The Dare (The Bet 3)

"Say hi to Jake when you get there." Travis slapped me on the back and ordered a beer.

We'd decided on going to a luau instead of doing a typical bachelor or bachelorette party. After all, the only things we needed were pictures, and it was easy enough to convince the parents that I wasn't interested in that sort of thing.

Beth seemed relieved.

Beth… Just thinking her name got me aroused in all the wrong places. It made me want her, not just physically but emotionally, which was ridiculous. I was three days into our relationship, and it was a fake one at that. And here I was, drinking my sorrows away and lying to not only my parents but the world.

"For what it's worth," Travis slid a beer toward me, "Grandma's two for two."

"Yeah, not helping." I took a long swig. "I'm still going to hell for lying to everyone, and I doubt Jake will be there, considering he's fully turned over a new nauseating leaf."

"Right?" Travis laughed. "It's like he's a new man."

"What about you?"

"Me?" Travis's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I've always been the good one, no changing necessary, other than being so humbled by Grandma that I was an embarrassment to not only myself but society."

"Ah," I winced, "that's encouraging."

"Sorry, your best bet is to marry her, fall in love, and produce as many great-grandchildren as possible."

"Never." I pushed the beer away, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach, "You know I can't, Travis. You know I don't want to be vulnerable like that again. You know I don't do commitment."

"Did you and Jake trade brains?" Travis leaned in, "or are you high?

I pushed his chest and rolled my eyes. "Please."

"It was two years ago, Jace. Move on. Let yourself be happy."

"I know how to let myself be happy. I just choose to do it without a woman by my side."

"Because you secretly prefer men?"

"Are we done here?" I rose, but Travis pulled me back down into my chair.

"Look, I know it's only been three days. We can easily fix the marriage so that it's not legal. Your parents won't know the difference, but to the world you'll still be married. You can go your separate ways once you land in Portland. Beth can go back to her really fun life playing with diseases and start herding cats. And you can go back to your insanely large penthouse and big-screen TV."

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"Marriage isn't so bad, and I know you like Beth. Hell, everyone knows you like Beth. And I, for one, know you could love her."

"Oh, this I gotta hear. After three days? Did Grandma slip something in your drink?"

"Easy, Viagra." Travis patted me on the back. "Before the wedding, you and I went golfing. It was freakishly hot, so we called it a day and went to get drinks."

This story wasn't going to end well.

He smirked. "I asked you about the one that got away."

"I think Grandma's calling me." I stood.

Travis pulled me back down.

With a grunt, I jerked away and waited.

"You said—"

"I know what I said."