First love. First betrayal. One dare away from unraveling everything. Truen “Tru” Jameson: I was twelve when I realized I loved him. Thirteen when I kissed him.
And the next day, he made me hate myself for it. Darien turned our friendship into a weapon. Now he calls me his stepbrother and looks right through me like I’m nothing.
He pretends he doesn’t remember that night in the closet. But I do. I still taste him like blood in my mouth. I remember how he kissed me back—and how he made sure I paid for it.
If Darien taught me anything, it’s that love isn’t a game. The first dare broke us. The second dare might set us free. Darien “Dare” Carter: I kissed him back. Because I wanted to.
Because it felt like falling, and I wanted to crash. But wanting him meant admitting too much, so I crushed it. I burned the bridge and left him on the other side, holding the match I lit.
He thinks I forgot. I didn’t. I remember everything—his mouth, his breath, the sound he made when our lips touched. I’ve hated him ever since for making it matter.
But I hate myself more for wanting it again. And God help me, I do. This isn’t a love story. It’s a reckoning.
