Page 12

stassi

I glanced at the timer—eight minutes left.

I stared at the oven door, pretending I knew what I was doing, but the truth was I had no clue how to make cookies.

I’d lied about knowing the recipe, just throwing things together and hoping for the best. Maybe that was what made this moment feel so freeing.

For once, it didn’t matter if I got it right or if everything turned out perfect.

I could just be messy, uncertain, and it felt like a small rebellion against the rigid lines my life had been forced into.

Alex didn’t call me out on it; he just went along, trusting me even when I didn’t have a plan.

The knot in my stomach loosened. In this apartment, there was no one to scold me, no one to demand I be something else.

It was just us in this tiny kitchen, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I could feel safe.

“Want to play a game?” Alex interrupted my thoughts. “You know, just while we wait?”

“Oh, yeah.” I sighed, grateful for the chance to break some of the tension. “What do you have in mind?”

“A classic—truth or dare.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Truth or dare, huh? Are we in high school again?”

“Maybe,” he said teasingly, leaning in closer, his gaze never leaving mine. “Or maybe I just want to see how honest you’ll be with me.”

I leaned back in the chair, considering it. I’d never felt pressured with him.

“We can stop it, though, anytime you’re uncomfortable.”

“Alright, you’re on. Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” he said confidently, as if he had nothing to hide.

I tapped my finger against my chin, thinking. “Okay, what’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done in the past year?”

He laughed, shaking his head. “You’re going easy on me, aren’t you?

Alright, let’s see... I accidentally walked into the women’s locker room after practice once.

The girls league was on after us. Didn’t realize until I was already halfway inside.

I’ve never seen so many horrified looks in my life. ”

I burst out laughing, imagining his sheepish expression. “Bet you turned right around.”

“Like my life depended on it,” he admitted, still grinning. “Alright, your turn. Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” I said, feeling a little bolder but also not ready for a dare just yet.

He didn’t hesitate, his expression turning serious. “What are you truly afraid of?”

I wanted to brush it off with a joke, but the intensity in his eyes made me pause.

I looked down at my hands, fiddling with the hem of my sleeve as I thought about it.

“I’m afraid... I’m afraid of living my life like this forever,” I admitted softly.

“Of never having a say in what happens to me. I want to live fully, you know? I want to be creative, have fun... I want to laugh without worrying about the consequences, to feel free.” I glanced up at him, my voice dropping to almost a whisper.

“Like tonight. I want to live like we’ve been living tonight for the rest of my life. ”

For a second, he just stared at me, as if trying to interpret the depths of what I’d just said. “You deserve that,” he murmured. “More than anything.”

The air was thick, and I wanted it to be light again. I glanced over to the clock and realized we still had four more minutes until the cookies were done.

“Your turn,” I said, hoping to bring us back to the game. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” he answered without missing a beat, his gaze locked on me.

I bit my lip, thinking about what I wanted to ask. “I dare you to tell me one thing you’ve been dying to say to me.”

He paused. “Are you sure you want to know?”

I nodded.

“I’ve been dying to tell you,” he began, his voice dropping to a husky whisper, “that I don’t want this night to end.”

My heart twisted, caught somewhere between longing and fear, and warmth spread through me that I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in so long. The truth of my life, the tangled mess waiting for me on the other side of this, made it impossible to pretend.

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the truth settle on my shoulders. “I don’t want it to end either,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper, “but it has to.”

He shook his head. “Truth or dare?”

His tone was a little more stoic than earlier, and I noticed how he glanced at the clock above the oven.

“Are... Are you okay?” I asked, the playful mood of our game feeling heavy all of a sudden, like a cloud had settled between us.

His head snapped toward me, and he gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Yeah. Sorry. I didn’t mean to be a downer. I was... thinking.” He pulled his hand away and straightened in his chair. “Truth or dare? You better say dare.”

I let out a laugh, grateful for the return to something lighter. “Okay then. Dare.”

He leaned over the counter, scooping up some extra cookie dough on his finger. “Alright, I dare you to... lick some cookie dough off my finger.”

My cheeks heated, and I wasn’t sure if he was joking or testing me. “Are you serious?” I arched an eyebrow.

“Dead serious,” he said, holding up his index finger with a glob of dough, a teasing grin playing at his lips.

The tension that had lingered between us seemed to dissolve, and I appreciated how effortlessly we slipped back into our playful rhythm.

I took a deep breath, heart pounding, and leaned forward, sticking out my tongue as I lowered my head toward him. Just as I was about to close my lips around his finger, the shrill sound of the timer cut through the air, pulling us out of our moment.

We both froze. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face, and it echoed inside me, lingering in the space between us.

“Saved by the bell,” I murmured, but it didn’t quite have the lightness I’d intended.

The moment felt too raw, too charged, and I needed to move, to do something to break the spell.

“I’ll check on the cookies,” I said, pushing myself up from the stool.

I pulled the cookies out of the oven. They were golden and perfect, and for a moment, I let myself smile, enjoying the small victory. When I turned around, Alex was standing right behind me, so close that I could feel his warmth. He looked down at the tray as I placed it above the oven and grinned.

“You did good, Anastasia,” he said softly, and the sincerity in his voice made my chest tighten.

“Thanks... for letting me be here,” I whispered, the words heavier than I meant them to be.

“Anytime,” he murmured, and a shiver ran down my spine as he reached up to brush a stray hair from my face, tucking it gently behind my ear. “Wanna watch a movie?”

I nodded, thankful for the reprieve from the intensity of the moment. “Please.”

We settled onto the couch and fell into our usual rhythm like we had on the nights before.

There was no need to fill the silence, no pressure to be anything other than ourselves.

As the movie played, I glanced over at him, catching the faintest smile tugging at his lips, and I couldn’t help but smile too.

It was just the two of us, leaning into the comfort we’d found in each other, the unspoken promise between us quietly waiting, as we hung out like we always did, pretending that nothing had changed.