Starting With You

13. Always trying to get you to stay.

Jensen

"DARE," SHE SAID FROM HER SPOT ON the living room floor. She lay flat on her back, her arms and legs scissoring out like she was creating snow angels on the carpet.

We had meandered out to the living room after, maybe, shot number four or five, deciding to play a game of Truth or Dare. Mostly we'd been doing silly dares that involved embarrassing the other as much as we possibly could.

"Hmmm," I mumbled, pretending to think. "What else can I make Teddy do tonight?"

Truthfully, I wanted to dare her to do something that would show me more of her body, of the curves she seemed to grow in the few months she'd been away at college. I mean, fuck, what was she doing over there that had turned my pretty friend into this beautiful thing? Let's face it, she was hot. Like really fucking hot. And I was dying to see what was underneath that baggy hoodie.

"I dare you to dance Coyote Ugly style on the counter in the kitchen."

Sober Teddy would never willingly dance in public, let alone on top of a counter. This was how I knew she was drunk because she jumped onto her feet without hesitation. As she walked through the dining room to the kitchen, she lifted the hoodie up and over her head, tossing it to the floor. Underneath was a form-fitting tank top. The burgundy straps of her bra were twisted with the thin straps of the white tank top. This only made me want to see what was underneath the tank top, too.

I cheered as she climbed onto the counter, rushing over so as not to miss the show. With no music, she looked pretty silly shaking her hips and sinking down to a crouch before popping back up again. But, fuck, was I enjoying the show anyway. I continued to cheer, encouraging the shenanigans, 100% supportive of my own personal show.

When she wobbled on the counter, I gripped my hands on her calves to steady her. "Ok, crazy girl. Maybe let's get you down, yeah?" I lifted her by the waist and set her on the floor in front of me. "Thanks for the show, though. Made my whole night. You could always fall back on stripping if you can't figure out a career after college. I'd shove dollars in your crevices."

"Crevices? Really, J?" She shoved her hands into my chest, causing me to lose my balance and almost tumble onto the floor.

"What? We all have crevices, Chipmunk." I smirked at the disgust on her face.

"Don't call them crevices. That's so gross."

"Fine. Tits. Slits. I'd stuff bills into those. On you. At a strip club."

"Shut up, dickhead. You're being stupid."

I followed her back into the living room, where we both fell onto our butts by the bottle of tequila. She refilled the glasses, handing me one. "Maybe less obnoxious dares from now on," she said before taking all the alcohol in one shot, barely flinching from the burn now.

"Fine. It's your turn to ask me. And I pick truth."

"Truth, huh?" She tapped her finger against her chin, thinking. "Hmmmm. Why didn't we meet up before now? We've both been home for a week or so, right? So why did we have to randomly run into each other?"

Blowing out a breath, I fell back onto the carpet, dragging a hand up and down my stomach. "Fuck, Teddy. I don't know. I meant to call you. Or knock on your mom's door. Drag you out to shoot some hoops. But it just never happened, I guess." I turn my head to the side to look at her. "Why didn't you seek me out?"

"Same, I guess. I don't know. We never had to work at it before, you know? Our friendship. We always just found each other. It felt weird having to invite you to do something. That's never been us." She laid down beside me and rolled over onto her side to face me. "Let's be better about it, though, ok? I don't like not being us anymore."