Devon's life got better at the camp. He easily learned new things, and the kids started to get friendly with him. He never thought the camp would turn out to be a good place for him. He had never imagined his life could feel this good. Even Liam was now friendly with him.

They hadn't faced any big challenges for two days since they had already completed two major ones that week. Instead, they were given smaller tasks like cleaning, cooking, and fishing.

The next day, they had a dance therapy session. Devon realized he wasn't very good at art, singing, or dancing. He could dance, but not as well as Lor. Devon had never danced before, so at first, it was extremely hard for him to join the others because he felt shy. He thought the others might laugh at him but then noticed that most of them weren't talented dancers either. Only a few were skilled, while the rest just danced for fun.

"Why are you so shy to dance? Come on, dance like me!" Lor said, noticing Devon moving his body very slowly and nervously watching the others.

"I... I can't dance," Devon replied.

"That's fine. No one is watching you, Devon. Just enjoy," Lor said, moving her beautiful body to the rhythm. "Oh, come on, Devon, give me your hands. Let's dance together," she said.

Devon gave his hands to Lor, and she held them gently. They danced together, smiling. Devon felt a little more relaxed, and his anxiety started to fade slowly.

"Wow, Devon. I think you actually can dance," Lor said with a cheerful smile.

The kids enjoyed the dance therapy session so much.

In the evening, Lor came up to Devon and said, "Come on, Devon, let's go," while holding his hand.

"Where are we going?" Devon asked curiously as Lor led him away from the others toward the back of the cabins.

"Let's find a private corner to talk," Lor said.

Finally, Lor brought Devon to a spot a few feet away from the cabins, where they sat under a huge tree. Devon looked around nervously, feeling uneasy as he always did in unfamiliar situations.

"What did you think about today's dance session? Did you like it?" Lor asked, looking at Devon.

"I liked it," Devon replied.

"Have you ever danced before?" Lor asked.

"No, I never have," Devon said.

Lor looked at him in surprise. "Not even at parties?" she asked.

"What parties?" Devon asked, confused.

"You know, those secret parties your friends have when their parents aren't home," Lor said playfully, bumping his shoulder.

"No, I wasn't... I wasn't allowed to go to parties. My parents were strict," Devon said.

"Come on, Devon, no parents want their kids going to those crazy parties. We did them in secret. Sometimes we lied," Lor said mischievously, and Devon looked at her in surprise. He wondered what would happen to him if Reuben ever found out he had sneaked off to a party like that.

"What if you got caught?" Devon asked, still surprised.

"Not much. Detention, blame, no pocket money, no dessert, no new clothes—that kind of punishment," Lor said.

Devon wondered how those could even be considered punishments. For him, punishments meant getting beaten.

"Why? Did you feel upset remembering your home?" Lor asked, gently touching Devon's hand.

"Not really," Devon said.

"Did you call your parents yesterday? I called my mom, and she's so mad that I'm here. She's worried about my exams. She can't wait for me to get back and finish them," Lor said.

Devon stayed silent. He had actually called the house because he had no other option. He didn't want anyone to grow suspicious. He remembered the conversation he'd had with Reuben yesterday.

"Hello, it's me, Devon," Devon said.

"What the fuck are you calling here for? Is camp time already over? I thought it lasted like three fucking months," Reuben's horrible voice boomed from the other side of the phone.

"They asked me to call home because I won a challenge," Devon said quietly.

"Won a challenge? How the fuck did you win anything, you loser? You're a fucking loser, you filthy little piece of shit. You think you can win? Listen to me, you bastard—you don't even know who your father is! Your mom was a ****, and then she threw you in the garbage. That's how your useless life started, you filthy dog. There's no winning for someone like you. You're a waste of space, a parasite.

You know what I'm going to do to you when you come back? Oh, I'm so excited just thinking about it. I can't wait for you to come home. Then you'll learn once and for all—there's no winning for someone like you, you son of a b*tch!" Reuben screamed, his voice loud and filled with rage.

Devon hoped no one around him could hear Reuben's angry outburst. He was practically screaming like a madman.

Tears welled up in Devon's eyes, and his lips trembled as he held back the sobs threatening to escape.

