My One Night: An On My Own Novel by Carrie Ryan (life books to read .txt) 📕

“That would be the day that you and Mandy broke up,” Tanner said, clearing his throat.

“Mandy?” Corinne asked.

I moved to the side a bit so I could face Dillon and the others. I wasn’t really happy with him behind me where I couldn’t see his reactions. Not that I could read him even if I could see him. He usually had a smile on his face, and I felt like I couldn’t get a bead on him. Not that I wanted to. It wasn’t like I wanted to be with him or anything. Right?

And now I was losing my mind. Half a beer, and I had lost all sensibility.

“Oh,” Dillon said and then cleared his throat again. “That was an eventful day,” he said. Then he looked at me, narrowing his eyes. “I think I saw you. You guys were a few people behind me in line. Right?”

I blushed, feeling like a stalker for some reason, even though we had been invited to this party.

“Yes, we were there,” I said, my voice trailing off.

“I know that, but I think I saw you there, didn’t I?”

“Yes. And you were a topic of conversation, hence why Tanner invited us tonight,” Corinne said, smiling at him.

I could have hit my friend just then, but I didn’t.

Mostly because I wasn’t the violent sort, and it would have only made me a spectacle I wasn’t ready for. At least, not yet.

“Anyway, we came tonight because we wanted to see what all the fuss was about,” Corinne said, rolling her shoulders back as she looked at the guys.

Tanner’s eyes danced with laughter, something that surprised me. I didn’t know him well, but he usually seemed to be glaring off into a corner somewhere when he wasn’t talking with a co-ed. Not that I thought he was a womanizer, but people seemed to be drawn to him. And from the looks that others gave Dillon and now this Pacey, Tanner wasn’t alone in that.

“Anyway, I’m glad you came,” Tanner said after a minute. I blushed. “I’m pretty sure Dillon is happy, too,” he said, and I didn’t duck my head this time. Instead, I met his gaze head-on. He just raised a brow and smiled. Jerk.

“So, I take it there was a dare involved,” Pacey began, and I sighed. “Yes, I was told to ask Dillon to kiss me. And then he proceeded to do so in the middle of the room, rather than in a corner where nobody could see. But it’s fine. It’s done. And now I no longer have to do dares for the rest of the evening.”

Corinne shook her head. “Is that how we’re playing the game, then?”

“You’re my best friend. And yet, I want to hit you right now.”

Corinne just laughed. “I don’t blame you for that. I didn’t think you’d go through with it at all. But I’m glad you did. You need to get out sometimes.”

I let out a sigh. “I am out. Didn’t you see? We are out. At a party. On a school night.”

“You don’t have classes tomorrow,” she said dryly.

“I could,” I said, and the guys laughed.

“You sound just like my brothers and sisters-in-law,” Dillon said, and everybody looked towards him, seeming to want to know more—me included. Why did I want to know more about this man? Why did having a single inkling of who this man could be make me want him more?

What the hell was wrong with me?

It must have been the kiss. Maybe it had altered my brain cells or something. Although it had been good, could it be that good?

“Anyway, I see someone I need to talk to,” Tanner said before looking at all of us. “You guys should stay. Don’t go. Another couple just had a big fight in the back, and I’m sure everybody’s already forgotten about this little rendezvous.”

He shrugged and then moved off into the house, blending in with the crowd as if he had never been there.

Pacey just shook his head and smiled. “I do believe I need another drink and to go meet with Alexa.”

“Really?” Dillon asked. I had to wonder who Alexa was.

“Maybe. We’ll see.” He turned to Corinne. “Would you like to join me?

Corinne sputtered and then laughed. “You mean to get a beer? Sure. But I’m not getting into bed with you and another girl. Sorry.”

“I promise not to dare you on that. But I should at least dare a kiss, shouldn’t I?” I asked, teasing. Well, it was maybe teasing. I was a little flustered.

Corinne just grinned. “No, you wanted to end the game. So now you don’t get to dare me. Sorry.” She gave me a little finger wave, hooked her arm with Pacey’s, and the two blended seamlessly into the crowd, leaving Dillon and me alone in the corner. Is this what they had wanted? To leave me behind, wondering what the hell I was doing?

“So, should I ask you what your major is? Or your sign? I don’t know, something to start a conversation that doesn’t begin with a dare?” Dillon asked, and I let out a soft laugh.

“I’m usually better at conversation, but I didn’t actually expect you to kiss me. I thought I would just go along with the dare because my friend asked, and then I’d run away and hide and never have this conversation again.”

Dillon tilted his head and looked at me. “Do you do this often? Play Truth or Dare or whatever the hell you guys were doing?”

“I’ve known Corinne since we were five years old. Our mothers joined a Mommy and Me group and we grew up together—only three houses down. But the neighbors we grew up with when we were kids were great, and we were allowed to climb their fences if we wanted. Not that my parents let me too often.” My parents rarely let me do anything I wanted to do, but that wasn’t a subject I would get into with him—or anyone,