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He saw her

before he saw

anything else

in the room.

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•Chapter 60•

•Emma's Point of view•

For a while, I searched for Kevin to ask him if he could come help me with his twin, but this guy was like a ghost. Finding him was like finding a rare penny in the sea-next to impossible.

I couldn't find him anywhere in this mansion, which led me to give up on searching for him, and make my way directly through the crowd that seemed to keep on growing by the hour.

How many people did the birthday girl invite? It feels like she invited the whole state to this crazy birthday party. The clean-up crew will cost her a pretty penny, indeed.

I almost tripped a few times because some people were passed out against the walls or on the floor. I am beginning to think some are dead because they don't move or flinch even when you accidentally step on them.

Really, these people should never drink alcohol again. If it leaves them so vulnerable like this...

I got lost a few times, but with the help of a few semi-sober people that I asked for directions to the refreshments, I made it to where the drinks were stationed at. God, this place is like a maze.

I asked the young man who was giving out the drink for two bottles of cold water. He told me to go to the refrigerator and look at the top left; there would be what I'm looking for. Of course, I thanked him, and he nodded as he went back to doing what he was doing-handing out drinks while chatting with a girl who was openly flirting with him.

"Finally, I found you. I have been looking for you for a while." It was Romania, with a proud look on her face. She grabbed my hand and escorted me through the crowd.

A few guys stop us on our path, but all Romania does is roll her dark brown eyes openly at them and shove them out of her way, pulling me along with her so the guys she shoved out of her way don't get any ideas about trapping me in useless conversation while she tries to get away from them.

God, It was hard to move through this wave of bodies, then my eyes caught a glimpse of a moving gold butterfly hair clip, making me and Romania move in its direction.

Romania released a breath of relief seeing that nobody moved from the spot she had left them at. I could already imagine how stressful it was for her to find them one by one in this enormous place.

Asher, Alex, and Juliet were here, seeing a group of teens playing spin the bottle on the floor. The bottle lands on a female, and everyone goes wild. They dared her to kiss the guy next to her, and she did so without hesitation, making them all go wild and drawing more attention to their group circle on the floor.

The guys seemed to have surpassed themselves with the drinks because they both looked a little too tipsy. It showed in their eyes... how gone they were from here.

When Asher saw me he came towards me and without hesitation, he gave me a tight suffocating hug that felt like my ribs would about to snap if he applied more pressure to his bear hug.

"Told you the juice fairy will come. And here I thought you had ditched us. Juice fairy. Where were you hiding? Were you hiding from me because I stole your juice yesterday?" Instead of Juliet helping me out with this tight hug her boyfriend was giving me, she erupted into laughter instead at Asher's weird words and questions as he cutely tilted his head like he was really curious.

They were a weird couple indeed.

Alex was sitting on the floor against the wall, focused on the group that was playing a game amongst themselves. Not looking like he's moving anytime soon from that spot. Dude, looked like he was about to fall asleep at any moment. His eyes were half open as he stared at the group with disinterest.

I never took them out to be drinkers.

Juliet opens her arms to her boyfriend with a big, cute smile on her face, making him finally let go of me and head over to her to suffocate her in a tight, warm hug instead.

He started asking her nonsense like, "Why wasn't anybody feeding the juice fairy (aka me) any milk so she could grow a bit taller?" That single question made Juliet and Romania laugh upon hearing it, making him frown at them so openly for laughing at him for his serious question.

I mouthed the words "thank you," and Juliet nodded in response.

She giggles when he starts leaving little kisses on her neck and face while picking her up, her long legs dangling off the floor. He kept leaving little kisses, making her giggles grow louder and catching some people's attention in the circle.

Alex rolled his eyes when he saw them being so affectionate with each other. He looked so pissed for some reason.

I'm starting to think he likes Juliet more than just as a friend. He wasn't good at hiding his emotions, especially when his eyes betrayed him every single time. Poor guy.

Asher puts her down, and Juliet looks at us as she softly smiles when Asher leaves a kiss on her neck, hugging her closer to him and not letting her escape from him. "Guys, I am going outside by the pool with Asher. He needs some fresh air, okay?" Juliet waited for our responses, and we just nodded. She then guides Asher out to the yard to take in some fresh air.

