Page 26 of Shared Obsession

Their banter draws a few laughs, but Ayla’s curiosity gets the better of her. She cocks her head, gaze flicking between them. “Okay, what’s the story between you two?”

Dean glances at Zayn, a mischievous, almost bashful smile tugging at his lips. “Let’s just say, Zayn and I have a history of dares that got… a little out of hand.”

Zayn grins, his knee bumping against Dean’s beneath the firelit shadows. “Dean’s always been the wild card. I never know if he’s about to talk me into trouble or pull me out of it.”

Dean ducks his head, laughing softly. “That’s because you never back down, Z.”

Ayla grins at the two of them. “Wait, so who’s the bigger troublemaker?”

“Definitely Zayn,” Dean says immediately, but Zayn protests, “You’re only saying that because you got caught more often.”

Ayla laughs, nudging Dean. “You look like the type who’d try to sweet-talk the cops out of a ticket.”

Dean winks. “Worked twice. Third time, Zayn had to bail me out with his ‘I’m just visiting from England’ routine.”

Zayn puts on a fake accent, “Officer, I swear, I have no idea what these American hooligans are up to!”

The group cracks up, and even I, usually the most serious, can’t help but smile. Ayla snuggles deeper into the circle, the warmth between all of us growing more real by the minute.

After the laughter fades, I shake my head. “We’ve seen each other through everything—breakups, lost jobs, wild parties, and worse. There’s not much we haven’t survived together.”

I look at Ayla, softening my voice. “We found each other when it mattered. Now, we’re family. And you’re here now, too.”

Dean adds, “And just so you know, you’re officially inducted. We’ll have to come up with a dare for you later. It’s tradition.”

Ayla laughs and throws her hands up. “I feel like I should be worried.”

“Speaking of dares,” I say, letting a playful edge creep in, “anyone up for a game?”

Ayla perks up. “Like truth or dare?”

Zayn grins, laughter rumbling in his chest. “Obviously.”

Dean’s eyes glint with curiosity. “Who’s going first?”

I glance around the circle, but my gaze lingers on Ayla, giving her a hint of challenge. “Maybe we should go over the ground rules first—especially for you, Ayla.”

“We all respect a solid ‘no’ around here,” Dean says with a mischievous grin, “but there’s got to be a little risk.”

Zayn laughs, holding up his hands. “Nothing that’s gonna get anyone arrested, either—we’re already in enough shit as it is.”

Dean’s eyes twinkle. “Basically, our rule is if you refuse a dare, you take something off. We’ve been naked around this fire a few times,” he says, laughing.

I shrug, catching Ayla’s eye. “Just a game. No pressure, no regrets.”

We kick things off with the easy stuff, throwing around questions we all answer. “What’s your biggest fear?” Zayn asks, leaning back with a smirk.

Dean grins. “I’ll go first. Spiders. Laugh it up, but those eight-legged freaks are straight from hell.” We all laugh, the tension easing.

Ayla raises her hand. “I have a confession: I’m actually afraid of—don’t laugh—clowns. Not the cute circus ones. The creepy, murdery kind.”

Dean gasps. “Good to know for your next birthday.”

Zayn leans over, miming a clown nose. “Note to self: cancel the clown-gram.”

“Craziest thing you’ve ever done?” Ayla asks, her eyes shining with mischief.

I raise my hand. “I once jumped off the roof of my high school into the pool. Broke my wrist, but I got free pizza for a month.”