Triple Dare (Sterling Shore 7)

It’s definitely something that makes more sense than falling in love.

“A chick flick? You hate those.”

It was the last movie reference Corbin made before shattering me. Refusing to admit how pathetic I’ve gotten, I give her a forced smile. “You love them.”

She beams at me, and I turn back toward the TV.

“You and Corbin were finally happy,” she whispers suddenly.

I hear the emotion choking her, and I fight my own battle of warring emotions that stir inside me.

“It’s not your fault,” I tell her for the hundredth time. “Some people aren’t meant to be. It wasn’t your fault the other three times we failed, either.”

I release her hand and settle in on the couch. Oh fuck. Is she really—

“Is that possible?” Krysta asks, her eyes transfixed on the screen, just like mine, as we both lean forward.

“I’ve never had it happen, and I have a piercing in my tongue. She doesn’t.”

“How deep did she try to take him?” she goes on.

We both tilt our heads to the left at the same time, still trying to figure out how the hell you can get stuck like that.

“Beats the hell out of me.”

Someone knocks, and I squeal just like Krysta does. Quickly, I jog to the door, expecting Bo. She hasn’t called all week, and I haven’t been able to get ahold of her.

When I swing the door open, I’m surprised to find Maverick. His hands are tucked in his pockets, his eyes are full of pity, and he’s wearing a smile as fake as plastic.

“Can I come in?” he asks.

Confused, I motion him in, and I shut the door behind him as he moves toward the living room on his own. As soon as we reach it, I’m surprised it’s still on the same scene. How long is that girls’ mouth stuck like that?

“Is she—”

“Yes,” Krysta and I both say in unison.

“Wow. Okay. Always wondered what chicks watched when guys weren’t around.”

Groaning, I pause the TV. But obviously that just makes it worse, so I turn it off.

“Care if I talk to you alone for a second?” Maverick asks, and Krysta stands immediately before shuffling toward her room without a word.

As soon as her door closes, Maverick takes a seat.

“How’s she handling things?”

Sighing, I sit down beside him. “She tried to stab her mother to find out who her father was because she’s so deprived of affection. She thought he was going to swoop in and give her the life she’s always dreamt of. Cassie has fucked with her head for eighteen years, pushing her down so low that she feels she’s not worthy to lick dirt off someone’s shoes. I abandoned her, even though she doesn’t seem to be expressing any hard feelings toward me. And she found her father is a very high-powered man who has wanted his secret buried her entire life. How would you be?”

He frowns before blowing out a breath and looking down at the floor.

“I’d be fucked up.”

“She is. But I’m getting her help. Is that why you came? Because Dane called me immediately with the doctor he set Britt up with when he first found her.”

Maverick just sits quietly for a minute.

“Lisa and Hershel are somehow keeping a lid on all of this. Cassie must be keeping it quiet too. No one outside of our circle knows.” I just let him talk, because I have nothing to say on that part of the matter. I couldn’t give a flying fuck who knows. “Have you talked to Corbin?”

My heart leaps into my throat at just the mention of his name. The insecure, sad little girl in me wants to ask Maverick a million questions. The stubborn woman who remembers she deserves a lot more decides to slap duct-tape over that little girl’s mouth.

“Not since the night he left me to deal with everything on my own. Why?”

It’s not really a question I want to ask, but I can’t ask all the questions I want answers to. We’d be here all night, and I’d hate myself for doing it.

“He’s bad right now, Ruby.”

The shattered fragments of my heart clench in my chest.

“He’s a big boy, Maverick. His father fucked around. Pardon me if I sound heartless, but I’m dealing with the girl no one else has ever given a damn about. Corbin is low on my list of priorities.”

The words taste like acid, but I get them out. It’s all I can do not to fall apart, but I manage to stay glued together in front of him.

“He shuts down,” he says quietly.

“Perfectly aware of that. We’ve been friends since we were five. I thought he stopped, but he hasn’t. He pushes people away—pushes me away. Doesn’t mean I have to accept the way he’s doing me. I’m done forgiving him, Maverick. I deserve more than someone who feels like it’s okay to gut me and disappear, instead of working things through like a human being.”