Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)(36)

“You’re next, Beth,” Ryan says.

“No.” The word comes out automatically.

“You’re going to have to go sometime, so let’s do it      now.”

“I swear it’s not that bad.” Lacy flies to my side. “At      first I was like ‘no way’ and then Ryan was like ‘You can’ and then I thought ‘I      can’t’ and then I thought ‘These guys would never drop me’ and I was like ‘Okay’      and then I did it and it was such a rush.”

Logan and Chris warily look at me. They’d drop me. Just like      Ryan would definitely drop me. “What type of game are you playing?” I ask of      Ryan.

He narrows his eyes. “What?”

“You used Lacy to lure me over here. Was your plan to make      me believe I could trust you and then drop me so everyone can laugh?” With each      word, my voice becomes higher and my heart pounds faster in my chest.

Ryan shakes his head. “No.”

I turn on my heel and head to the locker room. I’ll claim      cramps and blood and periods and tampons and keep saying words like menstruation until the teacher lets      me out of class. Right on the verge of entering the locker room, Ryan’s large      figure looms in front of me. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Go away,” I say.

He points at me. “You are a part of this team and you will      help us until this task is done.”

“No,” I bite out. “I’m not part of your perfect team.”

“Get back over there.”

“Here’s the beauty of living in America. You can’t make me      do a damn thing.” I slam my body into his and enter the safety of the locker      room.





Chapter 19

Ryan

COACH KNOX MADE US hit the      locker rooms early and I rushed to get dressed. Beth will be one of the first      girls out since she was the first in. Me and her—we have unfinished business.      She left my team in a bind plus she ruined my plan to ask her out.

At the top of the wooden bleachers, she sits by herself with      her back against the cinder-block wall and her legs stretched out. Her black      hair rests behind her shoulders and she types into a cell phone with her thumbs.      A small smile curves her lips. There’s a look about Beth, one I haven’t seen      before...something almost peaceful.

Scaling the bleachers, I take the rows two at a time. The      hollow thumping of my steps echoes in the empty gym. Beth snaps the phone shut      and shoves it in her back pocket. The small smile and peacefulness fade as she      officially extracts the claws. “Aren’t you popular people supposed to be gracing      the masses with your presence in the locker room, leaving us losers to hide in      peace?”

“We need to talk.”

“Well, I want to be alone.”

Noted, but her being alone won’t help me win the dare. “This is      going to be a long year if you keep pushing everyone away. I can help you fit      in, you know.”

In a slow, sexy motion, Beth slides her silky hair behind her      ear. “I see. You’re into charity work. Admirable, but I think I’ll pass.”

How she does it, I don’t know, but she has this hypnotizing      sway and seductive voice that can make me forget for a few seconds why I don’t      like her. Then my brain replays her snide comments. Ignoring my admiration of      her body and that I love the sound of her voice, I sit on the row below her.

Beth flutters her fingers in the air. “Go on,” she says as if      she was talking to a dog. “Shoo.”

Play it cool. I’ve done it plenty of times. Pull out the charm.      Overlook the fact she dismissed me when I asked her to hang with me during gym.      Pretend I didn’t have to resort to using Lacy in order to accomplish my goal.      Repeat over and over again that I don’t care that she left a team depending on      her. “You look nice.”

She glances at her outfit: black pants—stylish,      form-fitting—and another white button-down shirt, except this one has puffed      sleeves. Definitely not the style she wore when I first met her. On Gwen, those      clothes would look like they came out of a fashion show. On Beth...it makes me      miss the jeans with holes.

“Nice for a clown in a traveling circus. What angle are you      playing?”

For her to give me a damn break. “Go out with me.”