One hundred and three

As Lawson brought up the idea of playing a game, the atmosphere in the room seemed to shift once again. I exchanged a quick glance with Alexander, who was seated next to me. His raised eyebrow conveyed his surprise at Lawson's suggestion.

"I agree," Vivian chimed in, her voice sounding slightly more enthusiastic than before. "Let's make it compulsory. Everyone must play."

Lawson's eyes gleamed, and I could tell he had something up his sleeve. "Great! Let's play 'flip the bottle.' We'll take turns flipping a bottle, and whoever it points to has to do a dare. Anyone who chooses to forfeit will drink two glasses of wine."

My heart raced as I considered the idea. It sounded like a really bad idea, and I knew the dares wouldn't be simple, and I might end up getting drunk later on. I stole a glance at Dominic, who was still seated across me, trying to read his expression. To my surprise, he seemed intrigued, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Sounds fun," Dominic said, his voice calm yet with a trace of amusement. "I'm in."

Lawson's grin widened. "Awesome! It's settled then. Let's get started."

The excitement in the room grew palpable as we all gathered around in a circle. Lawson placed an empty bottle in the centre, and the game began. The bottle spun, its neck pointing at different people with each turn. Laughter and cheers filled the air as dares were exchanged, ranging from silly to daring.

I noticed that just like me, both Alexander and Dominic had managed to escape the dares so far. They were clearly enjoying the game while avoiding being the centre of attention.

But as fate would have it, the bottle spun one final time, slowing down before coming to a stop. Its neck was pointing directly at me. I looked around, my heart pounding, as everyone's gaze fell on me once again.

"Selene, it's your turn," Lawson exclaimed, clearly amused. "Come on, come on..."

I shifted in my seat, not expecting the bottle to have landed on me but probably because the dares haven't been outrageous all night, I felt more relieved as I nodded, looking toward the last person that was dared, Amanda, to dare me.

She looked at me for a moment, and for some reason, I couldn't help but feel a sudden itch at the back of my neck. It almost felt like a bad premonition, but I ignored it anyway.

She didn't say anything at first, and it was only when Lawson was about to intervene when she suddenly said, "I dare you to kiss anyone of the opposite sex in this room."

My heart thudded.