Chapter 2
Amid the chatter, a girl in a flowing, silk white dress flashed a coquettish smile.
"Oh, what are you guys talking about? I have no idea. Rae, come sit with me," she said, patting the spot beside her.
She was the sole other female present, looking all soft and innocent, like a budding flower untouched by the world's harshness.
Yet, appearances were deceiving. Moments ago, Barry had spoken up at her silent cue.
Her little schemes, which she thought were subtle, hadn't escaped my notice.
"We heard Charlie's got a girlfriend, so we just whipped up this little get-together on a whim. You're cool with that, Rae?"
A whim? This swanky club required at least a week's reservation in advance for non-VIPs.
And VIPs usually didn't slum it in the main hall.
I sat down casually and gave my clothes a good shake. Dust billowed up, making the girl let out a fit of coughs.
"Sorry about that. Just crawled out of a ditch," I said, not even bothering to hide my sarcasm.
Some of the dust landed on her pristine white dress. A flicker of disdain crossed her otherwise sweet face.
"It's fine. But Rae, you really work hard. Charlie told me you were scraping by on scholarships and part-time jobs when you were abroad," she said, her voice oozing with fake sympathy.
Charles rushed over with a wet wipe—I honestly thought he was bringing it for me.
But nope, he totally ignored me and went straight to help Lily, sounding all annoyed.
"Lily's got a weak constitution. She's been spoiled her whole life, not like you. You're covered in dirt and dust. Maybe don't sit here," he said, clearly irritated.
Seeing Lily flash me that smug, winner's grin, I had to fight the urge to flip the table right then and there.
"Charlie's just too worried about me. I'm really not that fragile." Lily giggled, playing up the sweetness.
Her words instantly set off a round of teasing from everyone.
Everyone started going on about how they were childhood besties, destined to be together, even joking about their parents setting them up since birth.
Suddenly, I was cast as the villain who came to ruin their perfect love story.
I was over it. Did they think I was some kind of doormat, willing to be part of their drama?
Charles just brushed it off. "Don't mind them. They're just joking around. Lily's basically family to me," he said.
As soon as he said that, Lily's face went ghostly pale. It took her a while to plaster that sweet smile back on.
"Yeah, they just like to run their mouths," Lily said, forcing a smile and trying to act unfazed.
Honestly, I was so over it. I was already figuring out when to dump him.
After a few rounds, the party was in full swing, and someone suggested we play Truth or Dare.
Charles and Lily ended up losing and had to do a dare.
"Come on, you two childhood sweethearts, give each other a smooch on the cheek!" someone shouted with a mischievous glint in their eye.
They then turned to me. "We've all known each other since we were kids and are used to this kind of fun. Don't be a party-pooper!"
I shrugged casually, holding my glass, and replied with a smile, "No worries. It's a blast. Keep the game going."
Seeing that I wasn't fazed, Charles relaxed and pulled Lily close.
They leaned in for a cheek kiss. When they pulled apart, Lily's face was rosy, and Charles looked a bit flustered.
The crowd cheered, but I scoffed internally. It was just so absurd.
How could childhood friends be this close and not be an item? It was beyond me.
"Let's keep it rolling!" The bar was now a sea of excitement.
Meanwhile, some familiar laughter drifted over from the neighboring table.
I got distracted and lost the game.
"Rae's out!" Lily giggled behind her hand.
At her signal, Barry beside her spoke up, "Bet she can't handle it."
"Come on, Rae's not the type to be stingy," another voice chimed in.
"Yeah, only tight-wads can't have fun with us."
They were like a well-rehearsed comedy act, feeding off each other.
The guy continued, "Don't say I'm picking on you. The punishment's the same for everyone—kiss your childhood sweetheart on the cheek.
"But since your childhood sweetheart isn't here, just pick any guy except Charles."
Charles looked seriously pissed as soon as he heard that.
After all, we'd only made our relationship official yesterday, and then I got swamped with work from the professor. We hadn't even had a chance to hold hands.
But he just sat there, too worried about his own pride to step in for me—guess he expected me to just give up on my own.
"Knew it! She's a chicken!" Barry jeered.
I stepped right up to him, bent down, locked eyes with him, and said with a smirk, "Oh, 'honey', I'll show you how it's done!"
I had a sharp and alluring beauty, the kind that turned heads. Sure enough, his face flushed.
Letting out a disdainful grunt, I scanned the area. There, at the next table, were a bunch of old friends, folks I'd grown up with.
Funny thing was, these guys were usually tucked away in a private booth, but tonight they were out here in the main hall.
They'd already caught sight of me and the chaos unfolding. Now they were all peering at me with curiosity, and a few were wiggling their eyebrows, as if to say, "Need a hand? Come over here!"
I flashed them a smile, made my way through their table under their inquisitive looks, grabbed Ethan, who was sitting in the corner, munching on a honey melon. Before he could react, I planted a kiss on his lips.
A measly cheek kiss? No way. Once I was in, I would go all the way!
Who said I don't have a childhood pal? That honey melon was pretty sweet.