Page 127 of Double Dare
Mom rolls her eyes and I’m not even sure she knows what’s going on, but Dad barks out a laugh. “You filthy bastards.”
The older generation won’t all understand our dynamic, but my grandma sure did because she believed in love. Any form. She was such a badass.
I miss her already.
Chapter 48
After the initial sadness starts to hurt a tiny bit less, the Dare family reunion is in full swing. Everyone arrived a few days early for the funeral, but they decided to have the reunion despite their sadness, to honor their grandmother, mother, and aunt. And it’s rowdy.
I should be having a good time, but instead, I’m feeling off because of the stuff going on with Gar. To add to that stress, I’ve been getting strange looks from one of the boys’ aunts, and I’ve been spending a lot of time with Freya, who is also getting strange looks from the aunt. I’m trying not to let it get to me, but I’m tired, stressed, and missing my best friend, so my nerves are a bit frayed and my tolerance level is low.
Gar hasn’t picked up any of my calls now for five days, and I’m starting to wonder if Amber is blocking them or if Gar is just that mad at me. I mean, we had a disagreement where he said he didn’t want me influencing his relationship and trying to break them up, but I didn’t think it was bad enough to avoid each other altogether. It’s the longest I’ve gone without talking to him since I met him on the dirt bike trail on my first full day here.
“Hey, babe.” Zahn hands me a drink and sits beside me at the fire. We’re all dressed up in winter gear, enjoying the outdoors because the Dare house is big, but not big enough for all these people. When the sun goes down or it gets too cold, we’ll go into the main lodge of the resort, but for now, it’s nice to be outside. “You okay?”
Zahn is cocky, like the rest of them, but he has the biggest heart and the most confused mind. One of the things I love about him is his ability to read people’s energy. Or maybe he just pays close attention to body language, I don’t know, but he’s good at knowing when something is up. He’s also the most open-minded of all the Dares, which is probably why he’s so confused all the time. He has no limits, no boundaries, and no shame about it. And he’s only one year older than Jed. I love him for it.
“Yeah. Just feel off with the whole Gar thing, I think.” I smile at him.
“When this family festival is over, all ten of us will come with you to knock some sense into him. Gar is way too smart and way too sexy to fall prey to a chick like that. You sure he isn’t gay? Kinda wanna shoot my shot.” He grins.
I keep my mouth shut because Gar tells me things in confidence, and no disagreement is going to make me break loyalty. “Shoot it. I’d love to watch him turn you down,” I laugh.
“Are you two dating, too?” The Dare’s Aunt Candice stands between us and the bonfire with a pretentious sort of look on her face. I don’t like it and I don’t trust it. She hasn’t said a single word to me since she got here, and she’s definitely the aunt who has been giving me and Freya lingering looks. This is my first time actually meeting her, and that’s what she wants to ask?
“No,” Zahn clips the word out. “But she’s family and we love her.”
She shakes my hand but also shakes her head. “I just have to ask—”
“You don’t have to ask,” Zahn butts in. “Unless it’s a respectful question, you don’t have to ask, Aunt Candice.”
Candice laughs like this is all just a friendly conversation. “How’d you do it? How’d you trick them both into sharing?”
“Trick?” I ask as Zahn tenses beside me.
“They’re Dare men. Surely, you don’t believe this is long term? How would it even work?” She flips her hand around. “They just want the…experiences, and then they’ll move on.”
I honestly thought I might have that insecurity, but I don’t. They’ve proven their love time and time again, and I won’t let one judgy bitch ruin my opinion of them.
“You should leave,” Zahn says flatly. He pulls me to my feet so we can leave, in case she doesn’t.
“This is my family,” she says. “Why would I leave?” She married one of the boys’ uncles.
“You’re being mean on purpose. You know nothing about their relationship, it doesn’t concern you, and I think you are capable of keeping your thoughts to yourself, yeah?”
“What’s going on?” Dom asks, walking up with Liam.
“Yet another off-putting relationship,” Candice mutters into her mug.
“Excuse me?” I ask, offended on their behalf. Who the fuck does she think she is?
“I’m just saying, something is off in this family. What have your parents been allowing?” She starts to laugh again, trying to add a lightness to her cruelty.
“Allowing? They allow us to be ourselves,” Dom says. “What’s the problem here? Because I’m gay?”
“Because you’re better than…addiction.” Oh, fuck no. I grip Liam’s hand and try to support him in any way I can.
“Thanks,” Dom says sarcastically. “This addict makes me who I am, and I’ll forever love him for it. Got anything else to say about it?”