"Totally," I agree with an easy smile that I know doesn't reach my eyes.
Three rounds later, I've managed to hit Ethan with a blue draw two after Charlie places a yellow draw two down for me. It's deliberate—I've been holding cards back specifically to target him.
"Tough break," I say with mock sympathy.
Charlie notices what I'm doing. I catch her watching me and I wink.
Under the table, her foot nudges mine—a silent acknowledgment of what I'm doing.
"Are you kidding me?" Ethan growls, snatching four more cards from the pile. "This is ridiculous."
"Just the luck of the draw," Charlie says innocently, but I catch the mischievous glint in her eye.
Emily starts giggling, catching on to our strategy. She gives me a quick thumbs up.
"This is so childish," Olivia sighs, barely glancing at her cards as she plays whatever's on top. Her lips are pursed in that way that suggests she's bored.
"Then why are you even playing?" Ethan snaps at her, his tone sharp enough to make everyone at the table flinch up.
She blinks, looking hurt, her perfectly manicured fingers freezing over her cards. "Because you wanted to."
"Well, if you're not going to try, you might as well leave." The words hang in the air..
An uncomfortable silence falls over the table. Olivia's cheeks turn red, the color spreading down her neck, and she drops her cards face-down with a soft thud. "Fine. I have emails to answer anyway." She pushes away from the table, the chair legs scraping loudly against the floor, and stalks out of the kitchen, her shoulders rigid.
"Dude," I say quietly, breaking the awkward silence that feels thick enough to slice.
Ethan's eyes flash with that self-righteous anger I've come to recognize. "What? She wasn't even trying."
"It's UNO, not a corporate merger," I point out, keeping my voice deliberately casual though I can feel my jaw tightening. "No need to bite her head off."
"Oh, like you would know anything about serious relationships," Ethan retorts, his voice dripping with condescension. "Charlie's told us all about your reputation."
Beside me, Charlie stiffens, her entire body going rigid. I feel her knee press against mine under the table—not a playful nudge this time, but seeking reassurance. "I've done no such thing," she says, her voice steel-edged.
"Please. You've known this guy what, a few months? And suddenly he's the perfect boyfriend?" Ethan shuffles his cards aggressively, the plastic snapping loudly in his hands. "Let's just play."
The atmosphere has soured like milk left in summer heat, but no one wants to be the first to quit. We continue, the playful edge now replaced with something sharper, more dangerous. Ethan's intensity ratchets up with every card played, his knuckles whitening around his hand, and I find myself increasingly motivated to ensure he doesn't win. Not just for my pride, but because the way his eyes keep flicking accusingly to Charlie makes something protective and primal flare in my chest.
When my turn comes around again, I have the perfect card—another wild draw four. I slap it down in front of Ethan with a smile that's all teeth and zero warmth. "Draw four. Again. I choose blue."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ethan explodes, throwing his cards down so hard they scatter across the wooden table. "This is bullshit. You're clearly targeting me."
I lean back in my chair, the picture of innocence, though my heart is hammering with adrenaline. "I'm just playing the game, man. Maybe the cards just don't like you tonight."
"Oh, fuck off. You've been gunning for me since we sat down." His face has turned an ugly mottled red.
"Ethan!" Emily gasps, but there's a hint of satisfaction in her expression, a gleam in her eyes that says she's enjoying his meltdown.
I shrug, rolling my shoulders leisurely. "If you can't stand the heat, kitchen, et cetera..."
"Whatever." Ethan shoves away from the table with enough force to make the remaining cards jump. "This game is for kids anyway."
"Funny, you seemed pretty invested when we started," Charlie observes dryly, but I can feel her trembling slightly beside me.
Ethan glares at her, then shifts his venomous gaze to me. "You two deserve each other," he spits, the words intended as an insult but landing more like a compliment. He storms out, following Olivia's earlier path, his footsteps thundering down the hallway.
The three of us sit in silence for a moment before Emily bursts into laughter. "Oh my God, that was amazing. I haven't seen him that pissed since Charlie beat him at Monopoly three Christmases ago."
