I back away, tearing my gaze away from his,
stepping out of the spell,
and Vice comes roaring back.
Flash of strobe.
Crowd noise swarming.
Bodies push.
Music spits.
His chest caves as he hesitates.
“Allison,” he says.
“Yeah?”
A breath.
“I’ve been thinkin’…”
His voice drops off there.
The moment deadlocks.
I arch a brow?—
“You’ve been thinkin’,” I probe.
He exhales. “Yeah.”
Another beat passes.
“About that other bet.
“The real one.
“The boring-ass one.
“The‘just breathe next to each other’night.
“I'm cashin' in. Tonight.
“I’m sleepin' next to you.”
His eyes drift between mine.
“You good with that?”
My heart’s rioting, but I don’t let it show.
“Yeah.” It’s one word. One syllable.
But it feels like stepping off a goddamn cliff.
So I say it again before fear walks in
