The laughter from Marcus's challenge filled the room, and Alex, with an exaggerated groan, stood up. Everyone's attention was on him, their phones out, ready to capture the moment.
"Alright, who's the lucky person?" Alex asked, scanning the circle.
Mia wasted no time pointing at Olivia. "Obviously her," she said with a mischievous grin.
Alex glanced at Olivia, who was leaning back with a confident smirk. "Go on, champ," she teased. "Show us what you've got."
With a playful sigh, Alex dropped to one knee in front of Olivia and cleared his throat dramatically. "This is going to be terrible," he warned, earning more laughter from the group. Then, in an off-key voice, he sang a short, exaggerated love song he made up on the spot.
The room erupted in applause and laughter as Alex finished with a theatrical bow. Olivia clapped along, clearly amused. "Not bad, champ," she said, her eyes sparkling. "You might have a future in music."
"Don't count on it," Alex replied, taking his seat with a grin.
---
The game continued, the dares becoming bolder and the truths more revealing. The tension between Alex and Olivia seemed to grow with each spin of the bottle. When it landed on Olivia, the group cheered.
"Truth or dare?" Ethan asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Dare," Olivia answered confidently.
Ethan smirked. "I dare you to sit on Alex's lap until the next round."
The room fell into a hushed murmur before breaking into laughter. Olivia arched a brow, looking at Alex. "You okay with this, champ?" she asked, clearly enjoying the attention.
"Your dare, not mine," Alex replied, keeping his composure.
With that, Olivia stood and gracefully moved to Alex, sitting on his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The group erupted in hoots and whistles, but Alex remained calm, though his heart raced.
"Comfortable?" Alex asked, looking up at her with a teasing smirk.
"Surprisingly, yes," Olivia replied, adjusting her position slightly, her tone playful.
As the game continued, the proximity between them was impossible to ignore. Every small movement, every glance shared, seemed to intensify the charged atmosphere.
---
Later in the evening, as the crowd thinned out, Alex and Olivia found themselves alone on the porch. The music was muffled, and the cool night air provided a welcome reprieve from the heat of the party.
"That was fun," Olivia said, leaning against the railing. "You handled yourself well tonight, champ."
"Thanks," Alex replied, standing beside her. "You're not so bad at handling dares yourself."
Olivia chuckled, looking out at the darkened campus. "So, are you always this composed, or was that just for show?"
Alex shrugged. "Maybe it's my thing. Staying calm when everyone else isn't."
"Hmm," Olivia murmured, turning to face him. "I think there's more to you than that."
"And I think you like finding out," Alex countered, his voice quieter now.
Their eyes met, the distance between them shrinking. Olivia leaned in slightly, her gaze dropping to his lips before flicking back to his eyes. For a moment, it felt as if the world had faded away.
"You're full of surprises, champ," Olivia whispered, her voice barely audible.
"And you're full of challenges," Alex replied, leaning closer.
But before anything could happen, the door behind them swung open, and Marcus stumbled out. "Hey, lovebirds! We're taking bets on who's winning this!" he shouted, breaking the moment.
Olivia laughed, pulling back. "Saved by the bell," she teased.
Alex shook his head, smiling. "For now."
As they returned to the party, both couldn't help but feel that something between them had shifted. The boundaries they were testing seemed closer than ever to breaking.