“Exactly.” He blows out a breath of relief, as if he’s glad he’s finally found someone who agrees with him. “If people were a little more honest with themselves…”

“You don’t seem to struggle there.”

“I used to. Then I gave into it and…wow.”

I bite my lip to stop from asking what he gave into and started doing, but that feels a little intrusive. Also, if it’s gross, I’m going to regret asking. Some things are better left unsaid.

“Shall we follow the others?” he asks, tugging my hand so I step closer to him.

Dipping my chin, I reply, “Let’s do it.”

We walk through the door, and my mouth falls open. It’s huge. It’s one large room with sofas, a massive TV, arcade games, a pool table, and bar.

“This is amazing. No wonder you don’t hang out at the lake.”

“I don’t really like large groups of people.”

Smirking at him, I add, “Or outsiders.”

“Very funny. Okay, phones on the side table,” he instructs, taking his phone out of his pocket and setting it down, indicating for us to do the same.

“Why?” Hazel asks.

Owen puts his on the table, too. “Everyone is glued to social media. In here, we talk to each other. It’s more fun that way. House rules.”

She shrugs and puts her phone beside theirs. I hesitate; my phone doesn’t often leave my hand or my pocket.

“This isn’t school, Piper,” Caleb chuckles. “It hasn’t been confiscated. You don’t have to turn it off and leave it here until the end of class. If you get a call, you can come and pick it up.”

Hazel widens her eyes at me, as if to say, Don’t embarrass me again. “Come on, Pipes, then we can challenge the guys to a game of pool.”

Neither of us can play pool. But I’m being silly. “Okay.” I slide my phone from my pocket and place it on the table.

Caleb smiles. “Now, do you want to see the rest before we kick their asses at pool?”

“The rest?” I ask.

“You didn’t notice the building is significantly bigger than this room?”

“Well, I did, but I figured you’d just renovated this part.” Against the back wall are two doors with keypad security locks. “What do you have back there?”

“Which door do you want to go through?”

“Where does the one on the right lead?”

“To more rooms.”

“Where does the one on the left lead?”

Squeezing my hand, he replies, “If I told you that, I would have to kill you.”

I roll my eyes. “Really?”

“You have to choose one. Kind of like The Matrix. Do you want the red door or the blue door, Piper?”

“They’re both white.”