Truth or Dare

  Truth or Dare

  the Summervale Series — Book 1

  L.L. Hunter

  Copyright © 2020 L.L. Hunter

  Queen of Midnight

  By L.L. Hunter

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  ISBN: 978-0463972687

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  All Rights Reserved — First Edition

  Cover Design by Emily Wittig Designs

  RMJ Editing & Manuscript Service, Rogena Mitchell-Jones, Literary Editor, www.rogenamitchell.com

  This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the properties of the author, and your support and respect are appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author. Both author and editor have taken considerable effort in presenting a manuscript free of errors. However, editing errors are ultimately the responsibility of the author.

  This author writes in both American English and Australian English and may include Australian diction.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Acknowledgments

  Also by L.L. Hunter

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Welcome to Summervale. One of the USA’s top vacation spots. It’s a sunny coastal town. Population…

  Oh, who cares.

  The tourism ads paint Summervale as the perfect, picturesque town. It’s the ideal location to have spring break or to retire.

  But I know the truth.

  There are two sides to Summervale—the haves and the have-nots. The right and the wrong side of the tracks.

  I should know. I grew up on the wrong side of town. I used to be a have-not. But now, I live on the so-called ‘right’ side of town. Amongst the ‘haves.’

  I wish I could go back to my old neighborhood, back when life was filled with scraped knees and cubby houses filled with books and secret diaries of our crushes.

  On this side of the tracks, well, there are no tracks per se. It’s just an expression the kids around here use. The border is invisible to the naked eye, but everyone knows where it starts and finishes. It’s an unwritten law.

  I should know.

  I broke it.

  I crossed the line, or so they say, when I fell in love with one of them. You know, the popular kid. The one every guy wants to be and every girl wants to be with.

  Dane O’Connell is the guy that should be on the lips of every girl, and his name scratched into every girl’s bedpost. But he wasn’t like that.

  I know he’s not.

  Because I fell in love with him, and now we can’t be together.

  Why? You’ll have to find out.

  My name is Darcie Ryder.

  Let me tell you a secret…

  Chapter One

  I Know What You Did Last Summer

  A car horn sounded outside. I rushed to my bedroom window, lip gloss in my hand, to see Stacey waving like a maniac from the window of her parent’s station wagon. I opened the window and waved back.

  “Coming!”

  I went to the mirror to finish coating my lips in the shiny pink gloss. Then I grabbed my jacket and ran out of the house.

  Stacey was dancing in the driver’s seat to one of the latest pop songs by the time I made it down. I climbed in and watched her for a minute. She was carefree and didn’t give two fucks about anything or anyone. I loved that about her.

  She startled. “Finally! The party has already started.”

  “Sorry. I couldn’t decide on my outfit.”

  Stacey paused then and half turned in her seat to look me up and down. I was wearing jeans and a black midriff top, silver hoop earrings that I’d picked up in one of the shops in town (that was way overpriced, by the way, just like Everything in this town), and finished off with the pink lip gloss Stacey had suggested I buy, but wasn’t really my thing. This whole outfit wasn’t my thing.

  “You look hot, but you should have worn the short shorts as I told you.”

  “It’s freezing out.”

  “There’s a bonfire at the beach. Plus booze. You’ll get warm.”

  “My legs are white and pasty anyway. I prefer the jeans.”

  “Fine. Let’s go.”

  She screeched out of the drive, taking the corner too sharply, and pulled out of our street.

  According to the local kids, we were on our way to the most anticipated party of the year.

  I was new here and wanted to fit in.

  Stacey had moved here when we were eight years old. We’d known each other from our old neighborhood since we were in diapers.

  A neighborhood on the wrong side of the tracks.

  A neighborhood we don’t talk about. Because, well, we had to fit in here.

  We were now living on the other side, the right side. It was known colloquially as Rich Bitch Mile. This was where everyone desired to live. The part of town you had to live in if you wanted any kind of reputation or notoriety or had any chance of making it here.

  So, what’s a girl from the wrong side of the tracks doing in Rich Bitch Mile? That’s a story for another time.

  Back to the reason we were going out tonight dressed up cute.

  We were heading to The Circle, to the event every kid around here goes to before school begins.

  The Circle is a secluded bay, around the corner from Rich Bitch Mile, and it’s the place to party.

  We pulled into the parking lot to see the bonfire already alight, and a crowd of teens gathered on the beach.

  There were no rules at the Circle. No sides.

  No haves and have-nots.

  For one night only, everyone was equal.

  We climbed out of the car, and then Stacey rushed to the trunk and gathered a basket of essentials: booze, snacks, and a picnic blanket. Then we joined the party on the beach.

