Page 32 of Forever is the Sweetest Con
I swallow back the thickness in my throat. It wasn’t always bad between them.
Kei finishes the song, and there is a moment of stillness before everyone erupts into enthusiastic applause. I hear Damian whooping, and Valeria asking Kei if he wrote the song, and Sue-Ellen saying “Not gonna lie, that was kinda hot.” But I can’t speak because of this huge lump in my throat. Maybe it’s remembering how my dad would hold my mom so close to him, moving in sync together. How he would sing the beautiful words into her ear, her eyes closed and a satisfied smile on her lips, a rare moment of peace and connection between them.
Or maybe it’s the wine, or the smoke from the fire, or all the intensity of the past couple of days. But sitting here, watching Kei sing, the campfire flickering between us, I feel something stir inside me. I feel raw, vulnerable.
I feel like I might crack right open.
Chapter Thirteen
After a good night’s sleep and a lazy morning, we are revived in time for the next afternoon’s challenge. The producers have pulled two benches from the Mess Hall into the field, and placed them across from one another, one for the girls and one for the guys.
I’m not sure how Truth or Dare can be considered a challenge, since there is technically no way to win it, but it’s a gorgeous sunny afternoon and the rosé is flowing, so I’m not asking questions.
Damian has just done a sexy striptease for his bunkmate, and that very lucky girl just happens to be me. It’s an image I’ll hold until my dying day, Damian’s broad shirtless chest hovering over me as he rolled his hips in averysuggestive manner, one hand tangled in my hair, the other behind his head. Goddamn.
“Cleopatra Jones, you’re up!” cries Damian, trying out his new nickname for me. “Truth or dare?”
“Dare!” I say, with a wink.
Damian pulls an index card from the top of the pile. “Kiss the camper you’re most attracted to,” he says, giving me a wicked grin.
“Gladly,” I reply, pushing myself up from my seat on the bench. For a moment, I picture myself going to Kei…but no. That’s ridiculous! Isa is the one I’m most attracted to.
He’s already smiling when I kneel in front of him. It’s showtime.
I push myself between his knees so I can start by kissing his neck, making my way up. I hear the cheers around me, and a fuzzy worry surfaces about leaning too heavily on our physical connection, but there has to be no doubt about our chemistry. I kiss him deep and full on the mouth, forcing myself to not pull away when I feel his tongue examining my molars.
When the kiss has gone just long enough, I pull back, pressing my forehead into his. Isa looks stunned. His eyes are slightly out of focus and his cheeks are flushed. He gives his head a little shake, like he’s trying to come back to reality. I push myself back up to my feet, and sway back to my place on the bench. I can’t help but throw a smug smirk in Sue-Ellen’s direction.
“Isa, amigo, your turn!” Damian is clearly enjoying his role as game master, since Natasha couldn’t make it today. “Truth or dare?”
“Dare,” Isa says without hesitation. My lips are still warm from our kiss. I steel myself for a reprise.
“Kiss someone that you haven’t been bunkmates with yet.”
Isa rubs his hands together, which is a bit gratuitous, if you ask me. He stands, and unsurprisingly, he goes straight for Sue-Ellen. He holds his hands out to pull her up. There’s a moment of hesitation, but she lets him pull her in for a passionate kiss. It goes on way too long, and they both seem to be enjoying it way too much, but I cheer along like a good sport.
When they’ve finally finished, Damian turns to Sue-Ellen. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth!” she says, fanning herself. “I can’t handle another dare like that!”
Damian reads the card to himself and chuckles. “Damn, this is ice cold. Sue-Ellen, name one camper that youaren’tattracted to.”
Sue-Ellen buries her face in her hands. “This guy is really sweet, and he’s really hot when he sings, but he’s just not my type.” We wait as she pulls an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Kei!”
“Shots fired!” yells Damian, but Kei laughs good-naturedly, waving off her apologies. “Letter K, my man, you’re up. Truth or dare?”
Kei pauses. “Dare,” he says, quietly.
“Oohh, this is a good one: kiss the camper that you have a secret crush on.”
We cheer as Kei stands up and takes a deep breath. He walks over to the bench where all the girls are sitting. And then suddenly, he’s right in front of me. He extends a hand. I glance sideways at Harmony, and she nods, nudging me to stand. I take his hand and let him pull me up.
I’ve never stood this close to him, never noticed how tall he actually is. I look up at him and find him staring at me with an intensity that takes me by surprise. I swallow.
“Is it okay?” he murmurs. I nod. He smells so good—I remember it from the plane. Coconuts. He tilts my chin up and leans forward. I close my eyes. The first thing I feel are his fingers grazing my jaw. I shiver, despite the heat of the afternoon sun. Then I feel his lips, warm and soft, gently pressing into mine.
But then he’s gone, far too soon. The absence of his mouth on mine is sharp, like disappointment.
