The Love Dare

Val's P.O.V

It was another monday morning to begin the new week and I just woke up from what felt like a peaceful night.

I stretched yawning.

“Valentina Torres!” my brother yelled. “If you don’t come down in two minutes….”

I let out a mix of a groan and growl; stomping my feet against my floorboard loud enough for him to hear.

Turning, I ran to the washroom, brushed my teeth, washed my face, took a quick shower, and then bolted back to my room to shrug into my clothes. I grabbed a tank top and a high-waisted black jeans. I rocked it and looked myself up in the mirror.

My cheeks puffed into a very soft smile.

It looked so nice and hot that I was lost in the view and then sooner than I had expected, I heard my brother start his engine from the garage.

I dashed downstairs, couldn’t even wait for breakfast, so I snatched an apple from the fridge and then walked briskly towards our driveway, brushing my hair with my fingers. Reynolds, my brother, was whipping his black mustang for the hundredth time. He loved cars so much, he should dress it with a white veil and put some flowers on its windshield.

I walked past him and opened the passenger seat to….to see Jaxon Jax Steele already inside, smiling at me as if he had just won a lottery.

“Good morning princes,” he said.

“Good morning to you too.” I shut the door.

Rolling my eyes, I placed my earbuds in my ears and scrolled away on my phone as I sat at the back, legs cramped and determined to tune out whatever crap Jax and Reynolds were going to start discussing.

So much faster than I had imagined, we arrived at school. The school parking lot was its usual circus of chaos; yelling children, backpacks tied around shoulders, and the far-off hum of drama already present in the atmosphere. I ran for my locker, where my friends were huddled buzzing about as if they hadn't seen each other in years.

Reynolds and Jax strode through the doors like they owned the place, their smirks and swagger bringing the entire school to a halt in all directions. I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they were going to get stuck there. A girl who wore so much makeup tried to flirt with Jax, but he looked at her like she'd just handed him a plate of broccoli.

One thing about Jax is that he hates it when women wear too much makeup. Not because he is some kind of natural woman hero, but because, in his words, "It gets everywhere, and I don't need foundation on my collar."

as he’d usually say in his deeply alpha voice.

I couldn't resist teasing him. I cheerfully blew him a kiss from a distance and he blew me back a flying kiss. I caught it, kept it on the ground, matched it, and smiled. He clutched his chest in surprise as if I'd shattered his heart. He mouthed, 'You're cruel,' and I mouthed back, 'I know.'

Glancing at my friends, I asked, "What are you guys talking about?"

"What are you talking about?" Juliette Monroe questioned repeating after me, her blue eyes squinting suspiciously. Her blonde hair was tied loosely in a bun, and freckles showed against her light makeup.

I folded my hands on my belly looking her over again while she faced straight up keeping a weird face—Juliette’s such a comic soul.

"We were just talking about the party tonight," Brielle Hayes said. I turned to face her, her dark curls bouncing as she bobbed up and down. "You attending?"

"Oh," I said, pausing. Parties weren't really my thing anymore. Not since…well, let's just say I had my reasons.

"Come on, Val! It's been eternally since we've done anything together," Juliette pouted, drawing out the last word like a brat demanding candy.

"A year and a half," I shot back.

“Exactly” They both chorused unanimously.

"I already have plans for tonight," I answered discouragingly.

"Plans like watching Grownish for the fiftieth time?" Brielle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe. You never know," I responded, trying to be mysterious.

"I do. Besides, those movie characters go out to have fun and that’s what makes you watch them every time" Brielle muttered.

"If you come, we'll go get ice cream at 3 a.m. and do something stupid," Juliette said.

"Okay," I relented. "But I'm not drinking."

They all concurred and I felt a tiny thrill of anticipation despite myself.

The hours for classes had officially begun and we'd settled in. English was the first period of the day. English class was my refuge. At least, it would have been if Jax hadn't decided to sit beside me. I was copying notes off the board, trying to get away from him, but he just kept poking my arm like a child who didn't recognize the concept of personal space.

"What do you want?" I finally snapped at him, glaring.

"I wanted to…uh…wait, never mind. I forgot," he said carelessly, shrugging as if it didn't matter.

I rolled my eyes, counting down the seconds until class ended.

The day flew by rapidly into the evening. It was evening, the night of the party I had been invited to. The thumping beat of music boomed through the walls, and colors of colored lights lit in every direction. Brielle drove a few blocks away because the block was parked with cars. We navigated our way up to the house, and I could already feel the excitement oozing in the air.

Mason, the host, greeted us with a champagne bottle in his hand. "Hey, girls! Glad you could come. You look good, Val," he winked.

"Thanks," I said, smiling tightly.

Brielle and Juliette disappeared to get drinks, leaving me sitting at the bar by myself. I ordered a glass of wine and scanned the room, my stomach sank when I spotted Jax leaning against the corner.

"Shit," I whispered under my breath.

Brielle followed my gaze and smiled. "Afraid all the girls won't be able to look away from him?"

"No," I said, rolling my eyes. "If Jax is around, Reynolds is also around. And I didn’t tell him that I was coming. If he sees me, I'm dead."

"Just avoid him," Brielle said, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

But as I stepped back towards the bar, I saw Reynolds coming my way, my heart started beating faster.

“Oh shit, what have I done in the name of fun.” I whispered to myself, fear gripping me stronger, my chest feeling like it would fall off.

His face wasn't a stern one. His broad shoulders cut through the crowd effortlessly with his intense gaze stalking me in my steps before I could even think of attempting to make a break. The buzzing of people's chatter around us came to an abrupt halt as his arrival sucked all the air out of the room. My hand held onto my glass for my dear life. But even as I held tight, the glass in my hand kept shaking uncontrollably that it almost poured the drink inside.

"Shit," I said again, louder this time.