Don't You Dare (Reckless Games #1)

by C.E. Ricci

“Hear me out. Please. I know I fucked up—” “Fucked up? That’s what you wanna call it?” His scoff turns into a laugh of disbelief as he rips his hand from my hold. “You didn’t fuck up. You fucking destroyed everything we had. Years of friendship, out the window. And for what? Because you were embarrassed? Because you were afraid?” “Of course I was afraid, Keene! If the world knew, that made it real. And if it was real…” I trail off, words evading me once again at the most inopportune time. Keene doesn’t seem to have that issue though, laying into me with fire in his eyes. “It was real whether the world knew it or not. You felt it as much as I did, the shift between us. And in the end, you’re still the one who chose to walk away. You’re the one who couldn’t handle it. Who was too afraid.” “I know—” “No, I don’t think you do, Pen,” he snaps, anguish written all over his features. “Because if you knew anything, you wouldn’t have walked away when I needed you most. When we needed each other.” There it is again, the ripple of guilt when I hear him say those words. I needed you.