The Rocker's Muse

“We don’t mention Nicole around here,” Ronan told her.

Emily squinted in confusion.

“Nicole is his ex,” I explained. “We don’t talk about her. Except Ronan who occasionally likes to risk getting his ass beat.”

Atticus wiped his mouth. “Tough subject,” he muttered.

Emily nodded sympathetically. “Well, that must mean you still love her?”

I gave her a warning look.

“Next topic…” Atticus said.

Emily’s mouth curved into a sympathetic smile, but she stayed quiet. She seemed surprised to see this side of Atticus, who was always the roughest on the surface.

After we ate, Ronan decided we should make s’mores, something I’d not done since childhood. It seemed like a good idea at first, but I should’ve known that too much time with the guys was probably not the best, given how much they loved to bust balls.

“S’mores always reminds me of playing Truth or Dare with my cousins when we were younger,” Ronan said as we sat around the fire.

“Sounds dangerous,” I said, turning my stick to toast my marshmallow evenly.

“Let’s do it,” he said. “Let’s play Truth or Dare.”

“Not interested,” I countered.

“Why? You have something to hide? Pretty sure all your secrets came out already this year.”

“Emily definitely doesn’t want to play,” I said.

But she just shrugged, seeming not to understand how dirty my friends here liked to play.

Ronan took a bite of his graham cracker sandwich. “I’ll start,” he said with his mouth full of marshmallow. “Atticus, truth or dare.”

Atticus rolled his eyes. “Truth.”

“What really happened between you and Nicole’s boyfriend the night you nearly got arrested?”

“Fuck you.” He glared. “Dare.”

“Really? Wow. You’d rather me dare you than answer that? You’re fucking crazy.”

“You’re an asshole, Ronan,” I shouted across the fire.

Ronan licked some marshmallow off the corner of his mouth. “You have a choice with this dare, actually…”

Atticus rolled his eyes again. “Oh, lucky me.”

“You can kiss Emily here on the lips…or French-kiss Tristan.”

Are you fucking kidding me?

“I didn’t realize we were in high school.” I shot daggers at Ronan and then Atticus. If either one of them so much as looked at Emily, I’d go insane. I was ready to rip both their heads off, if needed. There was no fucking way I was going to sit here and watch anyone other than me put his lips on her. Not that Emily would even allow him to kiss her. But what if she tried to be the good sport? Atticus was an attractive man. I was as heterosexual as they came, but I wasn’t blind. Maybe she wouldn’t mind kissing him.

Burning up, I marched over to Atticus and placed my hands around his face before going in for the kill, practically swallowing him whole, tongue and all.

Ronan roared with laughter as I made out with my best friend. Atticus tasted like cigarettes with a hint of beer, exactly how I might’ve imagined.

When I came up for air, Atticus blinked in confusion. He didn’t seem to know what hit him. Emily’s eyes were like saucers. Ronan was the only one who seemed amused and not in shock.