Chapter 30

Cassian's POV

I hadn't planned on coming to this party at all. When Kai first mentioned it, I'd given him some noncommittal response about maybe showing up later if I felt like it.

But then my phone buzzed with a message from Kai, and everything changed.

The photo he'd sent made me stop dead in my tracks. It was Drasa, but not the Drasa I was used to seeing around campus. This version of her was transformed, her silver hair was intricately braided in a style that looked almost ethereal, and she was wearing something that actually showed off her body. 

She looked absolutely stunning. More than stunning.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath, staring at the photo for longer than I probably should have.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I was grabbing my swim shorts and heading out the door.

I didn't even remember the drive to the party. One minute I was looking at Kai's message, and the next I was walking into the pool area, scanning the crowd for silver hair and that face that had been occupying way too much of my thoughts lately.

When I spotted her in the pool with another girl, both of them laughing and dancing in the water, I felt something tighten in my chest. She looked relaxed, happy, more carefree than I'd ever seen her. The transformation was remarkable, she was still clearly Drasa, but this version of her was confident, radiant, alive in a way that made it impossible to look away.

I was planning to make my way over to her, when Elara appeared at my side. 

"Cassian!" she said, her voice carrying that slightly breathless quality that usually meant she wanted something. "Thank god you're here. I need your help with something urgent."

I looked down at her, noting the way she was standing just a little too close, the way her hand had somehow found its way to my arm. "What's wrong?"

"There's a cockroach in the dressing room," she said, her eyes wide with what looked like genuine fear. "I know it sounds stupid, but I'm absolutely terrified of them. I can't go back in there alone, and I really need to get my things."

I glanced back toward the pool, where Drasa was still laughing with her friend, her eyes also on me. Part of me wanted to tell Elara to find someone else to help her, but the distressed look on her face made that seem unnecessarily cruel.

"Fine," I said with a sigh. "Let's go deal with your cockroach."

The dressing room was empty when we got there. 

"Where is it?" I asked, looking around for any sign of the insect that had supposedly terrified Elara so much.

But instead of pointing to a corner, Elara moved to stand directly in front of me. Her hands went to the thin straps of her bikini top, and before I could process what was happening, she'd slipped it off completely.

My brain short-circuited for a moment as she took my hand and placed it directly on her bare breast, her skin warm and soft under my palm.

"Elara, what the fuck…” I started, jerking my hand back like I'd been burned.

"Don't be shy," she purred, reaching for my hand again and trying to guide it back to her body. "I've seen the way you look at me, Cassian. We both know you want this."

For a split second, I felt my resolve waver. Elara was objectively beautiful, her body was perfect, and her breast was round curved with a hard nipple that shit head toward me calling for cared and it had been a while since I'd been with anyone. The physical response was immediate and entirely involuntary.

But then I thought about Drasa, about the way she'd looked in that pool, about the fact that she was out there probably wondering where I'd disappeared to, and I snapped back to my senses.

"No," I said firmly, stepping back and putting distance between us. "Put your top back on, Elara. Don't ever try this shit again."

The look of shock on her face would have been amusing under different circumstances. Clearly, rejection wasn't something she was used to experiencing.

"Cassian, wait…” she started, but I was already heading for the door.

"There's no cockroach, is there?" I said without turning around.

The silence behind me was answer enough.

When I got back to the party, I could see that the games had already started. A large circle had formed near the pool, with people sitting on the edge and on pool chairs, and Kai was in the center.

"Alright, everyone!" Kai was saying as I approached. "Time for Truth or Dare, but we're playing the adult version tonight! The rules are simple spin the bottle, and whoever it lands on gets to choose truth or dare. But here's the twist if you choose truth, you have to answer honestly no matter how personal it gets. And if you choose dare, you have to do whatever the person who spun requests, no matter how naughty!"

The crowd cheered, and I found myself scanning the circle for Drasa. When I spotted her sitting between a girl and some guy I didn't recognize, I felt that same tightness in my chest. She looked nervous, her eyes darting around the circle like she was looking for an escape route.

I made my way over and squeezed into a spot across from her, close enough that I could see her face clearly. When our eyes met for just a moment, she quickly looked away, a flush creeping up her cheeks.

