Page 43 of Striking Range

Maybe, if he gets drunk enough, I can find out if he slept with Jacob.

“Me first. Who was that girl from last night?” Skylar sounds eager, eyes drilling into mine.

Damn. Okay. Getting straight into it, I see.

“Ashley, from my department,” I reply before taking my shot, and Skylar laughs.

“You only take a shot if you don’t answer, dumbass,” he chastises, pouring me another.

“But I needed it.” I take a sip of my Coke. “It’s my turn: do you use my keychain?”

He pulls his keys from his front pocket, dangling them as he showcases the keychain hooked to them. “I put it on before the gym the morning after my birthday. I’m taking a shot too.”

I’m trying to hide my smile and failing miserably as I watch his every move. He throws back the shot of whiskey. As he licks his lips, I can’t find it in myself to look away.

A moment later, Skylar asks, “Have you ever had a girlfriend?”

My brow furrows. “You know I haven’t.”

“Just wondering,” he mutters, but now he’s not meeting my eyes.

“Okay.” I think for a moment, trying to find something that I can ask that will segue into what I really want to know. “Is the concept of virginity important to you?”

Skylar scrunches his nose, takes a shot, but answers anyway. “What do you mean?”

I clear my throat before clarifying. “Like, do you think it’s important?”

He considers this for a moment, tapping his fingers against his empty shot glass. “I guess not. But maybe I would have, if I was younger when I lost it.”

That sounds a lot like past tense. As in he has lost it.

I think I’m going to vomit.

“Huh,” is my only response; it’s all I can force out.

He raises a brow. “Am I supposed to?”

“Is that your question?”

Skylar laughs, taking another shot, so I match him. I can feel the heat in my skin, the liquor burning inside of me.

“I guess it is,” he concedes.

“Then no. I don’t think you have to. I didn’t.”

Skylar watches me for a moment before asking, “When did you lose yours?”

“Nope. My turn,” I deflect, and he rolls his eyes, waving me on. “Why haven’t you told your parents you’re gay?”

He pauses, seemingly shocked by the question. I’m not sure why, considering the breakfast we just had and the fact that he came out to me not long ago.

“Same reason I didn’t tell you, I guess,” he finally answers. “I haven’t found a reason to.”

We both take a shot at that. It’s not even a game anymore; we’re drinking and grilling each other. That’s it.

So much for not wanting to dive into things.

“When did you lose your virginity?” he asks again.