If You Dare: A Hockey Bully Romance

Wes

Make your move tonight.

The rum’s already got me a little lightheaded, so the text from Chloe doesn’t compute right away.

I text her back.

Thought you didn’t want us together.

Quit playing dumb. We both know you two are perfect for each other.

I can’t help it—I grin at my phone. Not sure how perfect I am for her, but Violet does seem pretty fucking perfect for me.

Where are you?

No response. The two of them are probably up to their usual antics. Daring each other to do some stupid, immature shit like they’re in seventh grade again. Maybe because neither of them really got a childhood. Between changing schools every time Dad was traded to another team and dedicating all her time to skating, Chloe barely had any friends. Violet spent most of her time alone too, finding her friends in the pages of books. Kindred spirits.

Ten minutes pass and Chloe still hasn’t texted me back. When Luke challenges me to beer pong, I ask for a rain check and go looking for them. I stop a few of my teammates from breaking shit so my parents don’t find out we threw a party and murder us. Trey shoves another plastic cup in my hand before I’m out the door.

Finally, I step out into the cool, summer air, a balm to my skin. A goddamn relief after being clustered in a hot house with a bunch of drunk, sweaty college students.

From the dim porch light, I can just barely make out the shadows of two skinny girls, hovering at the pool’s edge. Their laughter floats through the night air, and my chest swells at Violet’s. That musical, melodic laugh. I want to be the one responsible for that sound.

She’s stripped down to her underwear. I itch to snatch her clothes while she’s in the pool and make her parade around in the light so I can rake my gaze over every inch of her body. Pull her into my room and peel off the rest.

Before I can step off the porch, Violet leans over and says something in my sister’s ear.

Chloe braces her arms out, like she’s about to jump into the dark water. But she hesitates.

A few seconds pass. They both hover there, waiting.

Then Violet shoves her in.

Chloe hits with a loud splash, and I laugh alongside Violet. She jumps in after Chloe and resurfaces seconds later. I want to be in that pool with her. Want to be the one brushing her hair out of her face and yanking her mouth to mine.

I start to strip off my shirt, huge grin on my face, when Violet’s giggles turn to blood-curdling screams.

Something’s wrong. Chloe isn’t moving.

My legs take off before my brain can catch up. When I finally reach the pool, Chloe’s facedown in the water.

Violet’s trying to grab her, trying to pull her out, but she’s too weak and panicked.

I haul my sister’s motionless body out of the water and press a frantic hand to her neck. Then her chest. Nothing. No pulse.

My own heart fucking stops.

“Call 911!” I scream to Violet. To anyone.

Violet manages to dig her phone out from their pile of clothes and calls 911. Eventually, her wailing is all I can hear until I snarl at her to shut the fuck up. The 911 operator talks me through giving my sister CPR while the sirens get closer and closer.

But I already know it’s too late. My sister isn’t moving. She isn’t breathing. She’s gone.

And Violet, her best friend, is the one who fucking pushed her.