Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 24

Randal remained in his forward-leaning stance, but the faint amusement vanished from his face entirely, leaving behind a bottomless, glacial cold.

He slowly sat back, reaching for a beer by his feet. He popped the cap off and downed half the bottle in one long swig.

"Hey, you didn't even lose! Why are you drinking?" Miles laughed from the sidelines.

Randal ignored him, tilting his head back to chug the rest of the beer.

Smash—

He hurled the glass bottle at the ground, shattering it into jagged pieces.

Willa jolted in shock, her rational mind slowly catching up with her actions.

She glanced at Zack, who was frozen stiff and blushing furiously, and a sudden wave of regret hit her.

The kiss had been way too reckless.

She promised herself she would pull Zack aside and explain everything the second she got the chance.

Randal suddenly stood up, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. A violent glint flashed in his eyes. "This is boring. Let's switch up the rules."

The rest of the group, who hadn't even gotten a turn yet, fell dead silent, terrified by the shattering glass. No one dared to argue.

"The rules are simple," Randal declared. "We're only doing Dares. And if you're chosen, you can't refuse. Are you brave enough for that?"

Not being able to refuse made the stakes dangerously high.

Willa's chest tightened. She instantly realized Randal was targeting her.

"I..." She was about to excuse herself from the game, but he talked right over her.

"It's just a game. Don't be a buzzkill. Or are you scared of me?"

"Enough!" Even the usually even-tempered Zack was livid, his face pale with rage.

He grabbed Willa's hand and barked, "Come on. We're done playing."

Randal stood completely still, his face utterly blank. "Party's over."

The rest of the group scrambled away like they had just been pardoned from execution.

Miles walked over and clapped him on the shoulder, his tone serious. "You really took it too far this time, man. That's his girlfriend. Why would you..."

"Did I?" A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Randal's mouth. "Because I feel like... it wasn't nearly enough."

Zack walked Willa back to her small tent and looked down at her. "Willa, I'm so sorry."

He hesitated, struggling to find the words. "Randal... he and you..."