Truth or Dare: A Sweet Romantic Comedy Collection by Laura Burton (free ebook reader for ipad txt) 📗

I’m back to a standing position, and it feels amazing. I reach up, arching my back as the crowd cheers again.

Jonah and I take a second to look at each other, as if to share a thought. So, we’re Sandy and Danny now? Perfect. This is only my favorite musical ever. I take on the role, walking away from Jonah teasingly. He grins like a Cheshire cat and embraces our performance. The band seemingly knows what we’re doing. To my delight, they begin to play You’re the One That I Want.

Jonah grabs the microphone and begins to sing the song, and the crowd goes utterly wild.

Most of the couples have jumped to their feet and are now dancing on the spot. Spurred on by all the attention, I sashay my hips, standing to the side as Jonah parades around the stage, singing to me.

Tessa and Eddie have stopped dancing altogether and are standing to the side, just watching, their hands hanging limply at their sides. Apparently, they're too stunned to move.

Spurred on by the turn of events, I grab another microphone and join in the duet.

We've done this routine before at Glee club.

Singing with Jonah brings back so many sweet memories. Everything was simpler back in high school. It was before the mortifying punch incident at prom, and a lifetime before Jonah’s failed proposal went viral online.

As we prance around the stage singing in perfect harmony, I catch sight of Holly and Debbie up on their feet waving at me and cheering us on. My blood is effervesced with adrenaline. I want this song to last forever, because right now, there is no Tessa. No humiliation. No worry and confusion.

Jonah grins at me, his eyes sparkling, and for the first time in a very long time, he’s bursting with confidence.

Well, this is certainly unexpected. As the song finishes, Jonah drapes an arm around my waist and leans in to kiss the top of my head. My foot pops in the air as I cling onto him and the song ends.

“Wow, give it up for our participants,” Malcolm says, as he walks on stage. “But the trophy has to go to our singing and dancing duo, Jonah and Michelle.”

I’m pretty sure Malcolm is showing favoritism, because he’s a friend. But the explosion of cheers makes me wonder if we might have won by popular vote.

Everything blurs around me and I keep my eyes locked on Jonah’s. It's like a scene from a movie. Time stands still and a sweet symphony of music plays in my head as we just stand in each other’s arms, staring at each other. Neither one of us want to move or look away, because if we do, it might break the happy spell we’re both under.

But then a pointy fingernail presses against my shoulder and it’s as if I’ve been struck by an icy arrow. I rip my gaze from Jonah and look at Tessa instead. “Can we talk… Somewhere quiet?”

The noise of the music fades as we follow Tessa to the beach. The sound of the tide takes over. I focus on it, trying to match my breaths with its rolling in and out. My analytical brain is working overtime, and I'm gripping Jonah’s hand hard. Even after a whole night of dancing, her slick dark hair looks immaculately kept, and her make up untouched. She walks with a perfectly straight back and holds her strappy heels in her hands as she walks across the sand.

I am no match for this woman. If she wants to fight for Jonah, I’m going to lose. She’s curvaceous and tall, while I’m narrow and short. In fact, if Jonah has a type, I haven’t got a chance.

“I’m sorry,” Tessa blurts, stopping and turning to us as if this was something she had been wanting to say all day. My thoughts shatter and I stare at her dumbfounded. “Huh?” Jonah and I say in unison.

A small smile crosses Tessa’s lips as she looks down. “To take you both away from the party,” she adds.

“Oh, it’s fine.” I add a fake shrug to make it look like I’m totally cool with being led to the sea, away from other people, on an exciting night like this. When in fact, I haven’t decided if Tessa’s plan is to throw me in the water and watch me drown so she can have Jonah all to herself. As if following my paranoid train of thought, Jonah squeezes my hand.

Right. He’d never let me drown. Tessa’s spell on him isn’t that strong... At least not anymore.

“What’s up?” I ask, trying to sound chirpy. It appears that Jonah has lost his voice again. He's just staring at Tessa, blinking.

Tessa looks out at the ocean, biting her lip, and for a horrible moment, I wonder if she’s actually contemplating the idea of feeding me to the sharks and running off with my man.

Now I wish I spent less time studying and more time in the pool growing up. I’m a weak swimmer. If anything like that went down, I would be fish food.

“I’ve made a horrible mistake and I don’t know what to do about it,” she says. Then she slumps down and draws circles in the sand with her finger. Her words bring Jonah to life, he settles on the sand and I join him. “What do you mean?” he asks her.

There’s a long silence and if I strain my ears, I can just about hear Dancing Queen playing up at the resort over the roaring ocean. The air is heavy, prompting me to wonder if a storm is rolling in.

“I followed you here.”

I blink several times as the words hit me like a tsunami. “Sorry, what?” Jonah and I say at the same time. We’re so in sync tonight it's as if we’re two halves of a whole.

Tessa offers a sheepish smile, keeping her gaze on Jonah and acting as if I’m not here again. Why am I here?