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I try to think as the room goes quiet, filled with only the sound of Paulette tapping her pen against the back of her book rhythmically and the scratching of Logan’s pen across his page.
I’m not sure what to write. Idodog-ear pages, which was an example Austin gave, but now it feels too generic of a response. Next to me, Memphis and Mara have both begun to write.
“Don’t make it complicated,” Austin says, and when I look up, I realize he’s looking at me. “It’s just for fun.”
I look down, deciding on my confession finally, and scribble it on the page. When I’m done, I fold it twice and drop it in the bowl.
With everyone’s confession written down, Austin shakes it up. “Who wants to read them?”
“You go ahead,” Mara tells him, scooting forward in her seat, arms folded across her knees.
I take a sip of my wine as he pulls the first paper out and unfolds it. His eyes widen.
“Oh, ho, ho. Wow. Okay, we’re starting off with a bang. This one says, ‘I prefer to read books by male authors.’” He drops the paper down to his lap and stares around. “If anyone confesses to that, I think you’ll want to sleep with one eye open tonight.”
My gaze falls to Memphis. But, if he’s guilty, he’s doing a good job faking it. In fact, everyone is. Every eye in the room is looking at everyone else.
“Any guesses who said it?” No one says anything for a long time, so Austin drops the paper onto the floor and digs for the next one. “Okay, then. Let’s see.” He pulls out the next paper and unfolds it slowly. “‘When I’m reading a book and there’s a name that’s hard to pronounce,’” he reads, “‘I just make something up in my head and roll with that. It’s usually way off.’” He chuckles. “That’s gotta be Paulette.”
She throws her head back with a laugh, a hand in the air. “Guilty as charged.”
“Okay, awesome. Next.” He pulls out the next slip of paper, moving faster this time. “‘If I really like a book, I’ll buy it in paperback, ebook, and audio.’” He places the paper down, looking at me.
“Not me,” I say quickly. “I mean, for my favorites, sure, but that’s not my confession.” I look at Mara, who shakes her head.
“Oh, come on,” he says. “Whose is it, then? It’s called Bookish Confessions. You have to actually confess.” He checks with Logan and Memphis, but neither of them admit to the confession.
“Fine,” he says with a playful sigh. “For the record, I do that, too. Anyone else do Paulette’s thing or this one?”
There’s a murmur of agreement before he goes on to the next confession.
“‘I…’” He pauses. “Oh, this is interesting. ‘I give up on books at any point if I’ve lost interest, whether that’s chapter one or the second-to-last chapter.’” His brows bounce up as he laughs. “Oh, that’s controversial.”
That’s my confession, but going along with the theme of not claiming it, I keep my hand in my lap.
“Logan, I can totally see that being you,” Paulette says, pointing at him.
He shakes his head, hands up. “Nope, not me. I have to finish the books I start, even if I hate them.”
“Why waste your time on books you don’t like?” Memphis asks, scowling.
“How can you know you don’t like them in the first chapter?” Paulette asks with her voice raised, leaning forward dramatically.
“You just do,” he says, shaking his head.
“Well, that one’s clearly Memphis.” Austin tosses it aside. “Cool. Next.”
Memphis doesn’t deny it, though we both know it’s not him, as Austin pulls out the next one. He chuckles to himself. “This one says, ‘When I read a book I don’t like, I automatically go and look up the bad reviews on it to find community in my hatred.’”
To that, we all laugh.
“Such a good one,” Paulette says. “I do the same.”
“Me, too.” I grin over my guilty pleasure. I had no idea anyone else did that.
“Monsters,” Austin says, his mouth dropped open with a feign of shock. “Okay, last one.” He tosses the paper aside and lifts the last one out of the bowl. “‘If I buy a hardcover and it has a dust jacket, I immediately throw it out.’”
“Oh, same!” Logan cries, hand in the air.