  “Look!” Stacey said, pointing at a cute guy with a guitar sitting on a log near the fire. The sounds of his strumming could be heard over the teens’ loud chatter and the crackling of the fire.

  “Who’s that?” I asked, looking to where Stacey was pointing.

  “That’s Ashton Striker, the lead singer of One Strike. They’re famous around here. Rumor has it that Ashton’s dad is in talks with a big-time record producer in New York City. He’s the band’s manager. Isn’t he hot?”

  Stacey sighed. I smirked.

  “Yeah. He is.” I had to agree with her, to support her, but Ashton Striker wasn’t my type.

  “Hey, Dane! Head’s up!” Someone hollered farther down the beach. I followed the sound and saw a few guys in nice button-downs and expensive-looking jackets drinking beer. One of the guys threw a can of beer in the direction of the hottest guy I had ever seen.

  Now, he was my type.

  The hot guy, Dane, as the other mentioned, laughed.

  “Dude, I told you not to throw the beer. Now it’s all shaken up.”

  One of the guys already with Dane shoved him in the arm playfully.

  “It’s okay. we all know you like head.”

 
Dane blushed and shoved the guy back. He opened the beer, letting the froth escape before drinking hesitantly. The new guy that had joined was joking with the other guy.

  But I paid no attention to the others.

  All I could see was him.

  “Uh oh,” said Stacey from my side.

  “What?” I asked, still watching Dane.

  “Dane O’Connell? Are you kidding me?”

  My heart skipped a beat on being found out. “What?”

  “A girl like you will never end up with someone like Dane O’Connell.”

  She was right. But I didn’t want to believe it.

  “Yeah.” Defeated, we settled down on our blanket by the fire and opened our first wine bottle. We clinked glasses and drank. Stacey watched Ashton while I watched Dane.

  We could both dream, couldn’t we?

  Little did we know that our lives would change forever before the night was done. And Dane and I would be connected in more ways than one.

  Chapter Two

  Alibi

  Another holler down the beach and the sound of a boot kicking leather and Stacey’s and my little picnic was turned into chaos.

  It all happened in slow motion.

  First, a football hit me in the head.

  Then I was sent flying backward into the sand.

  The next thing I remember was waking up in the arms of Dane O’Connell.

  “Hey, there. Good. You’re awake. Thank God. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

  His voice was like whiskey, smooth but not deep. It was caring. His smile, along with his blue eyes, was caring, as well. He had gorgeous blue eyes…

  “Hey,” I managed.

  He smiled again, and a dimple appeared. I felt like dying all over again.

  “Here, let me help you sit up. I really am sorry.”

  “It’s okay. It was an accident.”

  Dane helped me sit up. I looked around, and Stacey was nowhere to be seen. It was just Dane and me alone in this section of the beach.

  “How long have I been out? And where’s everyone else?”

  He chuckled. “To answer the first part, you’ve been out only about twenty minutes. And second, the others are playing a game up the beach in the dark. I decided to stay with you.”

  “Thank you.” I frowned, thinking it was rude of Stacey to leave me alone when I was unconscious.

  “Your friend’s fine, by the way. If that’s what you’re worried about.”

  I looked at him, the definitions of his face visible in the glow of the fire. He had a pointed, slightly upturned nose, deep brown hair which had a bit of coif like a fifties’ gentleman, or what Stacey liked to call the ‘recently fucked’ look. His hair was a little wavy, kind of unkempt. I had the sudden urge to reach out and run my fingers through it. But I didn’t. I snapped myself out of it.

  “Oh, good. So, um, thank you. I’m Darcie, by the way. Darcie Ryder.”

  “I’m Dane O’Connell. Nice to officially meet you.” He held out his hand, and I took it, smiling as we shook. But then his touch lingered, and a handshake turned into entwined fingers. Dane flipped my hand over in his, twisted my fingers in one, and began to draw shapes on my palm with the other. I moaned. My lower abdomen flipped, and I clenched down below.

  Oh, my God. Was there anything better than someone tracing shapes on your skin?

  Probably. Stacey said there was nothing better than sex and a swim in the ocean on a hot day. But I wouldn’t know about the first one.

  I was still a virgin.

  Dane most probably wasn’t.

  I bet he had been with a million girls.

  But he seemed different than his reputation.

  I liked this Dane O’Connell better.

  “So, are you looking forward to school?” I asked, just for conversation.

  “Yeah. Are you?”

  “Kind of. I mean, I’m new here. My father and I just moved to Rich Bitch Mile.”

  “Oh, welcome. How do you like it so far?”

  “It’s all right, I guess. I miss my old neighborhood. But thankfully, Stacey is here, so I know someone at least.”

