Dared (LSU, #4)

by Becca Steele

Reclining back in my gaming chair, I rolled my ankles in slow circles as I browsed through the new Lesath Legends in-game armour that had just dropped.

is that supposed to be like league of legends

I wished I could meet him in person, although I’d probably ruin it with my anxiety and lifelong habit of overthinking every single thing.

I sipped from my beer bottle as I tapped out a message on my phone to Viking, confirming the start time of tonight’s online campaign.

hmmm i think it’s more like WoW

“Leo Evans. You don’t want to know how many hours it took me to find out where you were. But I didn’t stop, and do you know why? Because you’re my fucking friend, and you don’t get to decide that our friendship is over because of one tiny mistake.”

“Stop.” Lowering himself into a crouch, he reached out, steadying himself on the side of my bed with one hand, the other outstretched towards me. “I’m gonna tell you right now that you’re overreacting, and I don’t want you to give yourself a hard time about it, okay?”

“Good boy.” Removing his palm, he ruffled my hair, and I glared at him, which made him grin harder.

Everything stuttered to a halt. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. “Finn? I dare you.” Fuck. “Ask me again when you’re sober,” I said eventually, but he was already asleep. I lay awake for a long time.

“Ruining what? Baby, please speak to me. I don’t understand.” It barely even registered that I’d called him “baby”—something I’d never called anyone in my life, but it had just slipped out. I was too worried.

“Finn?” “Yeah?” “Why…uh…why are you calling me baby?” Good question. “I dunno. It just seems to happen. Do you not like it? I can stop.”