12
Iturned to find Nathan standing in the kitchen doorway. I held up the bottle of water.
"Just needed something refreshing," I said.
"Hm." He eyed me curiously before coming over and placing a hand on mine. The warmth of his fingers contrasted with the cool water bottle. That warmth spread from my own fingers, down my arm, to settle in my belly. His every touch threatened to set me aflame.
"Let me guess," he said quietly. "You're feeling left out?"
It was an echo of the words I asked him when he told me about Gael and Jessie.
I hesitated before nodding. He didn't need to know the real reason I'd left.
"I've never done anything like what you guys have," I said. "I don't want your friends to think I'm boring or dull."
"Listen," he began earnestly. "You can't compare yourself to the guys. We've done such crazy shit, you wouldn't even believe it. But that's not normal. Most people are like you. You don't have to feel bad about it. Besides, we're changing that, aren't we? You've done an extreme sport, you're at a rock star party, and now you've officially played a drinking game. Life is starting to get interesting."
"I'vebarelyplayed a drinking game," I said. "I left after one round."
"I've got an idea," Nathan said as he grabbed a full bottle of white rum. "Follow me."
He took my hand, sending more warmth coursing through me. He guided me through the party, up the stairs and down a hallway. He led us into an empty bedroom and shut the door behind us.
"I've already slept with a rock star," I joked. "I've crossed that off my list."
"As much as I'd love a repeat performance, that's not why we're here." Nathan sat on the bed and patted a spot next to him. "We're going to play our own drinking game so you can finally say you've done it properly. Just the two of us. No one else around to feel self conscious."
I gingerly lowered myself to the bed, keeping some distance between us.
"There's no point playingNever Have I Ever, considering I haven't done anything worthwhile," I said.
"We're playing something else," he said. "Two Truths and a Lie."
My tense shoulders relaxed.
"I've heard of that," I said. "Sounds like the name, right? You say two things that are true and one thing that's a lie and the other person has to guess which one is which."
"Exactly," Nathan said. "Loser is the first one to give up, whether from passing out unconscious, running off to go puke in the bathroom, or otherwise."
"Sounds pleasant."
"I'll go first to show you how it's done." He paused, thinking for a moment, before nodding to himself. "I've kept a diary since I was twelve. I slept with a stuffed giraffe every night as a kid. My favorite sex position is doggie style."
I let out a choked snort.
"Of course one of yours is going to be about sex," I said.
Nathan raised an eyebrow.
"So which one is the lie?" he asked.
"You're probably trying to trick me with these." I thought it through. "You probably think you're too cool to sleep with stuffed animals, but most kids do it, so I'd say that's true."
He didn't say anything, just stared at me with a quirk of his lips.
"We didn't have sex doggie style," I mused, "but it's a popular position, so I can see you liking it."
He bit his lip, amused.
