Daring the Bad Boy (Endless Summer)(13)

“And Annie should be up first!” Presley said, sending me a sugary smile that was backed with a hint of venom.

Unease slipped down my spine, and Kelsey stepped forward, her voice clear as she said, “I’ll take a dare first.”

“Sure you don’t want to answer a very personal question?” Presley asked.

Kelsey shook her head. “Dare, please.”

“I dare you to run to the end of the dock and back with no shirt on,” Kyle said, his voice smug.

“Deal.” Kelsey smiled, tore her shirt off, and ran down the dock, her shoes slapping against the wood with every step, making the structure rattle. I wanted to hold on to something, anything, but I couldn’t. I just had to count on the stupid wood to withstand all of our weight.

Though I wanted nothing more than to follow Kelsey right off that dock and keep running until we were back at the cabin.

“You didn’t do what I dared you to,” Kyle said when Kelsey returned, out of breath and red-faced.

“I sure did,” she said with a smile. “I ran down the dock and back without my shirt on.”

“But you have a bikini top on underneath it,” Kyle said, waving a hand at her.

“You never said anything about taking that off.” She started to laugh when she saw the irritation on his face.

He turned toward me, his dark brows lowered, his mouth set in a thin line. “Your turn. Truth or dare?” he asked, sounding downright hostile. Nothing like my usual dreamy Kyle hellos or what’s ups. I could only blame the alcohol he’d been drinking.

“Um, truth?” I didn’t have much to hide, and I definitely didn’t want to take a dare.

“If you could kiss any boy at camp, who would it be?” Presley stepped forward after asking the question, her smile so smug I wanted to smack it off her face.

“Oh.” I laughed, trying to play it off. Desperate to play it off. Kyle was in the forefront of my mind, and so was the hot counselor, not that I could mention either of them.

But all my new friends just stared at me, even Kelsey, waiting for my answer. Most of them were smiling, but not in sympathy. No, they were waiting for me to humiliate myself.

And that hurt more than they could ever know.

“If you don’t want to say, you could take a dare,” Kyle offered, his voice soft, his gaze meeting mine.

Mesmerized by his eyes, his face, by his mere nearness, I agreed before he could take the offer back.

“Please, I’ll take the dare.” It couldn’t be any worse than that question I so did not want to answer.

“I dare you to jump off the dock’s ledge and into the water,” Kyle said.

Oh wait.

It just got much worse.





Chapter Six


ANNIE

“I can do this,” I whispered under my breath, curling my toes over the rough wood as I teetered on the edge of the dock. The cool wind rushed through the trees. I could hear them rustle in the near distance, felt the breeze wash over my already chilled-from-nerves skin, and I lifted my arms above my head. A pose I’d practiced maybe a handful of times forever ago, since I’d always firmly believed swimming, let alone diving, wasn’t for me.

But I was feeling brave tonight. Maybe a little reckless.

Okay, maybe a lot stupid, too.

Here goes nothing.

“You can do it, Annie, I know you can,” Kelsey whispered just before Presley started her countdown. I couldn’t believe I’d agreed to this. But I didn’t want to look like a baby in front of Kyle, in front of any of them, really. I’d wanted to conquer my greatest fear this summer, but not this early into the season.

Clearly I’d completely lost my mind. At least I had Kelsey keeping the faith.

“One!” Presley whisper-shouted the number from where she stood behind me. I could hear everyone crowding around, a few murmured words, one yelp when one of the guys stepped on Kaycee’s toes.

I stood up straighter, stiffening my arms into what I hoped was a perfect arc.

“Two!” We didn’t want to get caught, so Presley counted down in a whisper. I really hoped one of these people was a decent swimmer so they could jump in after me and save me if need be.

Well, I hoped one of them would try to save me. My knees knocked against each other in that age-old way they used to do when I was little, and I stiffened my legs, willing them to behave.

“You really want to do this, Annie?” Kelsey’s nerves bled through her voice, and I closed my eyes for a brief moment, willing myself to stay strong.

Glancing at her over my shoulder, I sent her a look. One that said, really? You’re asking me this now?

“Okay, okay. You’ve got this.” She nodded, her smile bright in the silvery light of the half moon.

“Three!” Presley shouted, hopping up and down.

I didn’t expect her to say three so fast. I whipped my head around and stared at the lake, the way the gentle waves looked like they were topped with sparkling crystals. The moon’s soft glow cast everything in this ethereal sheen that made me think of a fairy tale.

A fairy tale where I suddenly became a flailing, screaming princess who fell off the dock and into the lake in a not-so-graceful leap.

The cold water embraced me, pulling me down, my lungs already burning, and I’d only been under for a few seconds.