Free Dare to Dream (Truth or Dare #2) by Sloan Johnson Page B

and that was the only way it was.”
    “So what changed?” She signals the waitress for another round of drinks. I’m not sure that’s a great idea since I’m already starting to feel a bit fuzzy from the first one.
    “Everything,” I admit to her. “I was the one who told Colby he needed to come down here. That I didn’t want him to stay with me and wind up having regrets later on in life.”
    Rebecca nods. “I think that was a very mature decision for you. I’m not sure I could have done it at your age. But what about you? What do you want in life? Because the way you’re talking, it sounds like there’s a whole lot of regret coming down the pipe, but not from Colby.”
    “That’s the thing; I don’t know what I want. When I close my eyes, I can’t see my future at all.” I shrug, not knowing what else to say.
    It sounds like the makings of a bad country song, but before Colby, my life was a void. It wasn’t a bad life —it wasn’t what I would call a life at all now that I’m thinking about it more frequently. I spent two decades as a puppet, letting my mom enroll me in the activities she wished she had been a part of as a child, telling friends my parents wouldn’t let me play because I didn’t want them to tease me for studying instead of riding my bike through the neighborhood. Every single thing I’ve done has been for them.
    But now, I can see beyond the abyss. I know there’s something off in the distance, but when I look at the future, it’s like trying to see something far off when I’m not wearing my contacts. Something is there, but I can’t make out the shapes.
    “It sounds to me like you need to take a break from it all,” Rebecca suggests. A break sounds divine, but the very thought of telling my parents that’s what I want causes me to shudder. “School will be there down the line. You’re a grown woman and it’s time you start living your own life. Your parents had their own decisions to make, and if they regret those choices, that’s on them.”
    We continue talking through three more rounds of drinks. By the time we leave, I feel ready to take on the world thanks to Rebecca’s encouragement. I’m still not ready to tell Colby what I’m thinking about because I don’t want to give him false hope, but I have faith that he’ll be there for me, whatever I decide do in the end.

Chapter 9
    Colby
    I’m trying to remind myself that Lea’s fine, she’s simply enjoying a day , and now evening, with Rebecca, but with every passing hour, it gets harder for me to stay calm. She was still closed off tight this morning and I’m hoping she’ll be relaxed enough to talk about whatever’s bothering her tonight. I don’t remember a time in the past four years when I wasn’t her go-to person when she had too much shit on her mind. Even worse, I don’t know what I did to make it so that I’m not that person now. It really hurts me knowing that.
    The faint sound of giggles breaks the silence in the hotel moments before I hear the distinct click of the suite door opening. I’m not sure if I’m relieved or pissed off to see Lea and Rebecca half-stumbling into the room. Lea doesn’t get drunk. Even before the party this summer, she wasn’t a big drinker, and I can count on one hand the number of times she has touched alcohol since then. Or can I? Fuck, I’m not there for her now, so who knows.
    “Hey , baby,” Lea slurs, draping her arms over my shoulders. When she kisses me, my taste buds are overwhelmed with the syrupy sweet taste of whatever fruity concoctions she was drinking tonight. “Can you give Rebecca a ride home?”
    “Seems like you two had a good time tonight,” I bite out, trying to hold back the irritation coursing through my veins. “Let me grab my keys.”
    “Colby, I swear we didn’t have that much. We didn’t eat dinner and I think that’s what did her in.” Rebecca’s eyes are fixed toward the floor, like she’s upset with herself. Even if