I Dare You by Lylah James

We spent Christmas morning opening presents, most of which were for the baby. Ironically, it was the first Christmas I celebrated with my family, in over eighteen years… and it would be my last.

“Oh! Look at this cute onesie.” Bianca cooed and dug into more presents. Her mom had sent her two dozen parcels for Christmas. I pressed my thumbs into the back of my neck and massaged the tensed muscles there. I was bored out of my mind.

My mother sipped her tea slowly, eyeing Bianca with distrust. That look, again. To say my mother didn’t like Bianca, one bit, was an understatement. In fact, she didn’t hide it. She openly scorned Bianca, gave her the dirty looks, was quick to shut her down, if Bianca ever said anything concerning our family.

My mother barely tolerated her presence and did everything to show Bianca that she was an outsider and wasn’t welcomed in our home. I kinda felt bad. Well, not really.

I never thought Savannah Coulter had the capacity to… hate. She had always been so mellow. But Bianca, apparently, brought out that side of her. The don’t-fuck-with-me-and-I-think-you’re-pure-bullshit side.

“So, have you spoken to Lila?” my mother asked, trying to sound innocent. Bianca flinched, and Mother Dearest hid her smile behind her teacup. Here we go again.

“No, I haven’t,” I grunted. “We broke up. The end. Stop asking about Lila.”

Last night, I fell asleep with Lila on my thoughts.

I woke up in the middle of the night, jerked off again with her on my mind.

In the morning, I woke up with the memory of her taste on my lips.

Bianca cleared her throat, trying to divert the conversation, but my mother ignored her.

“She didn’t even give you a call on Christmas?”

“No.”

“What about–”

“No,” I barked.

She gave me that fake lip quivering shit she did, every time she asked about Lila, and I’d been forced to shut her up. Who was this woman? Definitely not my mother! “I was just asking… You always get so tense whenever I mention her.”

She quirked up a mocking eyebrow at me and took another sip of her tea. “It looks like the thought of her still makes you restless. She’s always on your mind, it seems.”

I rubbed a hand over my face, tired of this same shit every day. “Mom, stop!”

Her teacup paused halfway to her lips, and her jaw dropped. Her hand started to shake. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again, looking like a gaping fish out of water. Her eyes turned glassy, and it was then I realized…

“You called me, Mom,” she murmured, her voice breaking.

My stomach twisted, and I felt… something in my chest. A tightening sensation.

I did. I called her mom, without mocking her. For the first time since…

I swallowed past the ball of emotions stuck in my throat. “Yeah, I did,” I said, before adding, “Mom.”

Savannah Coulter gave me the prettiest, most real smile I had ever seen on her face.

And I finally understood what Lila had been trying to tell me.

She was right. Like always.

I stood in front of the Coulter’s mansion. Security let me in through the gates, but now, I debated if this was a good idea. Randomly dropping in…

Before, I’d do it all the time.

Now? Well, things had changed.

New Year’s had come and gone, a few days ago. I haven’t spoken to Maddox in over six weeks. I shouldn’t be here, but I wanted my necklace back. I’d fight Maddox, if I had to… but I wasn’t leaving, without my dreamcatcher. Two months was more than enough time for him to calm down. That necklace was mine, and he had no right to rip it away from my throat.

I let him off before… because I knew he was angry… hurting.

But not anymore.

Before I could lose, whatever courage I had mustered up to come here, I rang the doorbell. The butler, Mr. Hokinson, opened the door, and his eyes widened at the sight of me. “Miss Garcia,” he sputtered, “it’s been a long time.”

I nodded, smiling softly at the older man. He had to be in his late fifties or early sixties. “Is Maddox home?”

“Everyone is home,” he said, gesturing for me to come inside. I could guess he wasn’t aware that Maddox and I had broken up. The butler led me through the house, stopping at the dining room.

My heart galloped at the sight in front of me, before withering.

Maddox was there. He still looked the same…

I wasn’t sure what I had expected. For him to be mourning our lost relationship? To be heartbroken? Maybe I thought he’d be missing me… enough that he’d be suffering…

Like I had been. Sleepless nights, loneliness that clawed at me, every waking hour, hollow dreams. Hell, even my orgasms felt empty.

But Maddox looked just as handsome as always. He was clean shaven, and if I wasn’t mistaken, his muscles looked even bulkier. I guessed he was working out more, with all the free time he had now. His hair was longer, though, and curled by his ears.

Poodle.

Maddox wasn’t alone, though. Bianca stood next to him. She smiled and said something to him, too soft for me to hear. He didn’t smile back – he looked anything but interested, at whatever she was saying. That shouldn’t have made me feel better, but it did. I didn’t want him to smile at her… Oh God, I sounded petty and jealous.

Maddox turned, and his eyes fell on me. His gaze narrowed, and I loved that I could still steal his attention, even without a word. Just a single look, and I got him.

He got me, too.

Bianca followed his line of sight, and she gasped, almost dramatically.

