Dare Me

by Stella Rhys

  He surprised me one day with something I never even told him had been weighing on me. It was a photo and a letter, written by the beautiful family in Richmond that had taken in baby Matthew, my half-brother. Callum held me as I sat crying at the kitchen counter, reading about what a relaxed but brilliant boy he was, exactly as I’d imagined him to be. Callum asked lightly about Matthew, going on when he saw that I was happy to tell more stories now that I knew he was okay.

  As his wife, I could not, for the life of me, figure out why I had ever doubted Callum. His love for me came in so many forms I sometimes didn’t even recognize them. But I never, ever took him for granted. Not after the years I’d spent fighting to get back to him.

  I realized how much love I’d missed of his during that stressful time on a night – one of the many – that I lay in bed on his chest. He was asleep. I stared at the rose gold bracelet he had given me for my twenty-seventh birthday in Scotland. It was a little looser now. Mommy life had slimmed parts of my body. Certainly not my upper arms or my legs, but my wrist was a little thinner, so as I lay in bed, soaking in the peaceful silence of Callum’s easy breaths, I let the bangle slide off my hand.

  I gazed at it, sitting atop our plush, white comforter. It sparkled the way I felt inside and it was so beautiful I couldn’t believe I had ever let myself wonder if it lacked the meaning I’d expect in a gift from Callum. Years later, I shook my head, scolding myself for what I’d let that writer from the Times drive me to think. I was already back to full appreciation for the gorgeous piece when I noticed an inscription inside it. I’d never seen it before and as I read it, my lips spread into a slow but enormous smile, realizing that there were even times in our past that Callum had loved me without me fully seeing it.

  Carved in the rose gold was our distinct declaration of passion and commitment. Despite being married now, being husband and wife, we still couldn’t always find the right ways to describe how much we truly loved one another. So I laughed against Callum’s warm chest that night as I read the word I remembered most from the night I lost my virginity to him. Engraved in cursive, it was perfectly plain and simple, because we were everything but.

  Likewise.

  The End

  Hello Reader!

  Thank you so much for reading Dare Me. I had the time of my life writing this book, so if you enjoyed it, I have a big favor to ask you.

  First off, I was always the type of writer who required total silence while working, but oh boy, did I do a one-eighty on that with Dare Me! Music, specifically these incredible songs that felt somehow composed by the word for my story and characters, changed everything for me and I will never go back to writing without it. Never!

  Each track below was the one that had me dependent, hitting repeat till I was done writing the labeled scene. It made me see everything so clearly and I hope that sharing this playlist with readers will give a look into my experience of breathing life into Callum, Lake and the ones they loved (and didn’t, for that matter).

  If any of the below chapters were a favorite, I would absolutely recommend rereading while playing the song of inspiration! Starred are my favorites. I implore you to listen! I promise you will find at least one to love.

  (Also this is a really good sexy time playlist.)

  Happy reading and listening!

  (And other things!)

  xox

  Stella

  Too Afraid To Love You – THE BLACK KEYS (Chapter One)

  Blood Bank – BON IVER (Chapter Six)*

  Sail – AWOLNATION (Chapter Nine)

  Glory Box – PORTISHEAD (Chapter Thirteen)*

  Cheek To Cheek – ELLA FITZGERALD & LOUIS ARMSTRONG (Chapter Fourteen)

  I Know Places – LYKKE LI (Chapter Seventeen)*

  Crazy In Love Remix – BEYONCE (Chapter Nineteen)*

  Psychotic Girl – THE BLACK KEYS (Chapter Twenty-Two)*

  Goddamn Lonely Love – DRIVE BY TRUCKERS (Chapter Twenty-Three)*

  Biscuit – PORTISHEAD (Chapter Twenty-Five)

  Breathe Me – SIA (Chapter Twenty-Eight)*

  Dissolved Girl – MASSIVE ATTACK (Chapter Twenty-Nine)

  Feeling Good – AVICII (Chapter Thirty)*

  Hallelujah – JEFF BUCKLEY (Chapter Thirty)

  When I’m Small – PHANTOGRAM (Epilogue)

  Available Now by Stella Rhys:

  IN TOO DEEP

  TOO FAR GONE (IN TOO DEEP #2)

  HAVOC

  DAMAGE (HAVOC #2)

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