  He nodded. “That’s good. And now you know two,” he said with a smile. He continued tracing patterns on my skin, and I leaned into him.

  “I’ve been here all my life,” he said after a moment of silence. We stared at the rolling waves in the background and the dying embers of the fire in the foreground. “I grew up with all of these kids. My father cheated, and Mom kicked him out, so it’s just my mom and me in our big house by the ocean.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry about your dad. My mom died about a year ago. And my dad got a new job here in town. So, we moved here for a fresh start.”

  “I’m sorry about your mom. May I ask how she died?”

  I nodded. I didn’t like to talk about my mom, but I have been seeing a therapist for a few months now after being diagnosed with depression because of her death. My therapist had told me it was okay to talk, that opening up would help me heal.

  “She, um… she went missing, then her body was found in the creek in my old neighborhood. We’re still unsure what her cause of death is. The rumors are she committed suicide, but I know my mom. She would never have done that.”

  “That’s horrible. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m learning to deal with it. But my dad thinks that coming here will help me. So, here I am.”

  Dane reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. I sucked in a breath as he leaned closer.

  “Fresh starts are good.”

  And then he kissed me.

  His lips were soft but moist. But not too wet. Even though I was still a virgin, I had kissed a few boys in my life.

  Dane’s kiss was the best yet. He was caring, but there was a sense of urgency in his kiss.

  I could tell he wanted to kiss me, that he’d wanted to kiss me most of the night.

  I could only dream of kissing him.

  Was this a dream? Was I still unconscious? I took his face in my hands and kissed him back. Leaning forward, I pushed my breasts against his chest. He placed a warm palm on my thigh and guided my legs around his waist. I moved so I was straddling him.

  Stacey would die if she knew what I was doing right now.

  Dane slipped his tongue between my lips and deepened the kiss, just as a blood-curdling scream echoed through the night.

  “What was that?” I asked. We broke apart and stood up.

  “I’m not sure. Let’s go investigate.” He took my hand in his, and we jogged up the beach toward the others.

  They were crowded around something near the waterline. I could hear a few people crying, and others were frantically talking.

  “Hey, guys. What’s going on?”

  A few of the guys standing huddled around the dark shape in the water parted.

  And that was when we got our first glimpse of the body.

  A group of girls was standing close by, and one was being comforted by two others. She had long blonde hair, short shorts, and a bikini top covered in a guy’s jacket.

  The crying blonde girl then ran over to Dane and threw her arms around him.

  “Dane, oh my God. It’s horrible. I was just walking along the beach and came across this… this dead body!” She sobbed loudly. I stepped back as she hung off Dane and used his T-shirt as a tissue. I rolled my eyes and walked over to the body lying on the shore.

  It was a woman. She had been in the water for a while because her skin was falling off, and fish had eaten out her eyes.

  “Guys, I think we should call the cops,” I suggested.

  “Who are you?” asked one of the three girls who had comforted the crying one. She had red hair and was dressed similarly to the crying one.

  “This is my best friend, Darcie,” said Stacey, stepping out from behind the group of teenagers now crowded around the body on the beach. She ran over to me.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Fine. We should probably get home
. Can you give me a ride?”

  “Sure. But I’ve been drinking, FYI,” she said.

  “We all have,” shouted one of the other guys. This one was rough looking and wore rainbow clothing made from hemp and carried a bong. Most of the kids cheered in agreement. I rolled my eyes and began to walk up the beach.

  “That’s okay. I’ll walk.”

  I began my slow walk back home in the dark. Everyone else was too high or drunk to notice I was gone.

  Story of my life.

  Chapter Three

  Summervale High

  One week later

  Stacey pulled up in her car just as I closed the front door behind me. She honked the horn and screamed, throwing her hands in the air out the window.

  “Get in, hoe. Quickly.”

  “Okay, okay.” I jogged toward the beat-up old station wagon, a hand me down from her parents, and got in the passenger seat. “What’s the hurry?”

  “No hurry. I just wanna get the best parking spot.”

  I rolled my eyes and smiled as she pulled away from the curb.

  As we took the coastal road, Stacey reached over and spun the volume knob on her radio, turning up the current song playing. She sang along with the lyrics.

  “Is this Taylor Swift’s new one?”

  “Yep. I love it. Don’t you?” When I didn’t answer her, she turned and glared at me with her mouth agape. “Darcie, tell me you’ve listened to it!”

  I still didn’t answer. The truth was I hadn’t. Since my mom’s death, I hadn’t been able to listen to a lot of my old favorites. And Taylor Swift was one of them. My mom had taken me to her first concert in New York City. The memories were still raw.