23. Porter #3
“Yeah. If the other person dares you to do something disruptive, like quitting the job, booking the trip, applying for the thing, piercing your other ear, whatever it is, we do it. We can blame the other one, use it as the final push, the excuse we need to do the scary thing.” I shrug, but I can’t stop smiling.
The idea of dares might sound kind of childish, but I feel like Will gets me, like he understands how this could actually help us one day. We’re both spontaneous and carefree now, but in the future we might need to help the other remember how important those things are.
The way his face is lit up makes me think he likes the plan too, so I add, “No rotting in comfort. If I start playing it safe because I’m scared, you can’t let me, and I won’t let you either.”
“Deal,” he finally agrees. “But if I do love being a phys ed teacher, you have to accept that, too.”
“Don’t worry, I will. No promises on not calling you out for being a cliché from time to time though.” I laugh, and the house comes back into view as we approach the beach that sits behind it.
“Wanna do something stupid? The first dare?” Will smirks, raising a brow.
“Any ideas?”
He nods toward the lake. “Cold plunge.”
I stop walking. “Okay, I don’t know what I was picturing, but that is not it. Absolutely not. That water’s got to be freezing! It’s barely April.”
“Come on,” he insists with what I think is meant to be an encouraging grin. “It’ll be fun. We have to get the first dare out of the way! Make it official.”
“It is not even remotely warm enough for that, and I’m not bored in my life yet!”
“It’ll be the perfect memory for when we do dares in the future. Shock your body and stuff. Come ooon!”
I fold my arms in protest, shaking my head as he laughs. “I’m not ruining this weekend by dying of hypothermia.”
“It’ll be fine! Athletes take ice baths all the time. We’ll run straight inside. Get under the blankets in front of the fireplace, cuddle for warmth. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
I eye the lake, then him. As nice as cuddling with him sounds… “I’m not an athlete. You’re insane.”
“Maybe,” he agrees, already backing toward the shore. “But I’m committed now, and I’d love for you to join me. I dare you to join me.”
He starts stripping out of his jacket, shoes, and jeans until he’s down to his underwear, and fuck me, he is so sexy. He turns just before the water to yell back to me. “Last chance. You can join me, or I’m giving you a big, wet hug after I get out of here. Don’t miss out on the first dare.”
I hesitate, chewing my lip, eyes flicking between the water and him as he takes off running and dives under the water.
“Holy shit,” he yells through chattering teeth once he comes up again. “Okay, yeah, oh fuck, this was a terrible idea. Fuck, this is so cold!”
I burst out laughing, warm and dry from the shore. “I told you!”
He splashes in my direction. “Get in here! It’s getting better.”
“You’re out of your mind! There’s no way I believe that.”
He wades a little deeper, arms crossed over his broad chest. “Come on! Five seconds. That’s it. Pleeease, P. It’d make me so happy.”
I watch him for another second, shaking my head. But fuck, I can’t stop laughing, and as dumb as it is, I kind of want to join him. Want to share this moment with him. Want to do anything he asks if it’ll make him smile.
The promise of his arms around me when we get out is also very appealing.
“Fuck it.”
“Fuck yes!”
I strip quickly down to my briefs and run toward the water, I knew it would be cold but holy shit.
The second I’m actually in, I take a sharp inhale that knocks the air out of my lungs.
“Nope, nope, nope,” I shout when I figure out how to breathe again, laughing and swearing all at once. “This is awful! You’re insane!”
But then he’s moving toward me, and I forget about how cold I am as he closes the distance between us to wrap his arms around me, holding me tight to him.
I shriek in surprise as I grab his arms, my fingers digging in like he might drop me if I don’t hold on as tightly as I can. I laugh as our freezing bodies are pressed together, soaked and shaking. “Inside,” I finally manage, pulling back just enough to hold eye contact. “Right now. Before I die.”
“Come on. Let’s go.”
We bolt for the shore, dripping and shaking, grabbing our clothes and heading straight through the door as we collapse near the fireplace.
Will grabs a blanket from the couch and wraps it around both of us.
We’re sitting so close, soaking wet, in our underwear.
Our skin is flushed red all over, and when I look at him again, I burst out laughing.
Like, full-on, can’t-catch-my-breath laughing.
“Oh my god,” I finally get out when I calm down, wiping water from my eyes. “That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.”
“The dares were your idea,” he reminds me, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders.
I shrug. “I don’t think we’ll ever forget it, so I guess it served its purpose. Plus it was good practice. Who knows what else we’ll convince each other to do someday.”