Would You Rather
Contrary to what people may think, I’m naturally an introvert.
Sure, I love to go to parties, even though the ones I attended were always about networking, but staying at home watching a movie? Sounds perfect. But when Leila invited me to a frat party, I couldn’t say no.
“Dude,” James yells, elbowing me in the ribs. James loves to socialize, where I prefer to stay home, so of course, he had to come with me. “This is so much better than the parties at Liberty,” he says, adjusting his stance on the crutches. He’s been using them more often than the wheelchair, determined to walk again.
I remember being seventeen, talking to James about college. Everyone was applying, and James had his mind set on UCLA, but with his mom being a single parent, he couldn’t go. I had offered to help him out with school since I had been making a decent amount by then, but he refused, threatening to break up our friendship if I tried – of course, he was kidding – but I didn’t push. So, he ended up attending a community college here.
I, on the other hand, knew it wasn’t going to happen. I always wanted it and always thought about it, but I never let myself picture it or hope for it to happen because I knew that, in the end, it wouldn’t.
I guess there was no need to. I was making good money, which allowed me to indulge in frequent travel and live a life that many could only imagine. But I couldn’t shake off the lingering thought of what it might be like if I pursued something I truly loved.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask him when he adjusts the crutches again.
He rolls his eyes playfully. “I’m fine, jeez, I see why your sister complains about you now.”
I narrow my eyes when he laughs, joking. “You’re a bad influence on her.”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Trust me, that’s all her.”
I scoff. Yeah, my sister is her own force, even without James’ or Leila’s help.
James mumbles something, but I can barely hear him with the music blaring. My senses go into overdrive, examining the area. The place is way too crowded, and James is still learning to control his mobility.
“What?” I yell over the music.
“I said I’m going to get a drink.”
My eyes widen. “James, you can’t.”
His smile drops as he shakes his head and leans closer to me. “Listen, I love you, you know that, but I need to have some fun, man. It’s been ages since I’ve been to a party.”
I let out a sigh. “You want me to come with you?”
He scoffs. “I’ve been glued to your hip. No offense, but I need some space.”
My brows knit together. “Offense fucking taken. What the fuck?”
He laughs. “Do you really want to stand around watching me make out with some guy?” His brows raise, and I breathe out harshly.
“Fine,” I concede, knowing he needs some private time. My mother, without a doubt, smothers him when he’s at home, and he doesn’t get out much since the accident. He needs this. “But if you need anything, and I mean fucking anything, give me a call.”
“I will,” he says. “Now go find your girl.” He gives me a teasing smirk when I narrow my eyes at him.
“She’s not my girl.”
He laughs, walking away from me. “Whatever you say.”
I shake my head, watching as he blends into the crowd. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone and make sure the sound is loud in case James calls me. Even though he might not think so, I’m responsible for him tonight, and I’d die before I let anything happen to him.
My mind runs with all of the possibilities of everything that could go wrong. Fuck, don’t go there. I pick up my feet and walk deeper into the house, pushing through the crowd.
“Lucas.” I turn my head, seeing Leila with a smile on her face. “You came,” she says, embracing me in a hug.
I don’t miss her boyfriend towering behind her, eyeing me as I return the embrace. “Yeah,” I say, pulling back. Aiden is still looking at me. At least he isn’t scowling at me like the first time we met. We’ve hung out more since I moved back, and we’ve become good friends once he knew I wasn’t trying to steal his girl.
“Hey man,” I say, nodding toward Aiden. He returns the nod, pulling me in for a quick handshake, his body towering over me. Fuck, he’s tall. “Damn. How tall are you?” I ask him.
He laughs. “6’6, I’m pretty average for a basketball player.”
“Damn it, I was off my one inch,” I mutter to myself.
Aiden scoffs. “That one inch is very important,” he says before turning to face Leila. “Isn’t that right, gorgeous?”
Leila playfully rolls her eyes, a smile slipping on her lips. “So, Is this your first college party?” she asks me as Aiden wraps his hands around Leila’s waist, resting his chin on her head.
“Yeah, I brought James along too.”
“Really?” Leila whips her head around. “Where is he? I haven’t seen him in so long.”
“He wanted some space from me,” I admit, scanning around the place. “He went to get a drink or make out with someone. I don’t know.”
Leila lets out a laugh. “Sounds like him. Well, you can hang out with us in the meantime,” she says, gesturing behind her.
I glance behind them, and that’s when I see her.
