truth or dare - game on series #1

Stella

I spent most of the morning debating whether or not to text him. I mean, it was our one-month anniversary. That had to mean something, right? But at the same time, it felt a little ridiculous to make a big deal out of a month. It wasn't like we'd been together for years. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that today was special. I wanted to acknowledge it, but I wasn't sure how.

Bree, of course, had plenty of opinions.

"Just text him, Stell," she said, lounging on my bed and scrolling through her phone. "Or call him. What's the worst that could happen?"

I sighed, staring at my phone like it held the answers. "I don't know... What if he forgot? Or what if he thinks it's stupid?"

Bree snorted. "Cameron is obsessed with you. He didn't forget."

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could, there was a knock at the door. Bree raised an eyebrow. "Told you."

I rolled my eyes but felt a smile tug at my lips as I went to open the door. And there he was, standing there like he owned the place, a cocky smirk on his face and that playful glint in his eyes.

"Come with me," he said simply.

"What?" I blinked. "Where?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed my hand and started pulling me out the door.

"Cameron! I'm in a hoodie and leggings. I'm not even wearing real shoes!" I protested, glancing down at my sneakers.

"You're perfect," he said, smirking as he tossed my jacket at me. "Now, hurry up."

I barely had time to grab it before he was leading me down the hall and out of the dorm. Bree called after us, something teasing that I couldn't quite make out, but I was too focused on the boy dragging me to his car like he was on some kind of mission.

The drive was quiet but comfortable, his hand resting on my knee as he tapped his fingers idly against my leg. Every once in a while, he'd glance over at me and smirk like he knew something I didn't.

"Are you gonna tell me where we're going?" I finally asked.

"Nope."

I huffed, but there was no real annoyance behind it. He was up to something, and I had a feeling it was going to be worth the mystery.

By the time we pulled up to the top of a hill, the sun was already starting to dip below the horizon, casting everything in warm shades of pink and gold. There was only one bench, facing out toward the view, and my breath caught at how beautiful it was.

Cameron didn't say anything. He just took my hand and led me to the bench, pulling me down beside him. We sat there for a while, just watching the sky change colors, the world slowing down around us.

"This is beautiful," I finally murmured.

He looked over at me, his expression soft. "Yeah. It is."

Something about the way he said it made my stomach flip, but I ignored it, focusing instead on the sight in front of me. The sky slowly darkened, stars beginning to peek through the inky blackness.

Then Cameron stood up. "Be right back."

I watched as he jogged back to his car, curiosity bubbling inside me. A minute later, he returned, carrying something in his hands. It wasn't until he set them down that I realized what they were.

Lanterns.

I sucked in a breath, my heart squeezing in my chest.

"Cameron..."

"You told me once that you always wanted to do this," he said, crouching down to light one. "Said it was like adding a star to the sky. Figured it was time to make that happen."

I stared at him, my chest tight with something I wasn't sure I was ready to name. I remembered that conversation, a month ago, when we watched Tangled together and I offhandedly mentioned how I'd always wanted to release a lantern into the sky. I never thought he was actually listening.

But he was.

He handed me one, his fingers brushing against mine, and together, we lifted them into the air, watching as they floated higher and higher, becoming tiny glowing dots against the night sky. It was magical. It was perfect.

Cameron watched them drift upward, then glanced over at me. "Are we supposed to make a wish or something?"

I laughed softly. "I think that's just birthday candles."

He shrugged, grinning. "I'm making a wish anyway."

I turned to look at him, watching as he closed his eyes for a second before opening them again. "What did you wish for?"

He smirked. "Can't tell you, or it won't come true."

I rolled my eyes but smiled, warmth spreading through my chest.

Then he turned to me, his expression suddenly more serious, more sincere. "Happy one month, Star."

Something inside me melted at that. He remembered. And not only did he remember, but he went out of his way to make this moment special.

And in that moment, I realized something.

I loved him.

The thought hit me so hard I almost lost my breath. It was terrifying and wonderful all at once. I had never been in love before, and the idea of it scared me more than I wanted to admit. But looking at Cameron, at the way he smiled as he watched the lanterns disappear into the distance, I knew it was true.

I didn't say it. Not yet. But I knew.