The SUV had gone quiet for the first time in hours. Music had dulled to a background hum, half the group was scrolling aimlessly on their phones, and Harley leaned against the window, watching the blur of trees. The boredom was so thick you could feel it settling over everyone like fog.
Then a voice cut through it:
"Alright, this is dead. Truth or Dare. Now."
Groans and laughter filled the car instantly. Someone in the back clapped like it was the best idea in the world. Ethan didn't even look up from his phone — he just muttered, "This can only end badly."
Which, of course, was why it started immediately.
The first few rounds were harmless.
"Dare: chug the rest of your soda without burping."
One guy tried and failed, letting out such an explosive burp the whole car shook with laughter.
"Truth: what's the most embarrassing DM you've ever sent?"
A girl admitted to once messaging her gym crush with the wrong emoji — a peach instead of a thumbs up. Chaos erupted for a solid five minutes.
The dares escalated quickly, as they always did. One friend was dared to call their mom and ask what she thought of aliens. Another had to do their best TikTok dance in the cramped aisle between the seats, smacking their head on the roof mid-spin. Everyone was crying with laughter at that point, the car practically swerving with how hard the driver was laughing.
"Okay, okay," Harley wheezed, wiping her eyes. "My turn. Truth."
"Do you have a crush on anyone… in this car?" someone asked, smirking.
The SUV went dead silent. All eyes turned to her. Harley froze, pulse hammering.
She forced a smirk. "Yeah. On the snacks bag. That's my crush."
Everyone booed and laughed, pelting her with chips. Crisis averted — for now.
But the universe had other plans.
"Alright, Harley. Dare," one of the girls said, grinning wickedly. "Sit on Ethan's lap for the next two rounds."
The car erupted in whistles and cheers. Harley's stomach dropped. Ethan's head snapped up, eyes locking on hers. For a second, it was like the air froze between them — then he gave the tiniest smirk, the one that promised danger.
"No way," Harley blurted.
"Yes way!" the group chanted. "Rules are rules!"
Jake piped up, his voice sharp. "If she doesn't want to, she doesn't have to."
Which only made the crowd louder. "Oooh, protective much?" someone teased.
Harley swallowed hard, forcing a laugh. "Fine. But if he crushes me, I'm suing."
She slid over and perched herself onto Ethan's lap, heat rushing up her face. Everyone howled, phones came out to snap pictures, and someone yelled, "Don't get too comfy!"
If only they knew.
Every bump in the road pressed her closer against him. Every shift of his leg made her pulse spike. Ethan's hand rested casually on the seat — too close, almost grazing her side. His breath brushed her shoulder when he leaned forward.
"Still," he murmured so low only she could hear.
Her whole body tensed. She wanted to shove him, laugh it off, anything — but the group was too busy heckling Jake about looking jealous.
The game rolled on.
"Truth: who was your last stalked Insta profile?" one friend confessed. "My ex's… new girlfriend." The whole car groaned.
"Dare: text your dad and ask how to delete history." That one nearly killed them all.
But Harley barely heard any of it. Every jolt of the SUV made her shift on Ethan's lap, and his subtle, infuriating smirk told her he knew exactly what he was doing. Her pulse hammered so loud it drowned out half the game.
Finally, it was Jake's turn. "Dare," he said flatly.
"Alright, Jake…" someone grinned. "Sing the chorus of your favorite love song. Right now."
Everyone leaned in, ready to roast him.
Jake cleared his throat, tried, and cracked so hard mid-line that the entire SUV exploded into screams. Someone pounded on the seat, another recorded it instantly. Jake went bright red, glaring at everyone, but the damage was done.
"Bro," one guy wheezed between laughs, "you sounded like a dying rooster."
Even Harley laughed — tension breaking just long enough. Ethan's chest rumbled beneath her as he chuckled too, low and deep, his hand brushing her side in a way no one else saw.
And just like that, the game rolled on, secrets spilling, dares turning riskier, but nothing more dangerous than the secret Harley and Ethan were already hiding.
The game had settled into pure chaos when someone called out:
"Ethan. Truth or Dare?"
He smirked, shifting just enough that Harley felt the heat of him beneath her. "Dare."
The group cheered, already plotting.
"Okay… I dare you to give someone here your best three-second lap dance."
The SUV exploded. People screamed, clapped, egged him on. Ethan chuckled, running a hand over his jaw as though he were actually considering it.
"Alright then," he said, standing just enough to make Harley freeze. His hands landed on her shoulders, steadying her. For three slow, taunting seconds, he rolled his hips close enough that the whole car screamed with laughter and whistles — but only Harley felt how deliberate the press of his body really was.
"Okay, okay, show's over," he said smoothly, sliding back into his seat like it meant nothing.
Harley's pulse was still skittering out of control. The crowd teased him mercilessly, but Ethan just smirked, completely unbothered.
---
Two rounds later, it came back around.
"Ethan, Truth."
"Shoot."
The question came from the girl up front. "Who here would you date, if you had to pick someone in this car?"
The SUV roared with ooohs and catcalls. Jake's head whipped around so fast Harley thought he'd snap his neck.
Ethan didn't flinch. He let his gaze drag slowly around the car, milking the suspense, before landing on Harley. Not for long — just a flicker — but it was enough to make her stomach plummet.
Then he smirked. "Easy. The snacks bag. We're soulmates."
The whole car booed and laughed, pelting him with chip wrappers. Harley forced a laugh too, but her cheeks burned. Only she knew that flick of his eyes hadn't been a joke.
---
Later, another dare found him. "Ethan. Dare."
This time the grin was wicked. "Whisper something you've never told anyone into the person on your left's ear."
On his left… was Harley.
The group hooted like maniacs, shouting, "Do it! Do it!"
Ethan leaned in, his breath brushing Harley's ear. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a whisper — but what he said made her whole body jolt.
"If they had any idea how you sound when I'm inside you , they'd know you belong to me. Good thing that's our secret."
Her breath hitched so sharply she nearly gave them away. She gripped the seat in front of her, fighting to laugh along with the group's groans and teasing. But inside, her whole body trembled, replaying his voice, the heat in it, the weight of what he'd just confessed.
Then Ethan leaned back, smirk effortless.
"Not telling," he said coolly.
Everyone groaned again, pelting him with chips, but Harley couldn't even hear them. The only thing she heard was the truth in his voice — wild, forbidden, and hers alone.