And there they are. Lilia and Bea, their perfectly styled appearances somehow managing to make me feel even more out of place.
“What are youwearing?” Bea cuts in, her eyes darting to my dress before adding with a smirk, “And where do I get one of those?”
“Did you have anything to do with this?” Lilia adds, her tone slightly accusatory as she glances at Chris and Liam, eyes narrowed.
“No, they didn’t,” I say quickly, gesturing to the tray still clutched in my hands. “I was just trying to give my friend back her phone, and… well, this is how it ended. Her name’s Camille.”
From behind me, Liam lets out a loud, poorly suppressed snort.
We all turn toward him, and I shoot him a glare that could melt steel. He doesn’t even have the decency to look sorry.
“What? Sorry.Sorry,” Liam mutters, holding up his hands in mock surrender. But there’s a glint of mischief in his eyes as he continues, barely suppressing a grin. “It’s just… come on, the whole thing is justsostupid it’s almost funny.”
For a second, there’s silence. I don’t know if I want to punch him or laugh with him. Probably both.
Before I can make up my mind, Liam breaks the stillness. “Anyway, I’m bored,” he announces, and with a casual shrug, he spins on his heel and saunters off, completely unbothered by the entire thing.
He’s heading straight toward Will.
Oh, great. Of course, Will is here. Because why wouldn’t he be?
My eyes flick toward the other side of the room, where Will is leaning against a wall. He’s surrounded by a flock of women. As always. I can’t help but shake my head as I watch him. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy the attention (he clearly does), but there’s a flicker of boredom in his expression, a distance in his eyes, and a faint detachment that suggests he’s not entirely present. He leans casually against the wall, his hands in his pockets, a lazy smile curving his lips as he responds to whatever ridiculous compliment just floated his way.
A smirk here, a raised eyebrow there—just enough to keep them hooked without offering anything real. One of the women places a hand on his arm, and Will doesn’t pull away; he lets it linger, tilting his head slightly as if she’s just said the most fascinating thing he’s ever heard.
Those poor girls. If they only knew what lurks behind that charming smile.
I notice Lilia’s gaze flicker toward him too, and for a second, her playful expression falters. Something else creeps into her eyes, something soft and unsure.
Lilia quickly looks away and refocuses on me, her tone overly bright as she says, “Well, at least you got something out of this.”
I blink at her.
“New shoes, obviously,” she grins. “And more time to spend with us! But you know what? We should definitely go shoppingsoon. Or better yet, Bea can design some clothes for you. She’s crazy good at it. And if all else fails, we can raid Bea’s amazing closet. It’s like half the size of my house.”
“Lilia, I —”
“Oh, no, no, no.” She holds up a hand, cutting me off. “You don’t get to argue. Rules are rules. Bea would back me up if she weren’t…” She pauses, gesturing behind me, “… preoccupied.”
I glance over my shoulder and spot Bea a few feet away.
She’s standing with Christian, a look of pure frustration on her face. Her brows are furrowed, her arms crossed, and her glare is aimed directly at him. The intensity in her gaze could probably scorch the very ground beneath her.
Christian, for his part, doesn’t look as reserved as he usually does. There’s something softer in his eyes, something that almost looks like regret. It’s unsettling to see him give that much attention to someone who isn’t one of his friends, or whatever book he’s reading at that time.
“What’s going on there?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at Lilia.
She sighs dramatically. “Oh, those two. I have no idea what’s happening, but Bea seems to hate him most of the time.”
“Maybe there’s more to it,” I suggest, watching as Bea jabs a finger in Chris’s direction, her frustration practically radiating off her.
Lilia snorts. “Not maybe. Definitely.”
Before I can respond, my gaze unintentionally drifts back toward Kai. Completely by accident, I swear. Except this time, his piercing gaze locks onto mine, and panic seizes me.
Crap crap crap.
His expression shifts in an instant. Surprise flickers across his face, followed by something sharper, something that makes my stomach twist. He raises an eyebrow as if to say,Why are you here?
