The Language of Us

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The city had settled into its midnight hush, the distant hum of traffic a steady rhythm in the background. They sat on the couch, with a bottle of wine between them, the warmth of the evening wrapping around them like a cocoon.

"You're definitely cheating," she accused, narrowing her eyes as she studied him carefully.

He feigned innocence, leaning back against the cushions with an easy smirk. "I would never do that."

She crossed her arms. "You just dodged a truth question in a truth-or-dare game. That's basically cheating huh."

He laughed softly, reaching for his glass. "It wasn't dodging. It was… selective a answering."

She scoffed, grabbing the bottle to refill her glass. "Fine. Now new rule. No more 'selective answering,No cheating.' Either you answer the truth question honestly, or you take a dare. No loopholes."

He studied her for a moment, his smile deepening. "Alright, deal."

"Good," she said, tapping her fingers against her glass. "Then let's get serious. My turn to ask you."

He raised an eyebrow, amused but willing to play along. " Common go on."

She slowly leaned forward, her tone teasing but her eyes holding something deeper. "If you could go back and change one moment between us, would you?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he traced the rim of his glass with his thumb, considering her question.

Common answer me!!

"I wouldn't change anything," he said finally. "Even the bad moments, the misunderstandings… they all led us here. And I wouldn't trade this for anything."

You know that my love.

Her chest tightened at his words. She hadn't expected that answer—at least, not so simply put.

"Okay," she murmured hmmm, pretending to be unaffected as she reached for a piece of chocolate from the plate between them. "Your turn to ask me."

A mischievous glint flickered in his eyes. "Alright. Truth or dare?"

She hesitated, then, feeling bold, said, "Dare."

His grin widened. "I dare you to—" He paused, clearly debating his options. "—kiss me. Right now."

Her breath hitched, but she didn't let herself hesitate. Instead, she set her glass down and leaned forward, closing the space between them.

It wasn't just a quick, playful romance kiss. It was slow, deliberate, as if they were both memorizing the feel of it. The way his hand came up to cup her face, the way her fingers curled into his shirt—everything about it was intoxicating.

When she finally pulled back, her heart was racing, and his gaze was heavy with something she couldn't quite name.They kissed for a minute.

"Well," he murmured, "I think we can agree that was the best dare so far."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile.

(The Most Ridiculous Dare)

They continued their game, the dares becoming increasingly ridiculous as the night wore on.

"I dare you to text your mom and tell her you're getting married next weekend," she said, barely holding in her laughter.

His eyes widened. "Are you trying to kill me?"

She shrugged innocently. "A dare is a dare."

Muttering something under his breath, he grabbed his phone, typed out the message, and hit send. Within seconds, his phone started ringing.

"See what you did?" He held up the screen, where his mother's name flashed repeatedly. "I hope you're happy."

She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. "Answer it!"

He sighed, putting the phone on speaker. "Mom, I—"

"Who is she?" His mom's voice boomed through the speaker. "And why wasn't I informed about this? Do you think you can just decide something like this without telling your own mother?"

He shot her a glare while she covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

"Mom, it was just a dare," he said quickly. "There's no wedding. Yet."

His mother paused. "Yet?"

He groaned. "Goodnight, Mom."

Before he could end the call, his mom added, "If you're actually serious, make sure she's someone I like!"

With an exaggerated sigh, he tossed his phone aside. "I hope you know she's going to interrogate me for weeks."

She wiped away tears of laughter. "It actually Worth it."

(A Date to Remember)

The next morning, the playful energy between them still lingered. Over breakfast, he leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee as he studied her.

"We should go out tonight," he said.

She looked up from her plate. "Out where?"

"An actual date. Something special."

She blinked. "Are you saying all the times we've hung out don't count?"

"They count," he admitted. "But I want to do something… different."

A challenge sparked in her eyes. "Like what?"

A slow smile stretched across his lips. "It's a surprise."

That evening, she found herself standing in front of the mirror, debating between two dresses. When she finally settled on a navy blue one, she couldn't shake the nerves twisting in her stomach.

Why was she nervous? They had spent so much time together already. But something about tonight felt different—like they were stepping into something more intentional.

When she opened the door, he was waiting, dressed in a crisp shirt, his expression unreadable for a moment before he smiled. "You look incredible."

She swallowed, pushing past the warmth that spread in her chest. "You clean up well yourself."

The night unfolded like a carefully written story. He took her to a rooftop restaurant, where city lights stretched beneath them like scattered stars. They talked, they laughed, they shared bites of dessert.

And when they danced—because of course he had found a place with music—it felt like something out of a dream.

As he twirled her under the soft glow of string lights, she found herself wishing this moment could last forever,She said in her mind

"Do you think," he murmured, pulling her close, "that sometimes people find exactly what they need without realizing it?"

She met his gaze, her hands resting against his chest. "Maybe," she whispered.

And maybe, just maybe, she had found exactly what she really needed in him.

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End of chapter 36