8. Never Have I Ever
8
Never Have I Ever
WINTER
Have you ever noticed how the people closest to you often put you in the worst situations? Like when you had a crush in high school and your best friend made it her pleasure to ruin your life every time he passed you in the halls by saying something like “Hey, here’s your husband” or pushing you in his way and screaming “Get some”?
Allison Gardner isthatfriend. Always has been. And when she brings her champagne glass to her red lips, chuckles, and slurs, “Let’s play Never Have I Ever,” I find myself wishing I could be anywhere else but here.
Haze’s been making dagger eyes at Caleb since he walked in. He hates him and isn’t bothering to hide it. Not that my brother’s comment helped in the matter. The tension is crushing me like a pile of bricks. I keep waiting for the ball to drop, for Caleb to tell Haze what I couldn’t and ruin the night.
Empty glasses of champagne are scattered across the living room table. We’ve been drinking for over two hours. Safe to say we’re a bit tipsy. I thought alcohol would take the edge off. I was wrong. Now I’m paranoid and dizzy.
“What are we, twelve?” Will mocks.
Kendrick shoots him a look. “Some of us are.”
Allie laughs obnoxiously.
Never mind, she’s way past tipsy.
Will doesn’t acknowledge the slander, sipping on a beer and fidgeting with his jeans. He’d usually jump at the chance to bicker, but he’s been taking Kendrick’s snarky comments like a champ recently. He bites his tongue, sits back, and pretends nothing happened. I can practically hear him think, “All right, I deserved that.”
“We’re too old for that crap,” I say.
“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Allie insists.
Leaning back into Haze’s frame, I look up at him, my face screaming, “Help me out here.” He doesn’t nod or agree with me. Far from it.
“Yeah, why not? It’ll help me get to know Caleb.”
What the hell, Haze?
He stares at Caleb without flinching. He just full-on death stares until Caleb shifts in his seat, searching for my gaze. I deny him eye contact for the billionth time tonight. I thought I was imagining it all until I caught Will frowning. He didn’t even need to speak. I know he noticed, too.
“Great. Where’s the vodka?” Allie’s eyes wander around the messy room. Unopened boxes are piled up on the kitchen table and spread across the floor. We unpacked the essentials today, but we’re far from done. Spotting the glass bottle on the kitchen counter, Allie gets up and brings it over.
“How about we spice it up?” She sits back on the couch. “If you did the thing, you take a shot, but you have to give us a backstory if someone asks or you take two.”
“Is that really necessary?” Will complains.
“What’s wrong? Have something to hide, Will?” Kendrick accuses.
There he goes again, poking at Will. This is weird. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Kendrick did find out about him and Kass? Whatever it is, he’s punishing Will for something.
“Just wondering what the point is.” Will shrugs.
“The point is to make the game interesting. Now quit whining.” Allie reaches for the bag at her feet and gets six shot glasses out. She sure came prepared.
“Isn’t your version a cheap knockoff of truth or dare?” Kendrick asks.
“Trust me, my game’s way more fun,” she smirks, bending forward to line up the shot glasses on the coffee table. I catch Kendrick’s eyes lingering on her for a second too long, and Allie flushes. Still, she holds his gaze, never backing down.
Wait…
Am I sensing sexual tension?
I blink at my cousin, who doesn’t notice my disapproval, too busy undressing Allie in his head. Nope, not happening. He can have anyone. Literally anyone but Allie. He’s been all over the place since Nicole broke up with him again. He straight up changed country on a whim. He’s acting on impulse right now, and I will not let my best friend be his rebound.
“Who wants to start?” I can’t believe I’m the one pressing for this nightmare to begin, but I can’t watch them eye-fuck each other for a second longer.
Allie snaps back to reality. “Right, I’ll start. Never have I ever…” She stops to think for a moment. “Had my heart broken.”
We all drink, even Will.
So, Kass broke his heart? I was right. Something did happen.
“Who broke your heart, Will?” The question falls out on its own. Color quickly drains from Will’s face while Kendrick glances away in disgust.
That’s when it hits me.
Oh my God. He knows.
But then why are they here together acting like nothing happened? Why are they still friends? I thought Kendrick would’ve cut his dick off by now.
Will doesn’t say a word, throws a shot back so he doesn’t have to answer, and sends me a killer look. The questions get dumber and dumber as the minutes pass. The shots keep coming. So do the giggle sessions. And, for a second there, I even catch myself having some fun.
Then Caleb’s turn comes.
