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“Maybe later, when we’re all a little more…loosened up,” I reply, my cheeks heating at the thought of tangled limbs and close proximity.
Dash’s grin widens, but he relents, settling on Pictionary. As he sets up the game, I take a moment to absorb my surroundings again. The room overlooks a small grassy yard with a retaining wall and steps that lead to the bay.
I walk over to the window, mesmerized by the view. The sun set hours ago, so the night now paints the sky in hues of blue and black with twinkling stars. The waves lap gently against the shore in a soothing rhythm that calms my racing heart, and the water reflects the skyline. I can’t believe I’m here, in this moment, with these people who have so quickly become a part of my life.
It feels like I’m dreaming, as though I’m going to wake up and it’s all going to come crashing down. I should pinch myself and make sure I’m a real person.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Malachi’s voice is soft, almost reverent, as he comes to stand beside me. His presence is both comforting and electrifying, sending a shiver down my spine.
I nod, not trusting my voice. We stand there for a moment, side by side, taking in the tranquility of the scene before us. It feels like a stolen moment, just like the kiss from earlier. I press my fingertips to my lips when they begin to tingle with the memory of that kiss.
The spell is broken by Dash’s exuberant voice. “All right, lovebirds, break it up! It’s game time!”
I turn, a blush creeping up my cheeks, to find the others gathered around the coffee table. Quinn is setting up the Pictionary board, while Zane pours drinks. When he passes me a glass, our fingers brush, and I feel a jolt of electricity. His gaze lingers on mine for a moment, intense and searching, before he looks away.
I take a seat on the plush couch, sinking into the cushions as Dash plops down beside me, his energy vibrating through the room. Malachi settles on my other side, his presence a steady anchor amidst the excitement.
“Okay, teams!” Dash declares, rubbing his hands together. “I call dibs on Aria!”
I laugh, bumping my shoulder against his. “You sure you can handle my artistic skills?”
“Oh, I think I can manage.” He winks, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Just look at my haircut.”
“I’d say your stylist did a damn good job,” I tease.
Quinn and Zane exchange a look, a silent conversation passing between them. “Guess that leaves us as a team,” Quinn says, his quirky smile back in place.
“No cheating, Dash,” Malachi scolds before the game even begins.
“I would never.” He is clearly lying, because he so would.
As we settle into the game, the room fills with laughter and playful banter. Dash’s enthusiasm is contagious, and even Zane cracks a smile as we struggle to decipher each other’s drawings. It’s a side of them I haven’t seen before, mostly because I refused to allow myself to, but that’s on me. At times, I feel like I’m nothing more than an observer, and yet not once do they make me feel as though I don’t belong here.
“All right, who’s ready to embarrass themselves next?” Dash asks, bouncing in his seat like an excited puppy. “Come on, don’t be shy. We promise not to laugh…much. But you have to pull from this pile.” The pile is a stack of index cards, not a part of the game.
No one questions it, so I am guessing Dash does this often.
“I’ll go,” Quinn volunteers, grabbing a card and glancing at it. “Okay, this should be interesting.”
He starts sketching furiously on the pad, his brow furrowed in concentration. The rest of us lean in, trying to make sense of the lines and shapes appearing on the paper.
“A tree!” Dash shouts, his enthusiasm bubbling over.
“Nope,” Quinn replies, shaking his head but smiling.
“A house?” Zane guesses, his voice calm but engaged as he sips amber-colored liquid in a glass.
“Close, but not quite,” Quinn says, adding more details to the drawing.
“Is it a playground?” I suggest, trying to see where Quinn is going with the picture.
“Getting warmer,” Quinn hints, adding a few more strokes.
“A slide!” Dash yells triumphantly, and Quinn’s face lights up.
“Yes! Finally! The slide I fell off of as a child.” Quinn laughs, handing the pad over to Dash. “Your turn, Dash.”
Dash takes the pad with a gleeful look. “Prepare to be amazed by my artistic prowess,” he declares dramatically.
