Page 59 of Cocky Brutal Sinner

We all drink, and Brinley’s face turns beet red.

James rolls his eyes. “You seriously care about how long it is?”

“Duh,” Ryan says. “You gotta find out if you’re above average. Which, for the record, I am.”

“Nobody wanted that information,” Nate says.

“Never have I ever googled the average size of a penis,” Luke says. Ryan drinks and shrugs.

“It was in the name of research. You’re all curious now, aren’t you?”

As the game goes on, it escalates the way it always does. Instead of just asking stupid questions to make the other guys laugh, we start getting personal, picking on old grudges.

“Never have I ever copied off James’s math homework,” Luke says, cackling when Ryan and I drink, as he knew we would.

“Never have I ever sent a love letter to the gym teacher,” James says.

“I regret nothing!” Luke says as he takes a long drink. “I don’t care what you say, Mrs. Schafer was a hottie.”

“Never have I ever kissed a friend’s ex-girlfriend,” Nate says.

“Are you still pissed about that?” Ryan groans. “You dated Natalie in fifth grade. It’s not like I made out with a real ex.”

“It was real to me,” Nate says.

“You really didn’t find it at all weird that you basically had the same name?” I point out. “Nate and Natalie?”

“It was convenient. We were always next to each other in alphabetical order.”

“Besides, I only kissed her one time on a dare,” Ryan says. “It’s not like I had feelings for her or anything. You would know if I did.”

“How would we know that?”

“I’d tell you,” Ryan says simply. “You guys know about all the girls I have crushes on. Right now, it’s Priya, Charlotte, Katie, and Nicole.”

“It’s not exactly privileged information if you have four crushes,” James says.

“Well, never have I ever had a crush on someone that I’d be too embarrassed to admit.”

Everyone drinks then, even Brinley. Then her eyes meet mine. She seems a little shocked that I’m looking back at her, and for a long moment, we stare at each other.

“Oh shit,” Nate says, drawing my attention away. Everyone else is looking at Brinley, watching her watch me. Because the vodka made her reckless enough to give away the truth.

Now everyone knows that her embarrassing crush is on me.

“No way,” James says.

“Brinley, seriously?” Luke says.

“Why Beau and not me?” Ryan demands.

Then everyone’s gaze pivots over to me, and my face turns hot. I force out a laugh and look down at my drink. I mean, it’s not like Brinley having a crush on me is some huge hardship. She’s pretty, for a freshman, but it’s not like I’ve ever thought about her in that way. I mean, she’s Luke’s sister, and she’s way too young for me. It’s a nonstarter.

My stomach feels weird. There’s a heavy, leaden guilt for laughing at her, the girl who just put something real on the table in a room full of boys who treat vulnerability like a punchline. I also feel warm pleasure spreading through me, mixed with an unexpected urge to smile. You’re just flattered, I tell myself. It’s always flattering when someone crushes on you.

But that’s not the whole story. That warmth feels like—well, something I definitely shouldn’t be feeling. Something that needs to be shut down stat.

The guys keep laughing, and Brinley slams her cup down, orange liquid sloshing over the sides. Her face is watermelon-pink, and her eyes shine with what I wish was anger but which are, unfortunately, tears.