“Never have I ever…” He pauses, his eyes set on me. Part of me wants him to spit it out, to get it over with already, but the other dreads what he’s going to say. He clears his throat, sits straight, and drops the bomb. “Lied to my partner about my past with someone.”
No one drinks.
Not a single soul.
I don’t have the guts to turn around to witness Haze’s reaction, but I know from the way his hold around me grows firmer that it can’t be a good one. The others have no idea how awkward this is. To them, this is just another Never Have I Ever, but Haze’s already suspicious of something and the suggestion in Caleb’s tone was unmissable.
I glare at my ex-best friend. What kind a sick game is he playing? Why is the guy who picked me up at the airport claiming to have been over it trying to put me on the spot?
“Next.” I clear my throat. “Who wants to go?”
“I’ll go,” Will says, and the look he gives me says it all.
Oh, it’s payback time.
He takes the luckiest of guesses, probably because he noticed how Caleb was staring at me, and proceeds to ruin my life, “Never have I ever kissed someone in this room.”
Allie offers Haze and me what I like to call an Allie wink, meaning that she closes both eyes at the same time—yeah, that’s her thing; she could never wink—convinced that this one is for us. Man do I wish it was.
Haze drinks.
I drink.
And finally… Caleb drinks.
That’s how I know I’m screwed.
Haze immediately tenses up, staring at Allie. He’s probably waiting for her to say, “Oh, right, I remember that one time,” since Caleb sure as hell didn’t make out with Will, but I know she won’t tell him what he wants to hear.
Because she never kissed him.
I did.
“What are you talking about?” Allie frowns. “We never…” She pauses, realization punching her in the face. She looks at me with widened eyes. “What? When?”
“What the fuck?” Haze gets up from the couch before I can blink.
Shit.
He frowns. “Were you two together or something?”
I rise up. “We… I…” Winter, English, damn it.
Caleb jumps up, too. “You didn’t tell him? Seriously?”
“Caleb, shut the hell up,” Allie snaps.
Haze’s face collapses as he turns to me. “Wait, did you… Did you sleep with him?”
The hurt in his voice daggers me straight in the heart.
I can’t speak.
I should’ve told him sooner. I never intended to keep it from him. But I also never thought I’d have to see Caleb often after we went out to celebrate, so why bother telling Haze about the time I ruined my longest friendship on one of the worst nights of my life? He didn’t tell me about all the girls he slept with.
I see the pieces of the puzzle connecting in his eyes. “He’s… He’s your first time, isn’t he? He’s the guy that sucked.”
Caleb makes a face. “Okay, ouch .”
If awkwardness could kill you, I’d be six feet under by now.
“That’s why you were acting so weird,” Haze says, more to himself than me.
“I wasn’t hiding it from you, I swear.”
“Why do you think she didn’t tell you, bro? We have history. She just met you,” Caleb cuts in, taking a threatening step forward. Haze tilts his head, warning him.
“Guys, stop,” I say, panic taking over me. This is getting out of control. Caleb’s anger lessens when our eyes meet.
“I… I’m sorry.” Caleb shakes his head. “I think I had too much to drink. I’m going to go home.” He hurries to the door.
“Would you look at that, he says smart things sometimes.”
“Haze!” I scold him.
“What did you just say to me?” Caleb’s face twitches in anger, and he strides back to us. God he has no idea who he’s dealing with. Haze could destroy him with his eyes closed.
Goodbye, Caleb. It was nice knowing you.
“You heard me.” Haze’s arrogant expression could set off the calmest person on earth. Caleb attempts another step, but my hands fly to his chest.
“Cale, stop! Go home, please.”
Haze scoffs. “Yeah, go home, Caleb. Go dream about my girlfriend because that’s the only way you’ll ever have her in your bed again.”
We all gasp.
Holy shit.
It seems to happen in slow motion, yet too quickly for me to keep up. Caleb shoves me out of the way and puts up a fist, launching it at Haze, who easily dodges the incoming hit. Haze captures Caleb’s fist midair and bends him down, twisting his arm behind his back. We hear a cracking sound the human body definitely shouldn’t make, and Caleb whimpers in pain.
“Are you fucking insane?” Kendrick yells at Haze, stepping into the action and barely tearing them away from each other. Caleb winces as he holds his arm, while Haze stands there, blinded by rage, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. He glances around the room, takes in every scared eye set on him, every shocked face. But the one that seems to hurt him the most… is mine.
A mix of emotions collide in his blue eyes. Regret, pain, anger. I know him by heart. I know exactly what he’s thinking when he gives Caleb and me one last look and turns around.
“Haze, wai—”
Then he’s out the door.