Madeline.
She looks up and glances at me as she sips on her drink, her legs crossed. On her body is a champagne-colored top, showing a sliver of her dark brown stomach, with a matching long skirt covering her legs.
Holy fuck.
“Madeline,” I say, seeing her eyes dropping to my outfit. I press my lips together to stop from smiling. She’s checking me out.
“Lucas,” she replies.
Silence falls between us, and I wonder if she’s thinking about the last time we saw each other. We might not be the best of friends, but I had a really good time with her, even if she was coughing a lung out.
“I need a refill,” she says, lifting herself off the couch before she walks away. My brows furrow, wondering whether she’s trying to avoid me or not.
“It’s nice to meet you,” a girl says to my right. She smiles at me, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear. “I’m Rosalie, but everyone calls me Rosie.”
“Nice to meet you, Rosie.” I smile at her, sitting down on the single armchair available.
She leans back against the guy whose lap she’s sitting on. “And this is Grayson,” she says. “My boyfriend.”
“Hey,” he lifts his chin, and his tattooed hand reaches out to me, shaking my hand.
“And you already met me,” Gabi says, dropping down on the couch. “You make good soup, by the way.”
I let out a laugh. Thank fuck. It only took my mom yelling at me on the phone for hours when I begged her for the recipe for me to get it right. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“Madi has told us so much about you,” Rosie says, glancing down at Madeline.
I let out a laugh. “I hope it was all good things.”
“Of course it was,” Madeline says, holding a refreshed drink in her hand. “You’re my boyfriend after all.”
Don’t know what the fuck just happened to my body from hearing that word in her mouth, but fuck, I want to hear it again.
She looks around, sees Gabi sitting in her seat, and lets out a sigh.
“Move over,” Leila tells Gabi. “Make room for Madi.”
“I would,” Gabriella says with a deep sigh, stretching out on the couch. “But I’m just so tired.” She grins, staring at Madi, who narrows her eyes back at her. What the hell is going on? “Maybe you can sit with your boyfriend?”
Madeline’s head snaps to face me, and I watch the slender slope of her neck move with a gulp.
“I’m fine with that.” I’m more than fucking fine with that. Holy fuck. My body warms at the idea of Madeline sitting so close to me, but I know how much she hates when I touch her. I can’t push her into this. Not when she doesn’t want to.
“I can get up,” I offer, whispering so no one but her hears me.
A slight shake of her head has my pulse skyrocketing as she lowers herself onto my thigh, hovering on her heels. I snake a hand around her waist and pull her into me, seating her all the way down.
A sharp intake of her breath has me freezing up, my heart in my fucking throat. I can smell her everywhere. God, what the hell is she doing to me? “Is this okay?” I whisper, my lips close to the shell of her ear.
She shivers against me, and I beg myself to have some self-control, but none of that is present when it comes to this girl. What is it about her that makes me want to dive in head first?
Her head moves with a nod, and I breathe out, relaxing into the couch. “Question number twelve,” I whisper, hyperaware of her body pressed against mine and my hand around her slender waist. “You talk about me?” A smirk forms on my face at the thought.
“No,” she says, looking away from me.
“Really? Your friends say the opposite.”
“They’re lying. I hardly ever think of you.”
I let out a scoff. She has a talent for humbling me. “How flattering.”
“Yeah, well, I’m nothing if not honest.”
Her friends are still around us, but they’re in their own little world, and I let my eyes fall to the length of her again, perched up on my thigh. “You clean up good,” I say.
Her head snaps back to face me, and her eyebrow lifts. “Are you saying I looked bad before?”
I chuckle, rubbing my chin. Never. “Considering you looked halfway to death the last time I saw you, I would say this is a big improvement.”
“Good to know,” she says, sipping on her drink.
“So, are you having fun?” I ask her.
She lifts her brows. “Best night of my life,” she says dryly.
A chuckle escapes me as I lean in closer to her. The music in here is loud. That’s the only reason. “Question number thirteen,” I whisper. “On a scale of one to ten, how much do you hate me right now?” I squeeze her waist, making my question clear. I could have stood up and had her take my seat instead, but I didn’t.
“Ten,” she breathes out.
A smirk creeps onto my face. Liar.
I let out a laugh, unable to take my eyes off her. I always knew she was gorgeous, but… has she always been this beautiful?
