Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)(127)

Finally. I take off down the hallway and step into class right      when the tardy bell rings. Lacy, Chris, and Logan trail behind me. Chris claps      my back and the three of them head for our seats. Someone shushes the whispering      and laughing as everyone watches me. I study Beth. She’s reclaimed the seat in      the corner of the room instead of the one she took next to me weeks ago.

Just like the first day of school, Beth’s hair hides her face      and she doodles in her notebook. My ribbon no longer graces her wrist.

An adult I don’t know clears her throat. We must have a sub      today. “Do you mind taking your seat?”

Beth glances up at me, then immediately looks back down. It’s      as if I swallowed knives. She’s heard the rumors and she believes them.

Perfection. It’s what everyone expects from me. Take my seat.      Do my work. Go to practice. Play ball. Keep everything bottled up and let your      insides rot as long as the outside looks perfect. “Beth.”

She keeps her head down and the substitute steps into my line      of view. “Either find a seat or find yourself in detention this afternoon.”

“Ryan,” Chris says, “the game.”

The game against Northside. I promised Chris I wouldn’t miss      another game and detention would bar me from keeping that promise. Reluctantly,      I take my seat and turn to stare at Beth, willing her to look at me.

“We’ll catch her after class,” Chris whispers to me from across      the aisle.

*

The bell rings and it’s a race of who can get out of      their seat faster. Beth is out the door first and her size makes it possible for      her to duck and weave through the mass of bodies crowding the hallway. My next      class is in the opposite direction of where she’s headed, but I don’t care.

She runs down the history hallway and I grab her arm right      before she enters the safety of the classroom. I lean in and look straight into      her eyes. “You know I love you.”

Her eyes search my face and she appears as broken as she did      two days ago at the hospital. “Did you f*ck me to win a dare?”

I fight the urge to shake her. “I didn’t f*ck you, I made love      to you. Don’t do this, Beth. Don’t take what was beautiful between us and make      it ugly.”

Water fills her eyes and my heart slices into a million pieces.      Beth isn’t a crier and I’m making her cry. I thought making love would prove how      much I loved her. Prove that she could trust me, and it’s killing me to know      that one act could be what’s tearing us apart. “I gave you my word that the dare      was over. When have I ever lied to you?”

“On the front steps of Scott’s house you promised me I wouldn’t      be a secret.”

I’m standing here breaking the PDA rules by holding her close      to me. How can she believe I lied? “I’ve told everyone at school. I’ve brought      you to games. I’ve taken you to parties.”

“Tell me you told your parents. Tell me that when your parents      confronted you about us, you told them we were a couple.”

My grip on her loosens and she jerks her arm away. How could      she know that? Over Beth’s shoulder I spot Gwen skulking at the end of the      hallway. She glances at me, then immediately averts her gaze. Dammit.

Beth kneads her eyes with her hands. “I fell for the jock      again. The worst part is I told you how to play me. Convince me you love me and      I’ll fall into your bed. I’m so f*cking stupid.”

The warning bell rings and I watch in shock as Beth turns. No.      She can’t believe that. “I do love you.”

Beth pauses in the door frame and I pray she’ll say she      believes me. “No, you don’t. You don’t want to feel bad for winning the dare.”      She walks into class and the tardy bell rings.

Beth’s second-period teacher assesses me. “Get to class.” Then      closes the door in my face.

Feeling numb, I turn in the direction of my next class. I made      love to Beth and I lost her. I swallow as my own eyes sting. It was too soon.      She didn’t trust me enough. What we did together, it was too much, too fast. I      run a hand over my head and try to comprehend how everything blew out of      control.

“Ryan!” calls Gwen from behind me. “Ryan! Please wait!”

Rage shoots through my veins as I spin in her direction and      tower over her. “Are you finally happy, Gwen? Congratulations, you’ve bagged      homecoming. I hope it was worth it.”