“You scared?” Hunter shouted.
“Not as scared as you were when I dared you to jump off the roof into the pool,” she snapped.
“I did it, didn’t I?”
“Only after I called you a chicken,” she yelled back. Why couldn’t she have just walked away? Any other normal human being would have, but no. Abbie was now two years deep in some messed up back and forth dare-off.
“And that’s what you’re being right now. Abbie the chicken!” The corner of his mouth turned up into that stupid smirk again. “That’s your new name.”
“When I get down there, I’m gonna hit you!”
“You’d have to catch me first.”
Abbie’s eyes narrowed in on her target. She hated him. With every ounce of her being, she hated Hunter James.
Screw it.
She jumped.
Thankfully something broke her fall.
That something being Hunter James.
“What the hell?” Hunter cried. “You weren’t supposed to jump on me, Collins.”
“You never specified what I had to do in the dare. If you wanted to make sure I didn’t jump on you, then you needed to disclose those terms upfront.” She huffed as she righted herself making it so she sat on Hunter’s chest. She then pushed her chestnut hair out of her face. “It’s not my fault your dumb brain forgot that part.”
“Who talks like that?” He squirmed trying to get her off. “Has anyone ever told you, you’re annoying?”
“Yes, you. Every day.”
“You’re ten. You’re not some genius.” Hunter pushed her off him, causing her to land on her butt in the dirt.
From where she landed, Abbie watched as he fixed his clothes before pushing his black hair out of his face, giving her the view of his hunter green eyes that matched his name. “Excuse you, I turn eleven in two days.” Abbie stuck her tongue out at him as she jumped to her feet.
“Oh, that reminds me…” Hunter pulled a tiny box out of his pocket. “This is for you.”
Abbie took a step back caught entirely off-guard. Then out of nowhere, her heart did this weird flip thing she couldn’t explain.
As she stared at him, with her mouth open in disbelief. She quickly tried to scan her body. She was ten, so there was no way she was having a heart attack. Right? When Hunter pushed the box closer to her, her heart did it again.
What the hell? Am I dying? Oh, God, the jump really did kill me. And, of course, this is now my hell. A hell where Hunter James existed.
“Take the box, Abbie,” Hunter scoffed annoyed.
Had he really gotten her a birthday gift? She looked at the box and then back to his face. He seemed sincere. But then again, this was Hunter after all.
Abbie bit her bottom lip as she took the box. Maybe this is the end of the feud…or, you know, maybe it was a bomb. There was a fifty-fifty shot of either one.
Screw it. That was Abbie’s motto when it came to Hunter.
She opened the box.
“Eww!” Before Abbie knew what was happening, grasshoppers started jumping out causing her to drop the box.
“Happy Birthday!” Hunter laughed as Abbie danced around trying to get the creatures off. “You’re a jerk, Hunter.”
“No, I’m not.” He took a step closer to her plucking one of the grasshoppers off her shoulder. “I dare you to eat it.”
“No way!” Abbie shook her head stepping back from him.
“You scared, little girl?” He pushed the grasshopper closer to her face.
“No, I’m not scared.”
“Abbie the chicken. I knew the name would fit.”
Screw it!
Abbie snatched the grasshopper from Hunter’s fingers before shoving the thing into her mouth causing Hunter’s eyes to widen for a split second before his amusement overtook him. “Holy crap. I can’t believe you did it.”
“Of course, I did,” she said disgusted with herself. “I’m not a chicken.”
“Abbie Babbie, the one with too much flabby,” Hunter laughed.
“That’s it.” Abbie launched herself at Hunter tackling him to the ground. “What’s your problem?”
“I don’t have a problem. You have a problem.” He fought from under her.
“Oh, that’s really mature.” Abbie kept him pinned to the ground. She’d learned a few things from their past wrestling matches. Like how locking her knees around his chest would prevent him from moving for at least a few seconds.
“I am a mature person. I’m almost thirteen. That makes me almost a teenager.” Hunter looked at her. The moment her eyes locked with his green ones, that strange feeling in her heart came back. Maybe she was having a heart attack.
“You’re a jerk.”
“You always say that.”
“That’s ‘cause it’s true.”
Hunter grunted before pushing Abbie off him effectively flipping her onto the ground. “Whatever. Why don’t you run on home and stick your head in one of those stupid books you always have with you?”
“How is that an insult?” Abbie crossed her arms over her chest. “You make it seem like reading is a bad thing. Maybe if you picked up a book every once in a while, you’d actually learn something.”
“Oh, like the books you read teach you anything?” He cocked his brow.
“Duhh. They teach me all kinds of stuff.” Abbie walked to her bag and threw one of her books at him. “I dare you.”
Hunter caught it with ease. “You dare me to what?”
“Read a book. Learn something. Stop being such an ass-hat.”
Ignoring her new insult, Hunter cocked his head to the side. “You want me to read Treasure Island? This isn’t English class, Collins.”
“What are you scared you might actually learn something?”
Abbie knew she had him. Hunter never turned down a dare from her. Just like she never turned down a dare from him. “I dare you to read that whole book, Hunter.”
His eyes shot to hers as they narrowed. “Fine.” He placed the book under his arm as he turned away from her. After walking a few steps, he looked over his shoulder. “A dare’s a dare. Just remember this isn’t over.”
Would it ever be?
Continue Abbie and Hunter’s story in Nothing But a Dare.
Also by Molly O’Hare
Hollywood Hopeful Series
Hollywood Dreams
Risking It All (Danny and Lexi’s Story) – coming soon
Stumbling Through Life Series
Stumbling Into Him
Stumbling Into Forever
Stumbling Into the Holidays - This book
Teased Series
Teased by Fire
Lucas & Miranda’s story- coming soon
Standalone
Nothing But a Dare
Learning Curves
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