Elijah ced a skewer of grilled wings in front of Cameron. "Try these."


    "Thanks," Cameron said with a nod.


    The table wasn''t that big, and everything was within reach. Yet Elijah handed it to her anyway.


    L caught the look in Elijah''s eyes as he nced at Cameron, soft, deliberate, unmistakably fond. The moment she saw it, it all clicked.


    ''No wonder he turned me down.'' If she''d lost to anyone else, she might''ve been upset. But losing to Cameron? She had to admit, it made sense.


    Calder, sitting nearby, had a good first impression of L. He started up a casual conversation, and L responded politely, a little smile on her lips.


    Sienna, on the other hand, was quieter. The guy sitting next to her wasn''t exactly a chatterbox either. The two of them shared a silence that stretched on


    awkwardly.


    Amelia stayed ice-cool as usual. Tyler tried several different conversation starters, but everything he threw at hernded with a thud. Her answers were brief and t, which left Tyler feeling mildly defeated.


    Even though the vibe around the table wasn''t exactly buzzing, it wasn''t tense either. Just mellow.


    Halfway through the meal, Elijah nudged Tyler''s foot under the table.


    Tyler looked up sharply, meeting Elijah''s eyes. Instantly, he understood. ''Right. The n.''


    He''d been so focused on Amelia''s frosty attitude, he nearly forgot what he''d promised Elijah.


    Tyler pped his hands together. "Alright, people! I know it''s our first time hanging out, but don''t you think we''re being a little too quiet? Let''s liven things up with a game!"


    "I''m down," one of the guys chimed in.


    "What game?" asked L, always the enthusiastic one.


    Tyler grinned. "How about Truth or Dare?"


    "Yes! Let''s do it," L said, already fired up.


    Amelia gave her a side nce. "Don''te crying to meter.",


    "What''s there to regret? It''s just a game," L replied,ughing.


    Elijah turned to Cameron. "You in?"


    Cameron nodded. "Sure."


    Sienna didn''t object either."


    Everyone agreed-grilled skewers in one hand, cards in the other. Sounded like a good night.


    Tyler pulled out a deck he''d clearly prepared ahead of time. He drew eight cards, cing one joker among them. Whoever drew the joker would have to choose between truth or dare.


    In the first round, L got the joker.


    She groaned. "Of course it''s me."


    Tyler raised an eyebrow. "L, truth or dare?"


    She narrowed her eyes. "Dare."


    Tyler nced at Calder and said, "Alright then, give Calder a hug."


    L stared at him. "Seriously?"


    Sienna blushed. "Are we really going that far right away?"


    Amelia added, "L, you picked dare. No backing out."


    "I didn''t say I was," L huffed, standing up.


    "Do it! Hug! Hug!" Tyler led the chant, clearly loving the chaos.


    The whole point of this get-together was to create some sparks. Games like this helped people get a little closer.


    L''s cheeks flushed pink as she looked at Calder.


    His ears were already red. He stood up awkwardly, clearly bracing himself for impact.


    He cleared his throat. "You don''t have to go all in. Just a quick one is fine."


    L shut her eyes and threw her arms around him, quick, clumsy, and over in a second. She bounced away almost immediately.


    Still, even that split-second of contact left both of them bright red, avoiding each other''s gaze.


    Everyone around the table burst outughing. They yed a few more rounds, and eventually, Cameron drew the joker.


    The round before, Amelia had drawn it.


    Now it was her turn to ask. "Truth or dare?" Amelia asked.


    "Dare," Cameron replied without hesitation.


    Amelia blinked. She hadn''t expected that.


    She''d been hoping Cameron would pick truth-she already had the perfect


    question in mind. ''Do you like Bradley?''


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!