"Oh,to find love and friendship in the same person"
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Cameron sat directly across from me, shuffling a deck of brightly colored cards with his trademark mischievous grin plastered across his face. His fingers moved like he was a magician preparing for the finale of his best trick.
His grin only widened when he noticed me watching, and I couldn't help but feel a warning bell ringing through me.
"Alright, troops," he began, his voice full of mischief. "For those who have been under a rock-" His gaze slid to me, and I felt the intensity of his teasing smirk. "Or, shall I say, new to this sacred tradition-let me explain the rules."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "I have not been under a rock," I muttered, though my voice didn't carry much weight.
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Ever played Never Have I Ever: ExpansionEdition before?"
I opened my mouth to respond but Isla jumped in. "Cam, she's not that clueless. Stop messing with her."
"Not everyone here is a seasoned player," he countered, raising a brow.
Aadam crossed his arms and shot Cameron a glare that would have melted glaciers. "Just keep your antics to yourself, Smith."
Cameron gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "Me? Antics? I'm just here to facilitate a friendly game among close friends."
"Friendly, my foot," Aadam muttered.
"I'm offended, mate." Cameron didn't even try to hide his grin.
"I'm serious," Aadam growled, his eyes narrowing.
Cameron just laughed and continued. "Everyone starts with ten play cards-the blue ones-and every round, one of us will pick a red rule card to mix things up." He held up a red card, waggling his eyebrows. "These are where things get spicy."
Freya groaned dramatically. "Why do I feel like this was just an excuse to torture everyone?"
"Because it is," George muttered, earning a snort from Isla.
Cameron turned his attention back to me, his grin returning full force. "Renna, darling, I can't wait to see your face when you realize what's in store."
My stomach flipped. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," he said, dealing out the ten blue play cards to each of us, "you're about to learn some things you can never unlearn." His grin was maddening, and I wasn't sure whether I wanted to run or throttle him.
"Can we just start already?" Isla interjected, clearly unimpressed by his theatrics.
He winked at her and handed out the cards. The moment my stack landed in my hands, I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold air.