“James.” I snap my head up, seeing Leila embrace James in a side hug, helping him through the crowd. Fuck, I completely forgot about him. I should have been thinking about James, not my fake girlfriend who can’t stand to be around me.
“Where’ve you been?” I ask him.
He smirks. “Got a drink, made out a little, came back.”
My eyebrows skyrocket. “We’ve been here less than twenty minutes.”
His grin covers his face. “I work fast.” I shake my head, admiring my best friend for always going for what he wants. “Hey,” he says, looking at Madeline’s friends. “I’m James.”
“Hey man,” Aiden greets James, reaching out his hand. “I’m Aiden. It’s nice to meet you.”
Grayson lifts his head in acknowledgment, his girlfriend still perched on his lap. “Hey.”
James smiles back at them. I like the fact that they don’t outright ask him why he has crutches. I know how much James hates talking about the accident that took his mom away from him.
When I see a grin spread across his face, I don’t even have to look to know who he’s looking at. He hasn’t stopped talking about her ever since that picture of us was all over the news. “And you must be Madeline,” he says.
I widen my eyes at him. I haven’t told Madeline that James and my family know the truth. And I hope he doesn’t expose that right now.
“Hi,” Madeline replies in a sweet voice I’ve never been on the receiving end of. What the hell? “Lucas has told me so much about you. I’ve been dying to meet you.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” He lifts himself, moving toward her, and picks up her hand in his, bringing it to his lips.
My jaw clenches.
He likes guys. He. Likes. Guys. I repeat the sentence to myself until I start to forget about his hand holding hers, kissing it. “Nice to finally meet you. Lucas here doesn’t shut up about you either.”
Asshole.
She smirks, looking up at me. “Is that right?”
“He’s drunk,” I say, narrowing my eyes at him. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”
He scoffs. “I had one beer. I think I’m fine.” I glare at him, but the asshole just smirks back.
“Here,” Gabi says, lifting herself off the couch. “Take my seat.”
“Thanks,” he says, dropping down onto the couch. He lets out a breath, and I wonder if he is exhausted. It’s the most he’s been on his feet since the accident.
“I thought you were tired?” Madeline asks her best friend.
Gabi grins, shrugging not so innocently. “Now I’m not. Actually, I’m kind of bored.”
“Oh no,” Madeline whispers.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her, loosening my hold on her.
A heavy sigh escapes her. “Usually, when Gabi’s bored, it’s not good.”
I let out a chuckle. “Why not?”
“How about we play a game?” Gabi asks, her eyes shining with mischief.
“That’s why,” Madeline offers, settling into me.
“What kind of game?” Leila asks.
“Would you rather.” Gabriella’s eyebrows wiggle as she holds out a beer toward me. I grab it from her.
She makes her way around the table, handing beers to the rest of the group, except for Leila and Aiden, who get given a coke. “You answer the question,” she says, sitting down on the couch beside James and cracking open her beer. “If not, you drink.”
“Hey, man.” A guy comes up to Aiden, tapping him on the back.
“Hey,” Aiden says. “You just got here?”
He nods, brushing his dirty blond hair back. “Yeah, a few minutes ago. What are you guys doing?”
“We’re playing would you rather,” James says, his eyes hardened. “You want to play?”
The guy blanches, swallowing harshly as he keeps his eyes on James. “No, I uh… I should go. It was nice to see you,” he says to Aiden before heading toward the party.
“Who was that?” James asks, taking a sip of his beer.
“One of my teammates,” Aiden says, fixing the cap on his head. “Carter Ruthers. Great guy.”
“Okay.” Gabi claps, facing us. “Let’s play. Would you rather bite or be bitten?” Gabi asks, smiling.
“My girl scratches,” Aiden says.
Leila nudges him, her cheeks turning pink. “I do not.”
Aiden lets out a laugh. “I have the marks to prove it,” he says, wiggling his brows at her. “Don’t worry. I love it.”
I watch as Madeline takes a sip, not wanting to answer.
“What about you?” Gabi asks me.
I feel their eyes on me, along with Madeline’s, and I take a sip. Whatever the hell she wants isn’t an answer I’m willing to give.
“Okay, I’ve got one,” Aiden says. “Would you rather give up food or sex?”
“Food,” Grayson says. “No fucking doubt.”
“What about you?” Aiden asks Leila. “What would you prefer? Me, or your favorite candy?”
“Candy,” she replies without missing a beat.
He laughs, pulling her into him. I swear, this is their foreplay. “You are my candy baby.”
