I can’t answer that in front of everyone! What if they askwhoI’ve kissed next? I’m itching to bolt out of my seat, but as I glance around the circle, everyone is grinning at me. Everyone except Miles.
“Well, go on,” Alex encourages.
I have no escape. No backup plan. No white lie to get me out of this. I just have the truth. A truth that may or may not hurt someone I don’t want to hurt no matter how much he’s hurt me.
“Two.”
I can’t look at Miles. I don’t want to know what my answer means to him. Alex nods in appreciation, like he expected myanswer to be zero, which irritates the hell out of me, so I fire it back at him. “Truth or dare,Alex.”
He folds his arms and crosses his ankles. “Truth.”
“How many guys have YOU kissed?”
Seems like a good question. An eye for an eye.
“Fifteen.” His lips lift in a cocky grin, and he tips his chair back on its back feet.
FIFTEEN?Judging by the calm written on Rex’s face, he already knew that.
“Guess I get to go again.” Alex’s smug eyes sweep the circle as he looks for another puppet to play show and tell with. “Reed. Truth or dare, bro?”
“Dare.”
A smirk slithers across Alex’s face as he turns back to me. “I dare you to ask Teddy on a date.”
My eyes go wide, and then I glare at him. “I leave tomorrow.”
“The start of next summer then,” he presses.
I’ve hung out with Alex a few times and thought he was an okay enough guy, but right now, I don’t appreciate him. What does he think he’s doing? What did I ever do to him? Reed is just my friend. I’ve already made enough of a mess with Miles, I don’t need to play out that same mistake with Reed.
But he reaches for my arm with no hesitation. “Teddy, will you go on a date with me next summer?”
“You can’t be serious?” I blurt.
“Who says it has to be serious?”
I don’t mean to, but that’s when I look over at Miles. To… what? Seek his permission? His approval? I don’t owe him anything. But his chair is empty.
Reed pouts his bottom lip.
“Fine,” I cave.
“Man, make the guy feel like he’s your last choice,” Alex comments.
I could punch him in the face right now. He’s trying to start something, but I can’t even argue with his comment when he’s sort of right. It’s not that I don’t find Reed attractive, I do. I just haven’t considered him in that way. I’m the “settle down with one person” type. Reed plays the field with his heavy flirting. We would never work. Not to mention the fact that I’m hung up on his best friend.
I swivel my head around the circle of chairs until I land on his. It’s still empty. Itstaysempty.
Another summer where Miles and I don’t say goodbye.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
NOW
“How are your shifts at the Morgans’ restaurant going?” my mom asks as she deposits a pancake with peanut butter in front of me. She’s eased back on her kale smoothies and avocado toast, but I can forget about maple syrup. She’s not bending to that yet.
“It’s great. I like getting to look out at the lake as I work, and the people vacationing are always in a good mood.”
