Stella
Another night.
I had a feeling he was outside.
It was strange how quickly I had gotten used to the idea. The first night, I was surprised. The second, I was curious. But now? Now, I was expecting it. Looking forward to it, even.
And that was terrifying.
I had no idea what to do with this feeling, but even Bree had admitted that Cameron was serious about me. The guy is literally sleeping on a cold, hard floor just to make sure I'm okay. That had to mean something, right?
I took a deep breath, then walked to the door and opened it.
But he wasn't there.
I frowned.
It wasn't like I wanted him to keep doing this, obviously. He had to get tired of it eventually, and I should've been glad he finally gave up on it.
So why did I feel... disappointed?
This is ridiculous, Stella.
I sighed and was about to close the door when—
"Hey."
I turned at the sound of his voice and saw him walking down the hall toward me, pillow and blanket in hand.
Something in my chest settled.
"I thought you weren't coming," I said before I could stop myself.
His lips twitched like he was holding back a smirk. "Practice ran late. Big game tomorrow."
I nodded, trying to push away the weird sense of relief. Of course, he had a good reason. He wasn't actually giving up on me.
He reached his usual spot, dropped his pillow, and sat down, wrapping the blanket around himself like this was just another normal night.
I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms. "What kind of game?"
He tilted his head. "Championship qualifier. If we win, we make it to the finals."
I raised an eyebrow. "And you're seriously planning to sleep out here the night before a game like that?"
He just shrugged. "Yeah."
It was so simple for him. No hesitation. No second thoughts.
And before I could stop myself, the words left my mouth—
"Do you... want to come inside?"
Cameron froze.
His eyes snapped to mine, like he hadn't heard me right.
To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd actually said it either. My heart pounded as the silence stretched between us.
I cleared my throat. "I mean—Bree's not here, and you clearly aren't planning on going to your own bed. And I don't want your whole team to lose because you didn't sleep all night."
His lips slowly curled into a smirk. "You care if we win?"
I groaned. "That's not the point."
He grinned, but there was something softer behind it, something that made my stomach flip. "I didn't expect that."
"Yeah, well, me neither," I muttered, stepping aside to let him in before I changed my mind.
He got up quickly, grabbing his pillow and blanket. "Where do I sleep?"
I pointed to Bree's bed. "There."
"Noted." He walked in and set his things down, still looking like he couldn't believe I had actually let him in.
And honestly? I couldn't believe it either.
I didn't want to risk Cameron playing badly tomorrow because of me. That would just give his dad more of a reason to be awful to him, and I would not be responsible for that.
But... if I was being completely honest, that wasn't the only reason.
I felt safer when he was here.
And for once, I wasn't going to push that feeling away.
The second the door clicked shut behind us, I felt the weight of what I had just done.
Cameron was inside my dorm. Inside my space.
He walked over to Bree's bed, setting his pillow and blanket down, before flopping onto it with a sigh. Cameron stretched out his arms, getting comfortable. "Man, you have no idea how good it feels to be on an actual bed again."
That made me laugh—just a little. "Yeah, well, maybe that's a sign you should start sleeping in your own bed again."
He turned his head toward me, a lazy grin on his face. "Nah. I think this is the best arrangement we've had so far."
I shook my head, but my lips twitched slightly.
Silence settled between us, the kind that wasn't uncomfortable but still felt... heavy. I lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to Cameron shifting under the covers.
He must have taken the quiet as a sign I wanted to sleep because his voice came softly through the dark room—
"Goodnight, Stella."
I hesitated, then whispered, "Can I ask you something?"
I could practically hear him turning toward me. "Anything."
I took a breath. "Truth or dare?"
A beat of silence. Then—
A low chuckle. "Are we really playing this right now?"
"Just answer."
He let out a dramatic sigh. "Alright, truth."
I turned onto my side, facing where he was lying in the dark. "Why are you really sleeping outside my door?"
His answer came without hesitation. "Because I don't want to leave you alone."
A pause. Then he added, quieter, "Because I'm scared something will happen and I won't be there. When you had that seizure, I just stood there. I stood there frozen like the biggest idiot. I wasn't the one who called 911 or the one who held you, and I hate myself for that. I swear to God it will never happen again, I'll be here when you need me."
Something about the honesty in his voice made my chest feel tight.
I swallowed. "Your turn."
I could hear the smirk in his voice. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Why did you really let me in tonight?"
I knew he would ask that. And I knew I had no point in lying.
"Because I didn't want you to be exhausted for your game," I said, then exhaled. "I really hate what's going on with your father. I don't want him to hurt you for anything, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I was the reason why."
"So you pity me?" He asked quietly.
"No—" I stopped myself before I could say what I was actually thinking. Because it's like he said... I don't pity him, I love him. And you never want to see someone you love get hurt.
There was silence. But it wasn't awkward.
It was understanding.
I shifted under the covers. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
I took a breath. "Why did you do it?"
Cameron didn't ask what I meant. He knew.
It took him a second before he answered. "Because I always feel like I have to be this... perfect version of myself. The captain, the guy the team looks up to. So sometimes I pretend to be someone I'm not just to feel like I belong. When the bet happened, I knew it was wrong. But I wanted to be— part of the guys, I guess? And I was an idiot."
His voice was quieter now. "The moment I got to know you, I knew I was screwed. I knew I couldn't go through with it. But I was too much of a coward to admit it to you."
I stared at the ceiling, my throat tight.
Cameron sighed. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
There was hesitation this time.
Then he finally asked, "Do you think you could ever forgive me?"
I didn't answer. I wasn't ready to. Instead, I asked the only question that had been circling my mind for days.
"Did you mean it? When you said you loved me?"
No hesitation. "Yes."
I swallowed. "How do you know?"
Cameron shifted on the bed. "Because when I see you, everything else disappears. Because the thought of you hurting makes me want to tear the world apart. Because no matter how many times you push me away, I'll always want to be close to you."
I didn't breathe.
He let out a small laugh. "And because even though I know I don't deserve you, I still hope you'll give me a chance."
I closed my eyes.
I hated how much I wanted to believe him.
And maybe I already did.
Because what he described... I felt exactly the same way.
After a long moment, I whispered, "I think I could forgive you."
I heard Cameron exhale, like I had just taken a weight off his chest.
"Feelings don't just go away," I admitted, barely louder than a whisper.
He didn't respond. But I didn't need him to.
"Goodnight, Cameron."
His voice was soft. "Goodnight, Stella."
I lay there in the dark, my heart racing.
Had I said too much?
Maybe.
But... I didn't regret it.