Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)(75)

An hour. To do what? See Isaiah? I guess she could. I only      asked her to date me. She’d probably bolt if I said the word relationship, even though I have no interest in seeing      anyone else. I went too fast with her last night. This time, I’ll go slow. “I’ll      give you an hour alone in Louisville. Then we’re going on a real date, even if      it kills us.”

Beth rejoins me on the steps. Her knee rests against mine and      we lapse into silence. Typically, silence with girls makes me uncomfortable, but      this one doesn’t bother me. She doesn’t have anything to say. Neither do I. I’m      not ready to leave and it appears she’s not ready for me to go. Beth, out of      anybody, would tell me what she really wanted or thought.

She finally breaks the silence. “How do I take my name off the      homecoming list? Does it require a two-thirds vote of the student population or      do I have to ask someone in the front office?”

Panic flickers through me. “Stay on the court.”

“No. Way.”

“Do it with me. I’ll be right by your side the entire time.”      Putting her on the court was my way of pissing her off, but now I want her on      it—with me.

“That’s your world. Not mine.”

But it could be her world if she tried. “Nothing will happen      with homecoming for another month. How about this—if I can find a way to      completely wow you by then, you agree to stay on the court and if I can’t, then      I’ll help you remove your name.”

Silence as she contemplates. “Are you asking me to dare you to      wow me?”

Even I see the irony. “Guess I am.”

“Should I remind you that you have a lousy track record with me      in regards to dares?”

I sit up straighter. “I don’t lose.”

Scott knocks on the door and points at his eyes then points at      me. He leaves again. Hell. “Did you come home drunk last night?” The last time      Scott and I talked, we were on good terms. Something’s changed.

“No, but you did leave this.” Beth flips her hair over her      shoulder and reveals a red-and-blue spot on her neck. Everything within me wants      to disintegrate and hide beneath the porch. I gave her a hickey. I haven’t done      that to a girl since middle school.

“He hates me,” I say.

Beth laughs. “Something like that.”





Chapter 40

Beth

I PUMP MY HANDS HARDER      into his chest and ignore the world around me. My wrists hurt, but I must      keep the heart going. I must. Twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine,      thirty.

“Breathe!” I yell.

Lacy tilts the head back and blows into the mouth. The chest      moves up, then back down. Lacy begins to pull away.

“No, Lacy, check the vitals.” She puts her ear near the      mouth and nose. I wait. She places her fingers against the artery in the neck. I      wait again. Lacy shakes her head. Nothing.

“Your turn,” I tell her. I’m frightened that I won’t be able      to give the heart enough pressure if I go another round. Lacy scrambles toward      his chest and I slide my body near the head. She counts out loud with each      compression.

A long beeping noise comes from the team next to us. “Flat      line,” says Mr. Knox.

“Yes!” says Chris. “This is ours!”

Of our entire health class, it’s down to me and Lacy against      the combo of Ryan and Chris. With his hands clasped together, Ryan pumps his      dummy’s chest.

“Breathe!” says Lacy.

I blow air into the mouth, check vitals, and freeze. With my      fingers against the neck, I feel something. It’s faint, but there. Lacy gestures      for me to pump, but I shake my head. Our dummy—he’s alive!

The boys start compressions again and a wretched noise      blares from their machine. Mr. Knox unplugs it. “You boys forgot to check      vitals.”

Chris swears and Ryan falls onto his ass. Suck it up, boys.      Get used to losing.

Mr. Knox glances my way. “Congratulations, Lacy and Beth.      You’re the only two who kept your patient alive. Good call on the vitals,      Beth.”

Good call on the vitals. Mr. Knox walks away as if this      isn’t the most amazing moment of my life. I did something. I saved a life. Well,      not really, but I saved the dummy. But I did something right. This unspeakable,      overwhelming sense of... I don’t know... I’ve not experienced it before...this      feeling of...joy? Anyhow...it floods me. Every part of me.