“Garcia,” he greeted coldly.

“Coulter,” I returned, with the same tone. Bianca looked back and forth between us, before quickly taking a step back. “Um, I’ll leave you to it. I’m going to take a nap.” She scurried away, leaving Maddox and I alone.

We were both quiet for a long moment. Arm crossed over our chests, a silent staring battle, neither of us ready to lose. The silence prolonged, until I couldn’t take it anymore. My lips parted, and the first thing out of my mouth was, “I want my dreamcatcher back.”

Maddox smiled acidly, his eyes gleaming, with a cruelty I had never seen before. “I threw it away.”

My heart thundered. “No,” I thundered. “How dare you? It was mine!”

His face darkened, and he came forward, pushing into my personal space. His fingers wrapped around my bicep, and he pulled me closer. I stumbled into him, our chests brushing lightly, and goosebumps peppered across my skin with that simple touch. His head dipped low, his breath feathered across my jaw, before he whispered in my ear, “And you were mine.”

I still am, goddamn it!

I wrenched my arm away. “How could you?” I hissed darkly. “That necklace…”

“Oh, Lila!” Savannah’s voice pulled us apart. “I didn’t know you were here! What a lovely surprise.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the brewing anger inside me. I faced Savannah and gave her a genuine smile. It wasn’t exactly her fault her son was acting like an asshole right now. “I wanted to see how Brad was doing. I worried about his health. I’m sorry if I’m intruding. I’ll come back another time.”

She was already shaking her head. “Oh. No, no. You’re always welcome. It’s been weird. Having Maddox here, but not you. You’ve been missed. Now that you’re here, stay for dinner.”

Maddox made a displeased sound under his breath, and I grinned harder. “Oh, I would love to. Thank you, Savannah.”

He glared.

I winked.

He couldn’t kick me out now.

Dinner was awkward, and that was an understatement. Bianca appeared to be intimidated by my presence. She avoided my eyes and rarely spoke. Maddox’s face was cold and stony, and he stayed stubbornly quiet. Savannah and Brad tried to break the tension with a bit of small talk, here and there, but those conversations ended just as dry.

Once our plates were cleared, desserts were served. I only had one spoon of the double-layered custard and chocolate mousse when Maddox, pushed his chair away, the wooden legs screeching and he stood up. His face remained impassive, and his gaze locked with mine. Blue that burned with a ferocity that left me breathless. The muscles ticked in his jaw, and his eyes flared with something…

Wordlessly, he turned around and stalked away. I watched him, until he disappeared upstairs. I slowly licked my spoon, appreciating my first…and last bite of the chocolate mousse. “Excuse me, please,” I said, getting up and pushing away from the table, too. “Please tell your chef, this was the best custard I’ve ever had.”

With a small smile, I followed after Maddox. Because I knew that was what he wanted.

I found him in his old bedroom. The door was ajar, a silent invitation. I walked inside, and there he was, standing in the middle of the dimly lit room. His back was to me, and he stood so still. Not even a slight twitch. Barely breathing. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was a statue.

I closed the door behind me and took a step forward, farther into his room. More into his space. He knew I was here. Could feel me. I knew, because his hands clenched into fists.

Sharing one space with Maddox was overwhelming. My body was hyperaware of his presence, his closeness. His scent. The room smelled like him. A heavy musky scent and his cologne. I missed his smell. It used to comfort me on cold nights and make me sigh on warm ones.

“Maddox,” I breathed.

In response, he swiveled around. His face was dark and cold. But his eyes…

“Do you hate me?” There was a manic look in his eyes, a kind of desperation I had never seen before. Stormy. Angry. Crazed. Anguished.

I shook my head, my lips quivering. “I hate you… because I can’t hate you.”

His chest rattled with a sharp breath. “Get out, Garcia.”

“Why?”

“Because I hate you.” His lips spoke the cruel words, his gleaming blue eyes screamed something else.

“Lies,” I whispered. “Lying has become common in our relationship now, hasn’t it?”

He took a step forward, as if he couldn’t stop himself, from wanting to be closer to me. Maddox paused, and his chest rumbled with a growl. “There is no relationship. There is no us, anymore.”

“You’re a terrible liar, Coulter.” I called him out on his bullshit and smiled, because I knew I was right.

“Get. Out. Lila.”

I nudged my chin up, stubbornly. “Make me.”

Maddox stalked forward; his face twisted with fury. He grasped my arm and dragged me out of his room, pushing me out of the door. His grip tightened on me, and his head lowered, our eyes leveled. “You are what killed me slowly… without any mercy, Lila. You used to be my cure. Now, you’re the plague. And I’m dying. You kill me, Lila. Your deceitful eyes. Your wicked smile. Your treacherous voice. So get out and spare me this sweet, torturous death.”

One look.

One second.

One breath.

Our heart broke in unison.

He slammed the door in my face and that was it. He left me with his cruel words, wrenching my heart out of my chest, and carelessly throwing it at my feet.