truth or dare - game on series #1

Stella

The second the door closed behind Cameron, I broke.

I barely made it two steps before my knees gave out, and I sank onto the floor, my body shaking with silent sobs. It felt like the walls were closing in, like I couldn't breathe, like the entire world had been ripped out from under me. I clutched my arms around myself, as if that would stop the ache spreading through my chest.

Bree was next to me in an instant, pulling me into her arms, whispering soft reassurances into my hair. "I got you," she murmured. "Let it out."

I buried my face in her shoulder, gripping onto her hoodie like it was the only thing keeping me from completely falling apart. I wanted to scream, to throw something, to do anything to get this horrible feeling out of my body, but all I could do was sob against my best friend.

"How could he do that?" My voice cracked as I pulled back, wiping at my tear-streaked cheeks. "How could he—how could I have been so stupid?"

Bree sighed, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "You're not stupid, Stell. He is. He's the idiot who let go of the best thing that ever happened to him."

I shook my head, my chest tightening again. "I let myself believe it was real. That he really cared. And the worst part?" My voice broke. "I was going to tell him about my epilepsy tonight. I was finally going to trust him with that. And the whole time... the whole time, it was just some stupid bet."

Bree's eyes darkened, anger flashing across her face. "I swear to God, if I ever see him again, I'm going to make him regret ever walking into your life."

I let out a broken laugh, but it turned into another choked sob. "I don't understand, Bree. He made me feel safe. He made me feel—" My throat closed up, and I shook my head. "Was anything even real? Or was I just some challenge to him?"

Bree grabbed my hands, squeezing them tight. "I don't know what was real to him, but I know what was real for you. And that's what matters now. You let yourself love someone, and that's brave, Stella. But now? Now you need to protect yourself."

I nodded, sniffling. "It just hurts so much."

"I know," she said softly, rubbing circles into my back. "But you have me, okay? You're not alone in this."

I leaned into her, letting the silence stretch between us. My heart felt shattered, my chest hollow, but at least I wasn't alone in the wreckage. At least I had Bree.

And maybe one day, this wouldn't hurt as much as it did right now.

Cameron

The drive home felt longer than usual, even though I was probably speeding more than I should've been. My hands gripped the wheel so tight my knuckles turned white, but I couldn't loosen them. I could still hear Stella's voice in my head, the way it cracked when she said she didn't believe me. The way she looked at me like I was a stranger. Worse—like I was someone she hated.

I had never seen her like that before. Never thought I'd be the reason for it.

She was supposed to be the one person who saw me for who I really was. And now? Now she thought I was just some asshole who made a bet to mess with her.

I ran a hand through my hair, gripping the strands at the roots in frustration. I wanted to scream. I wanted to hit something. I wanted to go back to her dorm and shake her, make her understand that it wasn't like that. That it was never like that.

But she wouldn't listen. She had already made up her mind.

When I finally pulled up to the house, I barely remembered the drive. My chest was still tight, my breathing uneven. I turned off the car and sat there, gripping the steering wheel, staring at nothing.

I should've told her the truth sooner. I should've known something like this would come back to bite me. I should've—

The sound of the front door opening broke through my thoughts. Drew stepped onto the porch, squinting into the darkness. "Dude, what the hell? We've been texting you."

I didn't answer. Just shoved the car door open and walked inside, brushing past him. The second I stepped into the living room, Liam and Luke turned to me. They were sitting on the couch, a game paused on the TV.

"You look like shit," Liam said.

"Yeah, well, I feel worse." My voice was hoarse, like I had been screaming, even though I hadn't said a word since I left Stella's dorm.

Drew followed me in, closing the door behind him. "What happened?"

I hesitated, rubbing a hand down my face. I didn't want to talk about it. Not because I didn't trust them, but because saying it out loud made it too real.

Luke sat up straighter, like he already knew. "It's about Stella, isn't it?"

I exhaled sharply and nodded. "She found out about the bet."

Silence. No one said anything for a second, and then Liam let out a low curse.

"Shit."

Drew sank into the armchair, running a hand through his hair. "Man, I told you you should have told her before she found out from someone else."

I swallowed hard. "She thinks I never cared about her. That the whole thing was just some game to me."

Luke shook his head. "Damn. That's not fair. You—"

"It doesn't matter if it's fair," I snapped, my frustration boiling over. "It's what she believes."

The room fell silent again, tension thick in the air. I dropped onto the couch, burying my face in my hands.

"She was going to tell me something," I said after a moment. "She said she was about to tell me something really important before she found out."

Drew frowned. "Any idea what it was?"

I shook my head. "No. And now I might never know."

The thought made me sick.

I loved her. I knew it was true. And now she probably hated me.

Luke leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "So what are you gonna do?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "I don't know, man. She won't even look at me."

Liam sighed. "Maybe she just needs time."

I wasn't so sure.

I stared at the floor, my mind spinning, my heart feeling heavier than it ever had before.

I had screwed up. Badly. And I had no idea how to fix it.