Page 39 of Devious Love

Mia leans forward and clinks her bottle against her best friend’s. “Right.”

“Okay,” Matt grumbles, “each of us gets one more turn, and then I’m going to bed.” He picks up his beer. “Why don’t you start, Chiara?”

“Sure,” she purrs. “Never have I ever kissed a stranger.”

She and Matt don’t lift their bottles. Mia takes a sip, and so do I.

Instantly, I’m lost in a memory of the hottest night of my life. It’s been almost a year, but I think about it far more than I’d like to admit. Not only was the girl a stranger, but I don’t even know what she really looks like, because she was wearing a mask and a blonde wig. To this day, I regret not trying to get her number. Hell, even just her name.

“What the fuck? Why didn’t I know about this?” Chiara yelps.

Mia shrugs. “Because some things are better kept secret.”

“Amen.” I lift my beer and take another sip.

The liquid is cold, but as I catch Mia looking at me, it suddenly feels as if I’m drinking lava. She studies me, her attention drifting from my face to my neck and then to my arm, to the black ink there.

What the fuck is happening to me? This is the same girl I grew up with, the girl who tagged along with Matt and me. She’s my goddamnstepsister.

But it’s virtually impossible to see her as the kid I’ve known most of my life.

“My turn,” Matt says.

I force my attention to him, praying like hell he hasn’t noticed the way Mia looks at me.

And, more importantly, the way I look at her.

“Never have I ever lied to my best friend.”

No one lifts a bottle. No one takes a sip. The truth is…we all lie.

Mia says, “‘Lie’ is a strong word in my case. It’s more like omitting information for the sake of another person.” She traces the bottle’s neck with her fingertip. “Because if you’re straight-up lying to the people you’re closest to, then why do you even need them?”

“Good point.” Matt tilts his head to the side, a small smile tipping his lips. “You’re smarter than me, little one.”

“I don’t think so,” she counters. “But thanks.”

“Your turn,” I remind her.

She presses her fingers to her mouth, zoning out for what feels like an eternity. Then, she exhales and smiles broadly. “Never have I ever hooked up with someone I had no intention of seeing again.”

Chiara is the only one who doesn’t drink. She eyes Matt warily, and I instantly know why.

Eyebrows drawn together, he leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, the bottle dangling from his fingers.

“Why are you drinking?” he asks Mia. “Aren’t you supposed to pick something you’ve never done?”

“I broke the rules, so what? Sue me.”

He throws himself back against the couch cushion. “Shit. I don’t wanna know anything about your sex life, especially if you’re having one-night stands, acting like?—”

“Don’t talk to her like that,” I grit through my teeth. The audacity of this guy. The fucking asshole was a second away from calling his sister a whore. “It’s just a stupid game.”

My mood plummets, just like the atmosphere in the room. And here I was hoping for a quiet, fun night.

Mia stands, her bare leg brushing mine. At her full height, she looms over her brother. “Never expected you to be such a hypocrite.”

“I’m not a hypocrite!” he shouts, jumping to his feet too. “I’m worried about you. I studied pre-law, in case you’ve forgotten. Do you know the statistics? Do you know how many women?—”