Devoted To You || Gilbert Blythe

XXXII

"This looks delicious. Who did all this?" I look to Gilbert. Anne, Diana, and Ruby step forward before he can answer. "You girls made all of this?"

"Of course." Anne beamed.

"It wasn't too hard. It gave us great practice for when we are all wives." Ruby says, mostly looking at Gilbert.

I snicker. "Well, thank you." I give each of them a hug. I take a deep breath as I take in the scene. "Let's party."

***

As the night went on, most of the adults ventured home leaving Aunt Jo and Bash to chaperone. Amid the crackling of the bonfire, the group gathered in a circle, the flickering flames casting playful shadows on our faces. Anne, always the instigator of mischief, proposed a game of truth or dare to add an extra spark to the festivities.

Anne spun the bottle to determine who would face the first challenge. The bottle came to a stop, pointing directly at Josie. She rolled her eyes, already sensing that Anne had something mischievous in mind. "Truth or dare, Josie?" Anne grinned, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Josie, feigning nonchalance, responded with a smirk, "Dare, obviously."

"Alright," Anne declared, her tone laced with a daring edge. "I dare you to compliment someone genuinely without sarcasm or insults."

A hushed murmur rippled through the group, and even the crackling bonfire seemed to hold its breath. Josie, unused to such challenges, hesitated before glancing at the circle. Her eyes landed on Anne, her rival, and nemesis.

"I guess..." Josie began, her tone begrudgingly sincere, "I suppose Anne has a way with words, even if they're a bit too imaginative at times."

Anne grinned triumphantly, reveling in the unexpected compliment. The group chuckled, breaking the tension that had settled.

Josie reached out to spin the bottle. It lands on Moody, who picks truth. "Is it true that you told Billy that your kiss with Diana was the best you ever had." Moody looks down at the ground, blushing. Everyone chuckles. "Well I guess that answers that."

As the bottle spun again, it eventually pointed toward Billy. The smirk on his face suggested he was ready to bring his signature brand of mischief to the game.

"Truth or dare, Billy?" Moody challenged.

"Dare, obviously. I'm not afraid of anything," Billy boasted, casting a defiant look around the circle.

"Alright," Moody said with a sly smile. "I dare you to say something genuinely nice to someone."

Billy's expression shifted, caught off guard by the unexpected dare. He glanced around, weighing his options before settling on Gilbert. "You guys are terrible at this game. But fine," he grumbled, "Gilbert, your... hat looks tolerable tonight."

The group erupted into laughter, the absurdity of Billy's compliment amplifying the amusement. Even Gilbert, known for his unflinching demeanor, couldn't help but crack a smile at the awkward attempt at friendliness.

We decided to change it up a bit. As the bottle spun and landed on Gilbert, the group erupted in cheers. Gilbert, good-humored and ready for the challenge, looked around the circle, inviting someone to issue his next dare.

Tillie, with a mischievous glint in her eye, spoke up. "Gilbert, I dare you to share your most embarrassing childhood story with us."

The anticipation in the air grew as Gilbert chuckled and scratched his head, considering his options. "Alright, let me think," he began, casting a glance towards Ada. "Back when I was about nine, I decided to impress someone by climbing the tallest tree in Avonlea."