The Dare by Landish Lauren

Author:Landish, Lauren [Landish, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Elle

“ Y ou’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What?” Colton asks, following my eyes. “I’ve seen this place from the highway dozens of times. Before, I never gave it much thought. Now, it seems like fun.”

He doesn’t have to say that he means he never considered doing something this outrageous before I came into his life. I hear that underlying truth loud and clear.

My eyes are currently fixed at the top of a crane towering over us, the blinking light at the top mocking me and probably warning low-flying aircraft to stay away. Around us, miniature golfers do their thing, go-karts scream around a track, and off to the side, neon lights advertise an arcade with something called a ‘Tilt-A-Hurl’, but the pride of Fun Land towers over us. This is not the same family friendly putt-putt place I took him to. This is a three AM, crack-high crazy idea of an amusement park for adrenalin junkies.

“Colton, that damn thing’s half a mile in the air!” I protest, my stomach sinking as someone leaps from the crane, their screams the only way I can track their progress through the darkening sky. I keep waiting for the sound of a human body bouncing off the asphalt surrounding us, but instead, laughter soon rings out . . . whether that’s relief or just insanity, I’m not quite sure.

“It’s 125 feet,” Colton corrects me, pointing at the sign advertising the ‘Leap of Faith’ bungee jump. He takes my hand, giving it a squeeze. “You said you were afraid of heights but that you’d base jump if given the chance. And if a dare were involved, of course. I thought you’d like the challenge of this. Seems appropriate, don’t you think?”

“Maybe, but I suddenly have a very strong desire not to place my life in the hands of what’s basically a giant rubber band,” I reply.

“Come here.” Colton leads me over to a picnic table, the smell of cheap pizza and churros wafting like perfume from the garbage can full of greasy paper plates and leftovers nearby. Sitting me down, he straddles the bench, turning me to face him, his knees outside mine.

Colton leans forward, kissing me firmly. His confidence is heady and addictive, his lips soft and seeking. We certainly have kissed before. I mean, I’ve pretty much tasted most of his body by now, but this kiss somehow feels more intimate than what we did this afternoon. Like he’s silently and generously lending me strength in my moment of doubt and nerves.

When he pulls back, he’s smiling, satisfaction written in the set of his mouth as he traces the pulse in my neck with his thumb. He tilts his head, and I think he’s coming back for more. Instead, he asks me a question.

“Have you ever heard of flipism?”

I’m already mentally kissing him, so it takes me a heartbeat, maybe two, to register what he said. “Is that where you flip people off? Or when someone’s flippant?”

His lips do that twitching thing, but this time it feels like he’s full-out laughing at me so I push at his chest.

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