Truth or Dare by Sloan Johnson Page A

jumping on a Greyhound and leaving her the Cutlass while I’m gone.
    “Hey, this is a good thing,” she says, leaning into me as we walk home after dinner. “And it’s only a couple of months before we see each other. Plus, we’ll be so busy we won’t have time to miss one another.”
    “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I agree, even though I don’t feel it. “Is there any way you can skip your classes tomorrow? I know it’s the first week, but I want to spend every minute with you until I have to get on the bus.”
    Lea is one of the most dedicated students I know. Last winter, she dragged herself to class when she had pneumonia because she didn’t want her grades to suffer. But this is different. She told me she loves me, and now we have less than twenty-four hours before we’re going to be separated. Even she admitted they didn’t learn anything today, and I know tomorrow will be more of the same for her.
    “There’s no way I’m leaving you until it’s time for you to go,” she says sweetly, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. As I turn to look at her, she wraps her arms around me, burying her face in my chest. “I’m going to miss you, but I’m so proud of you for doing this. It’ll all work out, I promise.”
    I’m not sure who she’s reassuring as she keeps talking, but the words do soothe my frazzled nerves. Sliding my hand behind her neck, I lean down to kiss her. We may be standing at the side of a busy street, but that doesn’t stop me from making love to her with my mouth, never closing my eyes because I refuse to miss a second of being able to look at her.

Chapter 11
    Lea
Life isn’t fair. That’s not whining, that’s simply the truth. If it was fair, we wouldn’t have to say goodbye when we’ve barely said hello…
    All I have to do is get through tonight and then I can break down and cry. Pushing him to go to Nashville might have been one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever done, even if it was the right thing to do. Ever since the summer we met, he has talked about how badly he wants to do this.
    Hearing that I’m part of the reason he hasn’t already moved bolstered my determination to push him to take this step. We’ve already proven that two people who are meant to be together will find their way to one another when the time is right. Now that he’s going to be leaving, I have to hold onto the belief that we’ll be able to weather this storm together if we’re meant to last a lifetime.
    When we reach the apartment, Colby doesn’t let go of my hand or turn on the lights. We walk through the darkness to my bedroom, my heart racing faster with every step. He doesn’t have to tell me that tonight is the night we seal our love, I already know. The closing door echoes through the room as I kick off my heels. Knowing what I do now, I’m glad I dug through the closet to find an outfit that would wow Colby. Being with someone you’ve been friends with forever makes it easy to fall into the comfort zone. Most of the time, I don’t worry about impressing him the same way I would if he was any other new boyfriend. He’s already seen me at my best and my worst and accepts all of me.
    “Lea, we don’t have to do this if you’re not ready,” Colby whispers without slowing his hands from bunching the thin fabric of my top, pulling it over my head. I love that he’s trying to make sure I’m comfortable, but he has to know that I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. That’s something I refuse to put a voice to because I do still worry that if he knows how long my infatuation toward him bordered on obsession, he’ll freak.
    Following his actions, I begin working the buttons of his shirt, each one leading me closer to where I want to be. Seeing him shirtless is nothing new, but this time, there’s an intimacy that has my body coming to life. “I’m more than ready,” I promise him, pushing the shirt off his shoulders and making quick work of removing the