That's when Elara appeared again, her bikini top back in place, sliding into the circle right next to me like nothing had happened in the dressing room. The casual way she positioned herself, the proprietary hand she placed on my arm, made it clear she was marking her territory for everyone to see.

"This should be fun," she murmured, her voice pitched low enough that only I could hear.

I shrugged her hand off and focused on the game.

The first few rounds were relatively tame people admitting to crushes, being dared to do shots or jump in the pool fully clothed. But as the alcohol flowed and inhibitions lowered, the questions and dares got progressively more intense.

Someone was dared to make out with a stranger for thirty seconds. Another person had to confess the wildest place they'd ever had sex. A girl was dared to remove her top and dive into the pool topless.

Through it all, I kept stealing glances at Drasa, watching her reactions. She looked simultaneously fascinated and horrified by what was happening around her, like she couldn't believe she was part of this scene.

When the bottle spun and landed on a guy, he immediately chose dare with the kind of confidence that suggested he'd been hoping for this moment.

"I dare you," said the girl who'd spun, a wicked grin on her face, "to spin the bottle again, and whoever it lands on, you have to give them the most passionate kiss of your life."

The guy grinned and spun hard. The bottle rotated for what felt like forever before gradually slowing down, wobbling past everyone and landing directly on Drasa.

The entire circle erupted in cheers and catcalls, but all I could see was the look of absolute panic on Drasa's face. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, her eyes wide with terror as she realized what was about to happen.

"Wait," I heard myself saying before I could think better of it. "That's not how the game works."

Everyone turned to look at me, confusion written on their faces.

"The dare was for him to kiss whoever the bottle landed on," I continued, standing up from my spot in the circle. "But she gets to choose whether she accepts the dare or not. That's the rule both people have to consent."

Kai looked like he wanted to argue, but the logic was sound enough that he couldn't really object.

"Fine," he said. "Drasa, do you accept the dare?"

All eyes turned to her, and I could see her struggling with the decision. Part of me wanted to step in again, to give her an out, but I forced myself to stay quiet. This had to be her choice.

After what felt like an eternity, she looked directly at me really looked at me for the first time all evening and something passed between us that I couldn't quite identify.

"Actually," she said, her voice stronger than I expected, "I'd like to modify the dare."

The circle went quiet, everyone leaning in to hear what she was going to say.

"Instead of him," she continued, still looking straight at me, "I choose Cassian."

The moment Drasa said my name, a loud gasp went through the entire circle. Everyone started whispering and looking back and forth between us like they couldn't believe what they had just heard.

Kai recovered first, his voice cutting through the noise. "Well, Cassian? Are you going to accept the dare or not?"

Of course I was going to do it. Hell, I wanted to do way more than just kiss her, but I couldn't let everyone see how much I wanted this. I had to play it cool.

"What if I said no?" I asked, trying to sound casual even though my heart was beating so fast I was sure people could hear it.

Kai grinned like he knew exactly what game I was playing. "Then Drasa would have to drink two full bottles of alcohol as punishment for making a dare that got rejected."

I looked over at Drasa, saw the way her face went pale at the mention of that much alcohol. There was no way I was going to let that happen. She was already nervous enough without having to deal with being completely drunk.

I shrugged like it was no big deal. "Well, I can't let her drink that much. Guess I'll have to do it."

The circle erupted in cheers and whistles. People were clapping and shouting things like 

I don't even remember standing up or walking over to her. One moment I was sitting across the circle, and the next I was standing right in front of her. She had stood up too, and we were facing each other with everyone watching us like we were putting on a show.

I reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her just a little bit closer. She didn't pull away or resist. Instead, she looked up at me with those beautiful eyes, and I could see she was nervous. 

For a long moment, we just stared at each other. I wanted to memorize everything about this moment - the way the party lights made her silver hair shine, the way her lips were slightly parted like she was holding her breath, the way her hands were trembling just a little bit.

The crowd around us got quiet, like everyone was holding their breath waiting to see what would happen.

Then I leaned down and kissed her.

The moment our lips touched, another gasp went through the crowd, but I stopped caring about anyone else. The kiss was supposed to be simple, just a quick peck to complete the dare, but the second I tasted her lips, I lost all control.

My hands started moving on their own, one sliding up her back while the other stayed on her waist, pulling her closer against me. She was so soft, so warm, and she tasted like the drink she'd been sipping. Her lips were perfect, responding to mine in a way that made my entire body feel like it was on fire.