“Okay, that was the cheesiest thing you’ve ever said,” Gabi says, her face screwing in disgust.
“What about you, Gabi?” Leila asks. “What would you choose?”
Gabi shakes her head. “There’s no way I can pick one.” She picks up her drink and takes a sip.
“Come on,” Grayson says. “At least try.”
Gabi sighs, her eyebrows furrowed. “I guess I need food,” she mutters. “But…sex.” She groans. “I don’t fucking know.” We all let out a laugh, and she narrows her eyes at us. “You’re all evil.”
“I have one,” Rosie says. “Would you rather always get up at 5 am or always go to bed before midnight?”
“The second one, definitely,” Grayson says.
“But I love waking up early,” Rosie says. “I could even wake you up the way you like.” She grins, and Grayson curses under his breath, brushing his hair back.
“The first one,” he amends. “Definitely.”
Aiden scoffs. “Whipped.”
“Like you can talk?” Grayson says, narrowing his eyes. “Which would you choose?”
“The first,” Aiden replies. “My girl gets… excited at night.”
Leila glares at her boyfriend. “Do you want to tell them what position we fuck in, too?”
Aiden grins. “That’s the game, gorgeous.” He turns to face us with a grin. “By the way, my favorite is when she’s on top.” He groans, shaking his head. “Sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Leila shakes her head, her lips pulling at the corners. “You’re incorrigible.”
Aiden shrugs, wrapping his arms around her. “You love me anyway.”
She lets out a breath and smiles at him, letting him know that she does love him. We can all see how much they love each other, even if she tries to deny it.
“Only give oral, or only receive oral?” James asks, taking a drink immediately after. “I need both.”
“Give,” Rosie says, her cheeks tinted pink.
“Fuck that,” Grayson says, shaking his head. He leans in, whispering something to Rosie that makes her turn bright red, her lips parting.
“There’s no way I can choose,” Aiden says, taking a sip of his coke. “One without the other is hell.”
“Good to know,” Leila says, grinning before she takes a sip. Aiden groans and whispers something in her ear, but she just shakes her head, a sly grin on her lips.
Madeline takes a sip, avoiding the question.
“There’s a lot of drinking going on over there,” Gabi says, everyone’s eyes on us. “Are you not feeling talkative?” Her grin makes Madeline flip her off.
“Gabi,” Leila says, warning her.
“What?” Gabi flutters her eyelashes, lifting her shoulders in a shrug. “It’s just a game.”
Not to me, it’s not. They might think we’re dating, but I’m fucking glad Madeline isn’t answering any of these questions. I’d always think whether or not she’s thinking of Connor doing them to her.
Gabi grins. “Would you rather find your parent’s sex tape or have your parents find yours?” She lets out a laugh when everyone else groans.
“What kind of question is that?” Grayson asks, taking a sip. “I’m not answering that.” Everyone else drinks, too, me included.
“Well,” James says, laughing. “I guess this is the silver lining when you don’t have any parents.” Everyone falls into silence, but James rolls his eyes. “I’m kidding. Jesus.” He sighs. “Fine, here’s another. No sex or no kissing?”
Gabi shakes her head. “No kissing,” she says. “Most guys don’t know how to anyway.”
Rosie takes a sip of her drink. “I don’t want to choose.”
“Good thing you don’t have to, angel,” Grayson says, gripping her waist as he leans down to kiss her.
Madeline takes another sip, shuffling on my lap as she does. I swallow down a groan when she shifts against my cock. I try to ignore it, but when she does it again, my hands fly to her waist, halting her movements.
“Are you okay?” I ask her.
“Yeah,” she says, with a hushed tone. “I’m just trying to get comfortable.” She shifts again, and I let out a deep groan, unable to stop it from coming out of my mouth.
“Fuck, Madeline. I’m going to need you to stop that.”
“You need to work out less,” she huffs. “Your thigh is as hard as a rock.”
My jaw clenches as I grip her waist tighter. “That’s not my thigh.”
She stops moving, slowly turning her head toward me. “You mean…”
I let out a breath. “That’s what happens when you grind on my dick.”
Fuck. Why the hell did I just say that? Her eyes widen, and I can tell she’s embarrassed. She tries to lift herself off my lap, but I pull her back down, moving her to the side of my leg.
“What are you doing?” she whisper yells.
“If you get up right now, it’s going to be very embarrassing for me.”
She lets out a breath, careful not to move. Fuck, I need it to go down. But I know having Madeline this close to me isn’t going to make that happen.
