Page 7 of House of Horrors

Nicky’s grin gets wider because he knows I’ll be eating out of the palm of his hand. He loves it when he gets his own way and there’s nothing I can do.

Nicky takes a seat and sets the bottle down in front of us before spinning it. The bottle lands on Daisy.

“Truth or Dare, Daisy doll?”

“Um…truth.”

Nicky leans forward on the armchair, elbows on his knees. “So, how do you really feel about your big brother?” he asks in a quiet, scandalized tone. “You can tell me he’s a certified asshole.”

She finishes the rest of her drink for courage, beer trickling down the corners of her mouth. I want to cross over to her and lick it off. She wipes the beads of alcohol with the back of her hand, and the trance shatters. I grunt, shaking my head. By the end of the night, Daisy will make me insane. Jerry can go fuck himself for forcing me to do this.

“Well…” Daisy starts, her eyes drifting to mine. We lock in a silent battle for a long moment before she breaks it with a smirk. My eyebrows knit together, her smugness unsettling me. “He’s a bit of an asshole, but he’s hot,” she admits.

The ground drops from beneath me at her confession. I immediately look away, staring at the music posters plastered on the wall. My cheeks burn. It’s a trap meant to humiliate me, because pretty girls with their perfect, silky blonde hair don’t like guys like me. Our worlds are completely different. We don’t belong together.

My inner critic screams in my brain, telling me that Daisy will destroy me, that she’ll take over my world and change everything. If I let her in, I’ll lose my freedom. She will hurt me. I must stay away. My fingers clench around the bottle.

Nicky grabs on to the information eagerly, like a shark in bloody water. “Ooh, does someone have a little crush?”

My heart pounds, too loud and too fast. “Just spin the fucking bottle, Nicky.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Daisy blush, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. My breathing becomes louder. I hate her. I hate her.

A clinking sound rings out as the bottle spins. It lands on Nicky and his face scrunches up while he considers his choice for a second. “I pick…truth!”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I let out a loud exhale and take a moment to steady myself. To focus on my best friend, because tonight is meant to be fun. “Okay, where was the last place you had sex?” If there’s one thing I know about Nicky, it’s that he gets down in the craziest places.

He cackles. “Your house.”

My head whips to him. “Bullshit.” There’s only silence. “No, fuck off. Really?”

Nicky nods, attempting to keep a neutral expression, but then he grins like he’s been caught sticking his hand in the cookie jar before dinner. “Debbie decided to give me a little house tour.”

Daisy splutters.

My mouth drops open. Eyes widen.

“You didn’t.”

More silence.

“Fuck, Nicky. Don’t mess around here, you did not fuck her mom.” I thrust a hand in Daisy’s direction.

“It was an accident,” he whines. “I was trying to find you.” Nicky points his own finger accusingly at me as if it’s my fault. “And when a sexy mama opens the door in a lace robe and her husband isn’t home or her kids—what am I supposed to do? I’m a sexy, single twenty-two-year-old and it’s my duty to welcome her to Grimwood.”

“And also welcome her to your cock?”

Nicky grins and then shrugs. “It wasn’t in your bed if it makes you feel any better.”

I slap my palm on my forehead while Daisy groans. I should have expected something so diabolical from him.

“Wow, thank you, Nicholas. I feel so much better now,” I deadpan. “Please tell me you used protection and that a Nicky Junior won’t be running around.”

There’s a pause before Nicky finally says, “Daisy’s mom wanted my sausage raw. She wanted all nine inches, baby. And I get it. You have to risk it for the biscuit to get the full Nicky Valentine experience.”

I regret asking. I really do. Against my will, images of my best friend fucking Daisy’s mom penetrate my mind, and my entire body shivers.

Daisy screeches as if she’s having the same thoughts before clasping her hands over her ears. “Stop it,” she moans. “I’m going to be sick.”