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“I’m all ears.”
“I don’t want us to sit here feeling sorry for ourselves all night. How about a game of Never Have I Ever?”
Bryce nearly choked. That was the last thing he expected her to say. He didn’t know her well, but apparently, she was full of surprises. Her eyes met his and her smile was less confident than her suggestion made her sound.
“I’ll start,” Bryce volunteered. “Never have I ever gone to a near stranger’s hotel room.”
Samantha snorted out a laugh and briefly raised her glass before taking a drink.
“Never have I ever broken the law,” Samantha said after a thoughtful moment.
Bryce hesitated before taking a drink. He could lie and she would never find out but, for whatever reason, he wanted her to know the real him.
“Really? Unpaid parking tickets don’t count,” she said with a quiet laugh.
“If only,” he laughed out. “I wasn’t the easiest teenager. I took advantage of the times my mom stayed in her bed for days on end and got into some trouble.”
She looked surprised by the bit of information. “I thought you were the good one.”
“I was always good to my mom. I did act out, though. Me and a few of my idiot friends stole some stop signs thinking it would be funny. Well, it ended in us doing community service.”
“I’m sure you guys loved that.”
“Actually, it changed my life. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I had to do my hours at the community center, and I ended up sticking around even after my hours had been met,” he answered candidly. “Okay back to the game. Never have I ever gotten drunk and danced on a table.”
Samantha closed her eyes and took a drink.
“What?” Bryce shouted. “No way. I don’t believe it.”
“I used to be a lot of fun, for your information. But wives don’t behave that way, so I toned it down a lot.”
Bryce sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “You know that’s bullshit, right?”
He could see the confusion in her eyes when she mirrored his actions and sat back in her chair. Just in the little time he’d known her, he was able to see bits of her personality peek through. As she began to heal, he hoped she would find her true self once again.
“That I used to be fun? Or that I toned it down?” she finally asked.
“That wives have to behave a certain way. As long as a person is faithful, who cares?”
“Never have I ever met someone else who instantly made me feel like I could be myself without having to worry,” Samantha said quietly.
Bryce didn’t lift his glass to take a drink. He had Rayelle, but even with her, it took him a while before he’d felt totally comfortable. His gut told him he could trust her, but it took him a little while to let his guard down. With Samantha, he felt he could be his authentic self around her from the moment he met her. He did hold back, but it was more because he wanted her to be comfortable than because he was afraid.
“Did I miss anything?” Rayelle asked as she rejoined them at the table. “Dom is on his way. He shouldn’t be too long.”
“We’re playing a game of Never Have I Ever,” Bryce informed her.
“Oh, I love this game!” she shrieked. “Never have I ever lost a library book.”
Both Samantha and Bryce took a drink. Samantha took a second and then a third drink and then laughed as she set her glass down. “Seriously?” Samantha finally asked.
“Yes, why is that so hard to believe?”
Samantha shook her head. “Because literally everyone has lost a library book at some point.”
“Not me,” Rayelle countered. “I had a designated reading spot at home. My book was either in my backpack or somewhere near my reading spot. I wouldn’t even read it at school during free time, or in the car because I was terrified of losing it.”
“And that’s why I only buy my books. It’s not because I work in a bookstore,” Samantha said with a laugh. “I’ve lost so many library books I still get anxious just thinking about it.”
