Love's Dangerous Game

Chapter XXI - Never have I ever

Liam's POV

I stood there, frozen, wondering how the hell I'd gotten myself into this mess. Why couldn't Marcus just shut up? He was clearly provoking Hallie, and for what? And there I was, standing like a complete idiot, utterly helpless.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Marcus subtly taking Hallie's hand, leaning closer, whispering something too low for anyone but her to hear. Had he completely lost it? What the hell was he thinking? As the seconds ticked by, it dawned on me—he was the root of this whole problem.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Hallie," Marcus muttered, his voice laced with frustration as he gently pushed her hand away. His eyes locked with hers in a tense standoff. "Don't make me tell you again."

I watched, the fire casting eerie shadows on their faces, and wondered if we were all just a breath away from disaster. Rising from where I stood, I positioned myself between them, as Karla—God bless her—seemed completely lost in her own thoughts, probably detached from the chaos surrounding us.

"Hey, let's not make this worse," I said, my voice low but firm, trying to act as some kind of buffer. "Marcus, just leave it. Let's enjoy the night, yeah? And Hallie, we've been over this. Please, just drop it." My gaze shifted between the two of them, trying to diffuse the tension that clung to the air like smoke.

Marcus threw up his hands, reclining back into the sand with a look of exaggerated defeat. "Fine. I'll drop it," he said, but the smugness in his voice made it clear he didn't mean a word of it.

The silence that followed was thick and suffocating. I could practically hear the unspoken thoughts, the bitterness simmering beneath the surface. And there I was, stuck between my girlfriend and my best friend, no clue how to smooth things over.

"What about a game of Never Have I Ever?" Marcus suggested suddenly, breaking the tension like nothing had happened. "We've got drinks, snacks—it'll liven things up." His grin was too wide, too eager.

Lucy nodded, as if she'd been waiting for an escape route from the uncomfortable silence. "I'm in," she said, grabbing a bag from her side. "I'll pour the drinks, but soda for me and Liam, since we're the responsible ones who actually have to make it home."

"Good call," Karla chimed in, laughing as she jumped on my back, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Never Have I Ever is just what we need!"

I wasn't so sure. This game, with Marcus involved? That had disaster written all over it. But what choice did I have? Maybe it would lighten the mood. At least, I hoped so.

Karla moved to sit closer to the girls, leaving me closer to Marcus and Hallie—just in case things got heated again. You never know with those two.

"Why don't you start, Marcus, since it was your idea?" Lucy said, tossing him a cup.

Marcus leaned back with a grin that already had me dreading his turn. "Alright, never have I ever... smoked a cigarette." He took a slow sip from his cup, his eyes gleaming with challenge.

What surprised me more than anything was Karla raising her cup and taking a drink. My little sister. What the hell? When had she smoked, and how hadn't I found out?

"Wait, hold up," I said, narrowing my eyes at her. "When the hell did you smoke? Don't tell me you stole cigarettes from me."

Karla almost choked on her drink, laughing. "What? No, relax, tiger. I got one from Marcus when we went out." Her admission hit me like a punch in the gut, and I turned my glare toward Marcus, who just shrugged.

"Oh, so that's how you repay me, huh? By dragging her into your bad habits?" I shot at Marcus, half-joking but genuinely irritated. Everyone else seemed amused by the conversation, but I was starting to sound like my dad, and that was not a role I enjoyed.