It felt like spin the bottle from sixth grade all over again. And I knew I was here with Jacob. And that I’d kissed like a freaking million people today already. But...still. Not again.

“Truth or dare?” the girl asked who spun the bottle.

“Dare,” Axel said.

“I dare you to make out with me.”

“Desperate much?” RJ said under his breath.

Axel turned toward me.

I wanted the hurt to not be showing on my face. But I knew it was there. I felt like a kid seeing the boy of my dreams give his first kiss to someone else all over again. The ache in my chest was stronger than ever. It was like I was watching the beginning of our end on repeat. And I couldn’t bear to do this again. Not when the first time had broken a piece of me that still hadn’t healed.

I knew I’d just been thinking about how Axel was cruel. But he wouldn’t do this to me again, would he? Now that I’d told him I’d saved my first kiss for him? I knew he remembered that conversation. Don’t do this to me again, Axel. It would be like taking the worst moment of my life and throwing it in my face. And as I stared at the scene unfolding, it felt like I was watching my past in slow motion.

In sixth grade, I’d been quiet during spin the bottle. I’d told him it was fine if he kissed Ava Williams. When it had been anything but. I’d had a chance to stop him, and I hadn’t taken it. If I didn’t want Axel to do the dare, I needed to say something this time. I opened my mouth but no words came out.

Axel cleared his throat and turned back to the girl. “Lame. Let’s do something more fun.”

I stared at the side of his face. Maybe I was wrong before. Maybe he wasn’t as cruel as I’d painted him to be.

Axel turned to Jacob. “Dare me something better, Jacob.”

Jacob laughed. “I dare you to throw someone in my grandparents’ pool.”

“Much better.” Axel stepped over the log and walked toward me.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

He didn’t respond. He just lifted me over his shoulder.

I screamed and put my hands down for purchase. My palms collided with his butt. And I was very aware that this was the third time I’d had my hands on Axel’s butt recently.

“Put me down!” I screamed.

He chuckled. “Gladly. In the pool.”

“Axel!” I slapped his butt.

He didn’t respond.

So I spanked him again.

“I didn’t know how much you loved your hands on my ass,” he said.

“You’re one to talk!” Because his hand was on the back of my jean shorts right now. “Put me down!”