Free Best Fake Day by Tracey Rogers

masculine entirety. The way his long-sleeved black top hugged the strength, almost enveloping him in the shadows, the power contain in muscular thighs as he sat on his knees.
    She wasn’t feeling brave but most definitely stupid.
    “Ladies first,” he invited.
    Her breath hitched as she grasped the middle of the glass bottle and flicked her wrist to spin it. With satisfaction, she released that breath as the neck of the bottle rested at his knee. With a bit of luck his explosion of manly muscles were going to be his downfall. To his credit, the rise and fall of his shoulders remained regular, his face a mask.
    She had to make this truth count.
    “Do you find me unattractive, is that why you won’t kiss me? Truth or dare?”
    She heard his indrawn breath. “Asking two questions is cheating,” he replied calmly.
    She frowned as she mulled over her options. Which would be the least painful answer?
    “Okay, why won’t you kiss me?”
    A muscle flickered in his cheek. “Truth. I promised your father.” He hesitated as if considering his answer. “He caught me once climbing back down the drainpipe and rather than being angry he invited me into the kitchen and talked.” A measured breath. “We came to an understanding. He knew Ellie was going into self-destruct after your mother’s death and then the climb of her success.”
    Her mother’s death. The catalyst for Ellie’s change in behavior. Her rebellion had largely gone ignored because of this. That was the reason they all covered for her and dug her out of any holes she’d dived into. Izzy missed her mother dearly, but Ellie? She had good reason to feel the greater impact of her loss. Not that they’d ever talked about it...
    “Your father also knew I had my reasons for needing my hideouts. He asked for my help. I would carry on as normal. He knew I’d been sneaking out with Ellie and making sure she was safe, but in return for my safe haven I was to let him know what our plans were and also...I was to be strictly ‘friends only’ with his daughters.”
    “He knew,” she said incredulously. “All the times you slept in here and in Ellie’s room, he knew?”
    He nodded. “Yes to in here. Not exactly Ellie’s room though. Being good took some practice. He trusted me though. That was why the Truth or Dare and Strip Poker stopped. I respected your father too much to breach his trust.”
    “So he knew about Ellie’s partying?”
    “Yes. He knew the harder he put his foot down the more she would stamp back, so I went with her under the pretence of rule breaking—”
    “But really you were her unofficial bodyguard,” she finished for him. She narrowed her eyes, thinking. That might be the case but she was sure he had breached her dad’s trust with Ellie on a more than friend’s level.
    Conversation over. Jack clutched the bottle with his long fingers and spun it to dizzying speed. It stopped at her toe.
    “Why did you run today? Truth or dare?”
    “Truth. It felt wrong. All of it. I get why you want me to help you, but wearing that dress and this awful hair, I couldn’t even pretend it was my special day. It was so far from it. And then...then you couldn’t bring yourself to kiss me...” She spun the bottle. It landed at her other toe. Crap.
    He gave a satisfied smile. “Why is marriage so important to you? Truth or dare?”
    “Truth. Dad always said Mum’s personality was split between Ellie and me. Ellie got her singing talent and fun nature, and I got her romantic, dreamy side.”
    “You and Ellie always were opposites.”
    Izzy returned his smile. “When Mum became ill she nurtured Ellie’s talent, and I think when she died, Ellie wanted to show her singing talent for Mum’s benefit. To make her proud, you know? Although she never said it, we knew she gave up her music career for us.” She dropped her gaze to the floor. “Me, I was different. I would never want the limelight Ellie coveted. I guess I built on the stories Mum shared.