The Dare, Book 1

Chapter 4

Reid

After I left the music store, I found Vic with the other two sat in a popular fast food restaurant and gave Vic the excellent news, which pleased him immensely.

Tom figured Payton was the typical loner type. The type that acted as if they were happier on their own, but deep down, she ached for someone to care enough to break down her walls.

However, that led to a disastrous idea that Vic came up with, which is how I ended up outside the store, a few minutes past five with a cut lip.

He claimed it would make it more believable if I allowed them to ruffle me up a little, and despite my protests, he went at did it anyway.

"What the hell happened to you?" Payton stared at me with her big chocolate eyes as she appeared in front of me.

"Oh...it's nothing, come on let's get coffee, I'll explain." I shrugged it off casually, as I stood myself up.

"Okay." She looked at me unsure but seemed to relinquish quickly enough. "So, where's the coffee shop?"

"Just down here." I pointed east of where we were and beckoned her to follow me. She objected at first, nibbling on her lip as she had earlier, but complied, leaving me thankful, I wasn't in the mood to have to work to get her to accompany me.

"What's your poison?" I asked, looking at Payton as we walked into the quiet coffee shop.

It was a smaller one, ran independently, but it was fresh and modern, white walls littered with various artwork of our town. Booths lined the far side of the premises, a large counter where multiple sandwiches, wraps, cakes, and muffins sat. Behind large silver machines that made the hot drinks, and heated the wraps and paninis. Other seating scattered neatly in the center.

"Oh, it's okay, I'll get my own, thank you."

"I insist, after all, I invited you, so it's only fair, so what you want?"

She shuffled awkwardly on the spot as her eyes scanned the large board with all the drinks on offer, "Tea, a dash of milk, two sugars, please."

"One tea, got it, do you want to grab us that booth?" I pointed to an empty booth in the corner and looked at her expectantly.

She nodded softly, scarcely moving her head at all, and made her way to sit while I made my way to the ordering point.

When I walked to the booth with our drinks and two muffins, I noticed Payton was chewing on her lip, twiddling her thumbs as her eyes darted around the room. She was nervous, just like she'd been all week, and I couldn't help but wonder if this was normal for her, or just because she was new here.

"If you were hungry, you could've said." I chuckled lightly, pulling her attention to me as I laid the tray on the table. She looked up at me confused, her thin dark perfectly shaped, natural eyebrows furrowed, forming the faintest V between them.

"You were chewing on your lip like it was a damn Big Mac or something."

"Oh...I didn't realize, just thinking." She moved her shoulders softly in a gentle shrug.

"Well, here have a muffin instead. It's the end of the day, so they give them away. I didn't know what you like, so there's a blueberry or chocolate chip."

"I'm not hungry."

"Tell your poor lip that...seriously, please take one. Otherwise, I'm going to look like a pig eating two on my own, plus you look like you could do with eating a muffin or twenty."

At that moment, I couldn't help but notice she'd undone her hoodie. Underneath was a tight blood red tank, which made her chest look unbelievable, but I also noticed she was almost painfully skinny.