A loud cheer comes from deep in the party, causing everyone’s heads to turn.
“What happened?” James asks, straining his neck, trying to see.
“I’m pretty sure they’re playing beer pong,” Gabi says.
“Fuck yeah, I’m amazing at beer pong. Who wants to play?” He looks around at the group. “Spoiler alert: I’m going to win.”
“We’ll see about that,” Leila says, smiling at him.
“I’ll join, too.” Gabi lifts herself off the couch, helping James up until he’s propped on the crutches.
Leila turns to face her boyfriend, smirking at him. “You want to play against me?” she asks him. “I’ll switch the beers to soda.”
Aiden grins as Leila stands between his legs, his hands dropping to her hips as he sits on the edge of the couch. “You sure you want to lose?”
“I won’t lose,” she says, narrowing her eyes at him.
He laughs. “You do remember I’m a pro at dunking balls, right?”
She smirks at him. “And you do know I’m good at playing with balls, right?”
He lets out a groan, pulling her toward him. I swear those two are a second away from saying fuck the game and heading into a bedroom or a bathroom. “You’re playing dirty,” he says.
Leila grins at him. “Only way to play. Come on. If you win, I’ll do that thing you like.”
His brows shoot up, intrigue swimming in his eyes. “And if you win?” he asks, his face an inch away from hers. “What do you get, hm?” His lips brush against hers. “What do you want from me?”
She’s breathing hard, and I look around. Her friends are all smiling at them. This must be a regular occurrence. Gabi’s eyes meet mine and she laughs at my expression. “I get a massage,” Leila tells her boyfriend.
He laughs, pulling back. “You really want that massage, don’t you?”
She shrugs. “I love your hands,” she says. “They’re so big and soft.”
He grins seductively. “My hands are good for other things, too,” he whispers, but not quietly enough.
“As much as I love watching live porn,” James says. “I’d love to actually play before I die of old age.”
They laugh, making their way over. Grayson lifts himself off the couch, Rosie’s hand intertwined with his. “You guys coming?” he asks.
“Maybe later.” If my erection ever goes down.
He nods, pulling Rosie toward the game. Music fills the area, and I’m so painfully aware of Madeline beside me.
“Are you…” She trails off, embarrassed to finish the sentence.
“Yeah,” I breathe out, wanting her away from me and to never leave at the same time. I can’t fucking think when she’s near me. “You can get up now.”
She lifts herself off my lap, and I don’t even have time to think about how cold I feel without her because my attention is snagged by the asshole checking her out. What a way to kill an erection.
My jaw tightens when I see none other than Connor smiling at her as he talks to his friends. I turn my eyes to Madeline, seeing her stare back at him.
I let out a scoff, my body growing hot. “What’s your obsession with that guy?” I ask her, lifting myself up to stand beside her.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
I see her look up at him once again, and their eyes lock. He can’t stop staring at her, even while I’m here, right beside her. I can’t blame him. Madeline is a fucking sight, especially with her dainty little outfit she has on today. She’s probably the most gorgeous woman here.
But as far as he knows, she’s mine. I’ve told him as much, but it’s clear that he doesn’t care. He walks toward us – no, toward her – and my jaw is so tight it hurts. This fucker has a death wish.
He grins when he approaches her, completely ignoring that I’m right here. “Madeline,” he says. “Nice to see you.” With a rich, dark voice like that, of course, she falls at his fucking feet.
This guy needs to know she’s off limits, to him and to everyone else. I lift my arm, letting it drift down her back, the satiny material beneath my fingertips so soft. I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her swiftly into me. She gasps when she finds herself plastered to my side, but she doesn’t make any move to pull away.
“Hey,” I say to this asshole, giving him a smile that’s so fake it makes me want to puke. “Connor, right?”
His eyes widen when he notices me. Yeah, asshole. Forgot about me? “Yeah. I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name,” he says.
I nod, running my tongue over my teeth. Sure, he doesn’t. “It’s Lucas. Madeline’s boyfriend,” I reiterate.
“Right.” He nods, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll uh… I’ll see you in class,” he says to Madeline before he heads off.
I seriously don’t get what she sees in that guy. Sure, some might say he’s handsome, and yeah, fine, he has a nice smile. But I was named Envy’s top 100 hottest men, and she barely gives me the time of day when my mouth gapes in awe every time I see her.
I don’t like that at all.