And he followed her with no hustle like a lovesick fool following his infatuation and obsession. I know those two are never going to separate; their love is one in a million. If anyone asks me what true love is or looks like, I'll show them those two. Nobody could ever beat them in that.

The only one that seemed sober in this small group of friends was Romania. And that was so uncalled for. Maybe she was good at holding her liquor.

"I need to head back upstairs." Romania frowned when she heard me. Taking her eyes away from her sister and Asher, retrieving figures, and placing them on me.

"Why? When you just got here." She questioned, her eyes filled with curiosity. Should I be truthful with her? ... Maybe I should.

"My brother is having a hard time upstairs, so I'm taking this for him, so he can sober up a bit." signaling to the two cold bottles of water in my hands to solidify my reason for parting so soon from her.

"Oh- Okay. Do you want me to go with you and help you out?"

"No. Thank you. He, um, doesn't like too many people around him when he's like that. He gets easily agitated and angry. "

"Oh, right. If you need anything, don't hesitate to text me. " Okay? "What room will you be in?" I nodded in response as I answered, "On the second floor, in the last room to the left."

When I was about to depart from her, I gasped in surprise when someone out of nowhere grasped my jaw and lifted my face up.

This stranger's soft lips pressed against mine, making my eyes widen in shock and my body freeze on the spot.

I push him back out of reflex the second I feel this person's soft lips moving against mine; of course, this person lets go after seeing my firm rejection.

When I realize who kissed me, my cheeks flush as I see those familiar, blue, gentle eyes looking down at me, making my heart beat faster than before.

"I'm sorry, it was a dare." He smiles sheepishly. Everyone in the circle cheers, seeing that he completed his dare.

What happened next left me in shock and everyone in the circle in shock as well-making their loud cheers die down in an instant.

Romania didn't hesitate to slap him across the face with all her strength, making his face turn slightly to the right. "Next time, ask first." "Asshole, ever heard of consent? Or do you lack a fucking brain inside there? "

The group in the circle ooed as they saw the altercation escalating out of control, Mike apologized to her and then to me again.

She rolled her eyes openly as her frown grew permanent on her face as she said that he should be charged for that disrespect and that I should hit him as much as I want. Until I felt satisfied.

She narrowed her hard, sharp eyes at him, making him fidget on his spot, avoiding her deadly glare. It was comical seeing such a tall guy scared to look at someone half his size.

Hearing her words, he lowered himself down a little for me to slap him next on the face.

It made me burst out laughing. And I did not know why I was laughing so hard that my ribs started to slightly hurt. But I found this really funny.

Earning myself a very strange, cute look on his face that seemed conflicted and amused by my reaction to his willingness to get punished for his wrongdoing.

Should I take Romania's advice and hit him? No, the guilt of doing that will eat me alive. For all I know, he was probably inebriated.

He takes my right hand and places it on his left cheek as if he's urging me to do it. It honestly made me laugh even harder that he really wanted me to do it. He must be super drunk. No sane person would do that so willingly in front of so many people.

I shake my head, not wanting to do it. Yet, it seems like if I don't, his guilt will consume him from the inside out.

So I don't, letting guilt do the job and making him think about his wrongdoing for the rest of the night.

The people in the circle yelled at him to come back. He gave me one guilty look and then went back to his group.

How the hell will I face him tomorrow? I could already imagine him awkwardly touching the back of his neck tomorrow while he talked to me, out of shame and embarrassment that he did that.

I say "thanks" to Romania. And she nodded as she lectured me on " Never let it slide again, that man only listens when you use violence towards them."

I nodded hearing her words as she kept lecturing me about ways to punish idiots that don't know consent, my eyes momentarily landing on the spot Alex was sitting at but he wasn't there, making my eyes slightly widen.

Where the hell did he disappear to?

"Where did he go?" I pointed at the spot Alex was sitting on a while ago. And seeing the state he was in it was better to keep him close and a very close eye on him.

Romania looks back in alert, when she sees Alex is not on the spot she has left him at.

She starts scanning her eyes through the whole place, seeing if she can catch a glimpse of his dark hoodie. "Shit. Where the hell is he going in such a hurry?" She questioned herself as she left my side and made her way quickly in the direction she saw him going in such a hurry.

I watched them disappear into the crowd, and I started heading to the stairs. Hoping, Leo was still in his spot in the closet, behaving himself until I got back.

But for some reason, I had a bad feeling about this.

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