"What happened? Lost your words? Ha ha ha. You little wh*re. That's all you'll ever be good for in the future because you don't have any talent, skills, or anything! Your parents were wh*res, and you're no better. You're useless. A parasite. Worthless. There aren't even enough words to describe how fucking useless you are..."

Finally, Devon couldn't take it anymore and put the phone down. He felt his whole body shaking. He knew Reuben would get furious when he found out he had hung up without permission, but Devon couldn't listen to the insults any longer.

"Are you crying?" Stella, who was waiting her turn to use the phone, asked.

"No," Devon replied quickly, avoiding her gaze as he left the office.

"Devon, are you okay?" Devon snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Lor's voice again.

"Sorry, I was just thinking," Devon said.

"Did I make you upset, reminding you about your parents?" Lor asked in a sad tone.

"No, you didn't," Devon replied.

"Hey, why don't we dance a bit? It'll make us feel better," Lor said, standing up with a big smile.

Devon stood up, drawn by her energy. Normally, when he felt upset, he'd feel weak and drained. But when Lor was around, he didn't feel that way. He liked how happy Lor was—it felt like her happiness could spread to him, making him feel lighter.

"I'll teach you some dance moves. I'm pretty sure you can be a good dancer," Lor said cheerfully.

Devon didn't care about being a good dancer. He only wanted to dance with Lor.

Under the sprawling shade of a massive tree, Lor twirled gracefully, her feet gliding across the soft grass. Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled patterns that seemed to dance with her. Devon stood awkwardly nearby, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his shoulders hunched.

"Come on, Devon!" Lor laughed, her voice light and teasing. "You're not going to learn to dance by standing there like a scared puppy."

"I'm not good at this," he muttered, his eyes flickering nervously between her and the ground.

"You don't have to be good. You just have to trust me."

She stepped closer, reaching for his hand. Devon stiffened slightly but let her take it. As she pulled him gently into a rhythm, her movements were soft and encouraging.

Then, unexpectedly, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. Devon's eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks flushing bright red. For a moment, he stood frozen, completely caught off guard.

Lor pulled back with a playful smile. "See? You're doing better already," she teased.

Devon couldn't help but smile back, his nervousness fading just a little.

With a mischievous smile, Lor placed Devon's hand on her waist, her fingers curling around his. "Relax," she said softly, her voice both encouraging and flirtatious.

She guided him gently, her body swaying with effortless grace. Devon moved stiffly at first, his anxiety clear in every jerky step, but Lor's infectious energy slowly coaxed him out of his shell.

"See? Not so bad," she murmured, her fingers brushing lightly against his arm, lingering just long enough to make him catch his breath.

As they danced, Lor's touches grew more deliberate—a hand trailing down his arm, her fingertips grazing his cheek as she corrected his posture. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and something deeper, making Devon's heart race.

"You're overthinking it again," she said, stepping closer, their faces mere inches apart.

Lor's hands slid to Devon's shoulders, then down to his chest, resting there for a moment. Devon's breath hitched, his pulse thundering. He felt overwhelmed—by her touch, her presence, her confidence. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to pull away. He didn't want to.

"Like this," Lor whispered, guiding him with her movements. She tilted her head, her lips brushing lightly against his ear as she spoke. Devon shivered.

Her hand found his again, and with a playful twirl, she spun herself into his arms, wrapping them loosely around her waist. She looked up at him, her expression softening.

"You're doing better than you think," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Then, without hesitation, Lor leaned in, her lips capturing his in a kiss that was as tender as it was passionate. Her hands slid up to cradle his face, her fingers tangling in his hair. Devon, frozen for a moment, finally melted into her, his arms tightening around her as he kissed her back.

The world around them seemed to disappear. It was just the two of them, under the shade of the tree, lost in the intensity of the moment. Lor pulled back slightly, her forehead resting against Devon's, her breath warm against his skin.

"There," she said softly, a playful grin tugging at her lips. "Now you're really dancing."

Devon let out a shaky laugh, his nerves momentarily forgotten as he gazed at her. "You make everything seem easy."

She smiled, her fingers brushing against his cheek again. "That's because you're worth the effort."