.
“Peter, come back!” she’d called to him. “It’sjust a bug!”
Buther fiancé had refused to go back in the room.
“Roaches—ugh!Suchfilthy things!” he’d exclaimed, shivering. “IfIhad known this building was infested,Inever would have bought it!Nowonderthe price was so good!”
“It’snot infested—palmetto bugs geteverywhereinFlorida,”Celiatold him patiently. “Youjust can’t keep them out, no matter how clean you keep things.”
Butdespite her reassurances,Peterhad still refused to go back into the room.Aweek later, he sold the property at a loss.
Celiahadn’t thought much about the incident up until now.Butshe had to wonder howPeterwould have reacted in the same situation she’d found herself in withFierce.Wouldher fiancé have called theV’ranna’sattention to himself to give her time to escape like theDarkTwinhad?Orwould he be putting on running shoes like the camper in the joke?
Youdon’t really want to know the answer to that question…do you?whispered a little voice in her head.
Celiadecided it was right—shedidn’twant to know.Somethings just wouldn’t bear scrutiny andPeter’scourage—or lack thereof—was one of them.
“Whatare you thinking, my lady?”Holdmurmured. “Areyou still uncomfortable being between us?”
“Well,Imean, itiskind of awkward,”Celiaadmitted. “Maybe…maybe we should keep talking.Tokeep our minds off it,” she added. “Wecould play a game.”
“Agame?Whatkind of game?”Fierce’svoice was low and interested.
“TruthorDare.”Thewords popped out ofCelia’smouth before she could stop them.
“TruthorDare?Whatkind of game is that?”Holdsounded interested as well.
“Oh, it…it’s a way of getting to know new people,”Celiaexplained. “Whenit’s your turn you get to pick one other person and ask them if they wantTruthorDare.Ifthey pickTruth, you can ask them any question you want and they have to answer truthfully.”
“Whatabout if they pick ‘Dare’?”Fiercerumbled.
“Oh, well…then you dare them to do something.Like…kiss the person beside them or run around the block naked or something silly like that.”Celiashrugged. “Ireally haven’t played it since college—that’s when you do a lot of stupid things,” she added.
“Well,Idon’t think any of us ought to be running around naked in these temperatures,”Holdsaid thoughtfully. “ButIlike the idea of the game—we’ve shared dreams about our present lives but we don’t know much about each others’ pasts.”
“Allright, since you think it’s such a good idea, you go first,Brother,”Fiercechallenged him.
“Allright,Iwill.”Holdlooked down atCelia. “TruthorDare, my lady?” he asked.
“Truth,”Celiasaid at once.Shecouldn’tbelieveshe’d suggested this game, but at least she could try to keep things from getting out of hand by picking the least dangerous option.
Orso she thought, anyway.ButHold’squestion surprised her.
“Wereyou really in twelve different homes in as many years?” he asked, his eyes glowing softly in the darkness. “Iheard you tell your fiancé that.Isit true?”
“Oh…well, yes,”Celiasaid, nodding. “I, um, was raised in theFosterCaresystem—that’s when the government takes a child away from his or her parents and puts them with someone else—another adult who gets paid to raise them,” she added, as an explanation.
“Thatsounds fucking horrible,”Fiercegrowled. “Howdid you end upthere?”
“Notfair!Youhave to askTruthorDare, first,”Celiareminded him.Shewasn’t sure if she wanted to talk about her childhood and she thought that keeping their questions confined to the game might keep things from getting too personal.
“Allright,TruthorDare,Celia?” theDarkTwinrumbled, looking down at her.
“Um…”Celiabit her lip.Ifshe said “Truth,” he might ask more about her painful past.Butif she said “Dare” he might try to steal a kiss.Shenever should have mentioned that as one of the dares—what had she been thinking?
“Truth,” she said at last.
“Okay—howdidyou end up in theFosterCaresystem?”Fiercerumbled. “Whydid your government feel they had the right to take you away from your parents?Somethinglike that would never happen onTwinMoons,” he added.
