Chapter 5: All a game.

Levi looks towards the stairs and his green eyes lock with mine.

At the sight of me staring at him about to kiss…. my besfriend, he lets Cassie go. Everyone else cheering loudly stops, then they all look in the direction of his gaze, and soon they’re all staring at me.

There’s enough silence in the room to hear a pin drop.

For a moment I can hear the pounding of my own heart, then Levi starts laughing - and his laughter sets off a wave of similar chuckles as he walks up to me. With amusement glinting in his eyes he quips, “You didn’t really think I was going to kiss your best friend, did you?”

Levi stops in front of me and I can hear the dull beating in my ears. My throat is dry for some reason, so when my response comes it’s hoarse, “Of course not.” 

A flicker of fear and doubt seeps into my tone as I add in a joking manner, “It looked like you were going to though.”

Levi grins, a dazzling smile on his face as he responds, “We were playing truth or dare, Lyra. You understand it was all a game, don’t you?”

I want to say I do but I really don’t.

But the eyes of everyone in the room are on me, and they all look like they were having fun a moment ago but now they aren’t. If I make an issue out of my boyfriend playing a game at his own party, I would be the party pooper wouldn’t I?

I plaster a smile onto my face and respond warmly, “I do, It’s alright.”

A blast of cheers fill the room as the party resumes in full swing. 

Someone strikes up music on the speakers at full blast, and soon the sight of people dancing is the only thing I can see. Familiar faces from school are here too, and for the next few minutes some of them walk over to tease me about looking so scared of my boyfriend kissing someone else.

“It’s like the blood drained out of your face!” 

The guy in front of me makes a gesture with his hand for added effect as he speaks. What did he say his name was again?

Someone slings an arm around my shoulder and I stiffen, but Cassie’s sonorous voice rings in my ears a second later, “Stop teasing my friend, Duke. She clearly said she wasn’t bothered by it, now leave.”

That was his name. Duke. 

And now I remember where I’ve seen him, on campus.

Duke and his friends all chuckle, some wolf-whistling at Cassie as they walk off, but Cassie only pulls me closer, staring at me as she asks in a grim tone, “You know I would never kiss Levi, right Lyra? He’s your boyfriend and I wouldn’t do something like that to hurt you.”

Her words roll in my head, taking a minute longer than usual for me to process. Up until yesterday…. Cassie usually became uninterested if I spoke about Levi. 

She only recently warmed up to him, and it seems now they’re really comfortable around each other so I can’t be jealous of that, “I’m sure it was just a game.”

Cassie nods, “Exactly. I’ll be heading back to have fun now. Be a good girl while I’m gone.”

Cassie struts off, and my mind would have been totally calm… if I didn’t catch random guests of Levi’s party keep shooting me strange looks.

Soon, I’m the only one left sitting on the chair inside. Everyone attending the party has moved outside because the party also has.

Time inside ticks by slowly and just as boredom begins to take a hold of me, Levi comes back in. 

I perk up, thinking he’s probably here to spend time with me alone or invite me outside, but I’m disappointed.

Sitting on the chair, Levi takes my hands in his, looking adoringly into my eyes as he speaks, “We’re out of alcohol, Lyra.”

I hear a snicker come from somewhere behind us but the sound is drowned out by Levi clearing his throat. Still staring at me he continues, “Since you’re the only one not playing any games right now, how about you help get some alcohol for the rest of us?”

The look Levi has in his eyes is filled with so much pleading, that it’s hard for me to say no to the effect of his familiar gaze asking me for something, so I get up, agreeing, but before I leave, another voice calls out from the hallway, “I’d also like some pizza, Levi.” 

A chorus of voices echo, “Yeah, us too!”

I feel a twinge of embarassment run through me, because it seems everyone was listening in. I thought we were speaking privately…

By the time everyone’s done speaking, I have a small list of things I’m to pick up alongside the alcohol. Before I leave, I hear them all cheer for Levi as he returns.

A voice in me grumbles at the fact that I have to go run errands for them, list in hand, but after 30 minutes I’m back with everyone’s order.

Levi’s smile makes it all worth it as he gives me a kiss on the head, “Thank you, babe.” 

The party looks like it never stopped but as I sit on the couch, my mind wandering elsewhere, Levi comes back again, “Babe, my friends are hungry. We don’t have enough food and we’re also low on drinks again, so can you help me go get some more?”

I haven’t gotten good rest from the earlier errand I ran but I nod and head out again, except, this time, I feel a pair of eyes watching me from above.

When I return, Christian is sitting on a chair in the empty living room, eyes focused on a laptop as the party goes on outside.

I barely spend five minutes on the couch before Levi comes back with another list of errands he would like me to help with.

My hand clenches into a fist and I let out a silent sigh as I get up and head out again, except for each time I head out, Christian’s gaze on me becomes more and more intense.

I frown each time I return and feel it. He shouldn’t be looking at me like that!

Didn’t we agree we would stay away from each other?