"I dare you to kiss me," she said.
Everyone immediately went quiet, and I could feel some stealing glances at me, waiting for my response. All I could do was stare back, fidgeting my fingers under the table. I couldn't blame them. I was Jake's girlfriend, so it was expected for me to at least say something or show the slightest reaction of disapproval, but I was too nervous to do anything.
"Isn't it weird for him to do that with an ex in front of his girlfriend?" a guy remarked, while others murmured in agreement. At least they were being reasonable for once.
"It's just a game. You all played your part, and I don't think Piper would mind, now, would you?" she said, and my heart dropped. No, I wouldn't. It wasn't in my place. But the thought of Jake kissing her irritated me, even though I had seen him do it before.
I glanced over at Jake to see his reaction, but he had a blank expression as he stared back at Samantha. Was he still upset about what happened earlier? Samantha, on the other hand, still had a grin on her face. She was enjoying this; she was doing all this on purpose, which was why she invited me here. But I was too stupid to have ignored that gut feeling.
I took in a deep breath, preparing myself for the outcome. But rather than walking over to Samantha, Jake simply stretched his hand forward and picked one of the cups. My eyes slowly widened as I watched him empty the cup, gulping the entire contents down his throat and placing it back on the table.
Many were in awe, while others laughed at Jake's gesture. To them, he was being a good boyfriend, but I knew he did that not to give Samantha the satisfaction she desperately wanted. "He really does like her," another person said. I sat with my head slightly tilted downward while I tried to hide the smile forcing its way onto my face. When I looked up, the smile only widened as I came face-to-face with Samantha glaring daggers at me. Not my problem.
Samantha cleared her throat and angrily spun the bottle. We waited eagerly to see who would be next. Just as it began to slow down, the atmosphere around me once again became tense when it stopped, aiming in my direction.
"Truth or dare?" Samantha asked now wearing a smile, but her eyes said otherwise.
My mind suddenly went blank. Truth? But what if she asks me a question I don't want to answer, just as she did to Jake? Or what if she asks about Jake? But if I chose to dare, what if she asked me to do something I would regret?
"Dare."
"Jump in the pool!"
A sigh of relief escaped my lips, but as realization hit me, the world around me started to spin. I froze, feeling blood rushing through my veins, and the sound of my heartbeat vibrating in my ears with a loud thud. Of all things, why that? I questioned and closed my eyes, taking in deep breaths to calm my nerves. I couldn't do it, which left me with only one option. The drink.
I stretched my hand forward to take the shot, but Samantha wasn't having it. She slammed her hand forcefully on the table, hard enough to startle me and everyone who sat around the table.
"You do it whether you like it or not!" she yelled.
"But you said—"
"Shut up!" she lashed out at Elizabeth, who wanted to come to my defense. Her lips pressed in a thin line, and she looked away. "This is an easy dare compared to what others had to do," she walked angrily across the table, moving towards me. When she was close enough, she grabbed my hand, her grip held tightly around my wrist, enough to hurt.
I groaned internally and stood to my feet, trying to ease the tension. Then I pulled back to break free, but her grip was too tight.
"Let go of me, Samantha!" I yelled, my voice mixed with pain as her grip tightened more. What was wrong with her?
"No, this is my party, and you do as I say," she insisted. She wasn't making any sense. What was she so pressed about with me jumping in a stupid pool? She looked like a crazy psychopath right now.
"You are crazy. You could kiss my ass for all I care, but I am not jumping in your pool," I pushed and pulled until her grip loosened, and with just the right amount of force, she stumbled backward, almost crashing onto the ground, but the table stopped her fall.
People gasped, and this was enough to grab the attention of others. The music was turned off, and crowds slowly started to gather. Samantha's annoyance only grew, and her face turned pink.
She charged towards me, but just as I prepared myself to dodge her, Owen suddenly came between us. His back was facing me as he caught a hold of Samantha's hand, which had been directed at me.
Owen, with a calm yet firm tone, spoke to Samantha, "This isn't worth it. Let it go."
Samantha's face contorted with anger as she tried to pull her hand from Owen's grip. "Get out of my way, Owen! This is between Piper and me."
Owen didn't budge, maintaining his composed demeanor. "No, it's not just between you two. You're making a scene."
The onlookers began to murmur as they watched the confrontation, causing me to lower my gaze as I felt hateful stares. It wasn't unexpected. Everyone knew Owen as someone who didn't talk much, and for him to confront Samantha only fueled their delusion.
I only looked back up when I felt Owen's hand gently grab my arm. He had let go of Samantha and made to walk me out of there.
Samantha still tried to stop us again, but this time Alex, someone I least expected, joined the scene. "Why don't we calm down?" he said in a playful tone. Not what Samantha was looking forward to.
"Who the f**k are you again?" she yelled in her defense.
"Ouch, but you invited me." Samantha didn't care. She didn't look like she did, as her target was just at me. She looked over his shoulder, her eyes met mine, and she tried to push past Alex while more murmurs filled the air.
"Samantha!" Jake yelled, his voice rang through the entire room. Everyone went silent, and no one dared to speak. He looked pissed as hell, like he had been holding it in for a while. Without saying anything further, he pulled Samantha, dragging her in the opposite direction.
She tried to yank herself free as she protested, but she was no match for a livid Jake.
I watched until they were out of sight, the music continued to play, and everyone went back to what they were doing, like nothing had happened. I felt a gentle tug on my hand, and my gaze returned to Owen, who was still holding my hand. I had paused in my tracks, watching the interaction between Jake and Samantha.
Without saying a word, he led me out of the scene to an isolated part of the building, away from the crowd and beside a pool. How ironic.
Just as my gaze met with Owen's, I burst into tears. All the emotion I had been holding back just came flooding in. It wasn't because of the dare, not because of Samantha. I didn't know what it was.
Maybe it was because I felt stupid. I shouldn't have come here. Or was it because—
I felt Owen's hand wrap around me, and he pulled me in for a hug.
I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They streamed down my cheeks, carrying with them a mix of frustration, embarrassment, and confusion. I sobbed softly, my body trembling with pent-up emotion.
Owen didn't utter a word. He simply held me, his embrace warm and reassuring.
—was it because of her