Charlie drops her head into her hands with a groan. "Why does this always happen?"
I lean closer, lowering my voice. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she mutters through her fingers. "Except that Ethan turns into a complete asshole when playing games."
"Well then," I say, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, enjoying the blush that rises on her cheeks, "this should be interesting."
Within minutes, Ethan and Olivia have joined us around the kitchen table. The seating arrangement falls naturally—me, Charlie, Emily, Olivia, and Ethan completing the circle. As Charlie deals seven cards to each of us, I study our opponents across the table.
Ethan's wearing an expensive-looking sweater, his hair perfectly styled despite supposedly having spent the day skiing. He organizes his cards with practiced precision, arranging them in some specific order. Beside him, Olivia scrolls through her phone, barely glancing at her cards when Charlie slides them over.
"You know how to play, right?" Emily asks Olivia.
Olivia looks up, blinking as if surprised to be addressed. "I've never really been into card games. They seem so... juvenile."
"It's pretty simple," Charlie says with forced cheerfulness. "Match colors or numbers, special cards change the flow, first one to get rid of all their cards wins."
"I'll help you," Ethan says to Olivia, his tone holding a hint of impatience as he pulls her cards toward him to organize them.
Charlie flips the first card from the deck—a blue seven—and the game begins.
The first few rounds pass pleasantly enough. Emily tells us about her adventures on the black diamond runs, Charlie plays cautiously, and I follow suit, getting a feel for everyone's playing style. Olivia sighs dramatically whenever it's her turn, while Ethan studies his cards with intense concentration, as if solving a complex equation.
"Blue four," Emily says, tossing down her card.
"Blue... two," Olivia drawls, clearly bored.
"Change to red," Ethan declares, slapping down a red two with unnecessary force. He glances at Charlie with a smirk. "Remember our game night phase, Char? You used to get so worked up."
Charlie stiffens beside me. "Your turn, Sebastian."
I lay down a red six. "You're turn, Shortcake." I glance over at her.
Charlie's lips twitch. She places a red reverse, sending the play back to me.
"Well played," I murmur, dropping a red seven.
Ethan narrows his eyes, and something clicks for me. This isn't just a casual game for him.
Ethan plays a red draw two, and Olivia groans as she picks up cards.
"It's just a game, Liv," Ethan says sharply.
"A boring one," she mutters, checking her manicure.
Twenty minutes in, the game has taken a turn. Ethan's competitive nature has emerged full force, his playful trash talk edging into something meaner.
"Come on, Em, that's the third dumb move you've made," he says when Emily plays a card that benefits Charlie. "Use your brain."
Emily's face falls slightly, though she covers it with a laugh. "Sorry, not all of us treat UNO like the Olympics."
"Some of us just play to have fun," Charlie adds pointedly.
Ethan scoffs. "What's fun about losing? Seriously, Em, if you're not going to play properly—"
"My turn," I interrupt, surveying my cards. I have a wild draw four and with that I lock eyes with Ethan and place it on the growing pile. "Draw four, buddy. I'm changing to yellow."
His jaw tightens as he picks up four cards. "Lucky play."
