Page 63 of This Stays Between Us

“Um okay. Well, marry Declan, I guess.”

Declan winks at everyone else, and a few people—Hari and Ellery, specifically—laugh.

“Sleep with Josh.” Claire ducks her head, and Josh lifts up his fist.

“Better watch your girl, Dec,” he says jokingly, and I notice something—jealousy maybe?—flicker across Declan’s face. But I’m too distracted to dwell on it, too busy wondering who Claire is going to choose to kill. Adrien, hopefully. Or maybe Tomas? It didn’t seem like they ever really connected.

“And kill…Phoebe.”

My name out of her mouth strikes me like a bullet.

A few hours ago I would have said it was a possibility…maybe. But after the time we just spent out in the dunes? We reconnected, or so I thought.

“Good choice,” Adrien says proudly.

Claire refuses to meet my eye. Disappointment curdles in my throat, hardening into anger.

Smart girl, the voice says.

I try to contort my face into something resembling apathy, but based on Declan and Josh’s embarrassed reaction, I can tell I’ve failed. The bottle reaches me again. Not a moment too soon.

They hate you.

The idea comes to me as soon as the whiskey hits my throat. A way to change everyone’s minds. To remind them of who I am—or who they should think I am. A way to get back to the Phoebe I was at the beginning of this trip.

“I’ve got a dare,” I say once I swallow.

“Isn’t it Claire’s turn?” Hari asks.

“I don’t mind,” Claire says sheepishly. “You can take this one, Phoebe. I don’t have any ideas anyway.”

I know this is her attempt to try to smooth things over, but I ignore her, scanning the group to determine who to pick. I would choose Adrien, but I can’t run the risk that she would accept and upstage me. God, that’s the last thing I need. No, I need to pick someone much less risk averse. Someone with nothing to prove.

At that precise moment, Ellery and Tomas return, giggling about something, before dropping cross-legged next to Claire. Perfect.

“I choose Tomas.”

He raises his head towards me, his pupils big in the glow from the fire.

“I dare you to go skinny-dipping in the lake.”

“Oh, come on Phoebe, that’s not even funny,” Adrien chides. “You heard Birrani.”

“I’ll go with you,” I say.

“No one’s going in the water,” Josh proclaims.

“I will go,” says Tomas.

I feel my jaw drop. No. That is not the plan. Tomas wasn’tsupposed to accept. But what am I supposed to do now? I can’t change my mind once I’ve thrown down the gauntlet.

“I don’t think—” Ellery starts

“It will be fun,” Tomas says, his voice higher than usual. “LikeMad Max.”

I pull up next to him, lower my voice so only he can hear. “Tomas, it was a joke; you don’t need to—”

“I want to,” he responds with a big smile.