I could hear people cheering and making noise around us, but it all faded all I could focus on was her the way she was kissing me back, the little sounds she was making, the way her body was pressed against mine.

I was completely lost in the kiss when I heard Kai's voice cutting through everything.

"Okay, okay! That's enough! Save some for later!"

I didn't want to stop. I could have kissed her for hours, could have forgotten about the party and everyone watching us. But she pulled away, breaking the connection between us.

When she stepped back, I could feel her hot breath against my face. She was breathing hard, just like I was, and her cheeks were flushed pink. She gave me this shy, beautiful smile that made my chest feel tight, then turned and went back to sit down like nothing had happened.

But everything had changed. At least for me.

I stayed standing for a moment, trying to get my breathing back to normal and hoping no one could see how much that kiss had affected me. When I finally sat back down, I could feel people staring at me, but I ignored them.

Kai was already moving on to the next game, explaining the rules for something called Body Shots. People were supposed to find partners and take shots of alcohol off each other's bodies, using their tongues to lick up every drop.

"Find someone you'd like to get to know better," Kai was saying with a wicked grin, "and let your tongues do the walking!"

But I wasn't really listening. My mind was still completely focused on the kiss, replaying every second of it over and over. I could still taste her on my lips, could still feel the way she had responded to me.

I glanced over at Elara and could see that she was furious. Her face was red with anger, and she kept shooting dark looks at both me and Drasa. She was clearly not happy about what had just happened, but I didn't care.

As people started pairing up for the body shots game, I kept hoping I would get matched with Drasa again. The game seemed to be random, but there were only a few people left without partners, and if the numbers worked out right...

But then Drasa suddenly stood up from her spot in the circle. Without saying anything to anyone, she walked away from the group, heading toward the a dark part of the party area where there weren't as many people.

I watched her go, wondering what was wrong. Had the kiss been too much for her? Was she embarrassed about what had happened in front of everyone?

Something inside me, some instinct I couldn't ignore told me to follow her. I stood up and walked in the same direction, ignoring the questions from people asking where I was going.

I found her standing by herself in a quiet spot away from all the noise and lights of the main party. She looked lost, like she wasn't sure what to do or where to go.

"Hey," I said softly, not wanting to startle her. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at me, clearly surprised that I had followed her. For a moment she just stared at me, and I could see she was trying to decide whether to tell me the truth or make up some excuse.

"I... I need to find the bathroom," she finally said, looking embarrassed.

I didn't know where the bathrooms were located in this place, but I wasn't about to let her wander around looking for them by herself. Especially not when she looked so unsure and vulnerable.

"Come on," I said. "Let's find it together."

We walked around the venue, checking different areas and asking a few people for directions. It took us several minutes, but we finally found a small building with restrooms near the back of the house.

"I'll wait here," I told her.

She nodded and went inside. It gave me time to think about what had happened, about that kiss and how it had made me feel.

When she came out a few minutes later, she looked surprised to see me still standing there waiting for her.

"You didn't have to wait," she said quietly.

"I told you I will," I replied.

We stood there looking at each other. 

"About what happened back there," I started, taking a step closer to her. "The kiss..."

She froze the moment I mentioned it, her eyes going wide like a deer caught in headlights.

"Can we... can we continue where we left off?" I asked, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.

She just kept staring at me, not saying anything, but I could see something in her eyes that looked like want, like she was thinking about the same thing I was.

I took another step closer, then reached out and grabbed her waist, just like I had during the game. But this time there was no crowd watching us. 

Slowly, gently, I backed her up against the wall of the building. She didn't resist, didn't try to push me away or tell me to stop. Instead, she let me guide her, her eyes never leaving mine.

When her back touched the wall, I leaned down and kissed her again. But this time it was different. This time there was no time limit, no one telling us to stop, no rules about what we could or couldn't do.

This kiss was hungry, desperate, like we were both making up for lost time. I pressed my body against hers, trapping her between me and the wall, and she responded by kissing me back just as intensely.

I could hear her making soft little moaning sounds that drove me absolutely crazy. Her hands came up and pressed against my chest, not to push me away but to pull me closer, to feel more of me.

I kissed her deeper, letting my hands roam over her body, exploring every curve I could reach. She tasted even better than I remembered, felt even more perfect pressed against me like this.