Chapter 67: The Invite to the Lake House

Aveline’s POV

The morning sun was bright, and Crestwood High School was loud. The hallways were completely packed with students moving back and forth. Metal locker doors slammed shut with loud bangs, echoing. Everyone was discussing the same topic. Bright neon flyers were taped to almost every surface, showing big bold letters. They announced the annual Crestwood Kickoff Party. This year, it was happening at a huge lake house just outside the town.

To the regular students, this party was the biggest social event of the school year. It was a place to drink, dance, and forget about classes. But to me, it was not a game. It was a job. It was the perfect place to watch my targets up close. People always get sloppy when they drink. They let their guard down. They talk too much, and they make big mistakes.

I stood at my locker, shifting the strap of my backpack. I was wearing loose, baggy clothes that hid my actual shape. I reached into my locker to pull out a textbook, trying to blend into the background.

Suddenly, an arm dropped over my shoulder. The weight of it pulled me sideways. My hand went tight around the edge of my locker door. For a second, my survival instincts kicked in, and I wanted to throw the person over my shoulder. But I forced myself to relax.

"There he is! The man of the hour!" Theo’s loud voice boomed. He grinned down at me, his grip on my shoulder tight and friendly.

Theo was always full of energy, confident.his smile wide.

"You are coming to the lake house tonight, Asher," Theo insisted, leaving no room for me to say no. "No excuses this time. We are going together. We are going to drink until we forget what school even feels like. It is going to be the best night of the year."

I kept my face completely blank. I did not want to look too eager, but I needed to go to that party. I looked at him and let out a small, quiet sigh, acting like I was just agreeing to make him happy.

"Sure, Theo," I said. "I will go."

"That is what I like to hear!" Theo laughed loudly. He clapped my back hard.

Right at that exact second. Kieran walked past us but he stopped for a split second when he saw us. His eyes locked onto Theo’s arm, which was still resting on my shoulder. I watched Kieran’s face closely. His jaw tightened so hard. His hands balled into tight fists inside his jacket pockets. His entire body became stiff.

He stood there, staring at us.

Kieran did not say a single word. But the anger coming from him says it all. He glared at Theo's hand on my arm, then he kept walking down the hall.

I watched his back as he walked away into the crowd. A satisfaction settled deep inside my chest. My lips wanted to smile, but I kept my face still. Going to this party was definitely the right choice. Kieran was already reacting, and the party had not even started yet.

The drive to the lake house later that evening. Theo drove his car down the roads. He talked the entire time about sports, girls, and school, never stopping to breathe.

When we finally pulled up the driveway, the lake house was in view. It was massive, three stories high,The entire house was vibrating from the heavy bass of the music inside. There were already dozens of cars parked on the grass and people walking around the yard with red cups.

Theo parked the car, turned off the engine, and looked at me with a huge grin. "Let’s go show them the comeback kid is back."

The moment Theo and I walked through the front door. The smell of cheap alcohol. The hallway was packed with people standing shoulder to shoulder.

Suddenly, a loud roar went up from the crowd near the entrance.

"Asher! The comeback kid is finally here!" someone yelled from the top of their lungs.

A loud cheer echoed through the entire front hallway. People turned around, their faces lighting up when they saw me. Red plastic cups were lifted high into the air. Students pushed their way through the crowd just to get close to me. They high-fived me, clapped my shoulders, and shouted words of welcome. They were all excited to see "Asher" back in the social scene.

I forced a smile onto my face. I nodded at the people I recognised, playing the friendly guy they expected. A random guy gave me a cup filled with drinks.

"Drink up, man!" he shouted over the music.

I raised the cup to my mouth. I tilted my head back, making it look like I was taking a big, deep gulp of the drink. In reality, I only faked the sip. I blocked the liquid with my teeth and tongue, letting only a tiny drop touch my lips. I lowered the cup, keeping the liquid inside. I needed a clear head tonight. I could not afford to get drunk.

Holding the cup in my hand, I began to walk through the house. I scanned the crowded rooms. The house was a total mess of dancing bodies, people shouting over the music, and couples talking in corners. I moved past the kitchen, past the hallway, until my eyes locked onto the main living room area.

There he was.

Kieran was sitting right in the middle of a large, expensive leather couch. He looked relaxed, he was surrounded by a big group of pretty girls. They were leaning in close to him, hanging on his every word. They laughed loudly at something he was saying, trying hard to get his attention.

Even in a room full of hundreds of people, Kieran drew everyone’s eyes naturally. He had that kind of power.

My first instinct as a girl should have been to turn around or walk away to avoid trouble. But instead, I felt a confidence rise up inside me.

I gripped my cup a little tighter and walked straight into the living room, heading directly toward the couch.

I did not stop until I reached the centre of the room. Right across from Kieran, on the other side of a low glass coffee table, there was an empty armchair. I walked up to it and sat directly down into it. I leaned way back into the cushions carelessly. I crossed one of my legs over the other, resting my arm lazily along the side of the chair.

I acted completely cocky and confident.

Kieran was right in the middle of talking to a pretty girl who was leaning against his shoulder. He was smiling slightly, but the exact moment I sat down in that chair, he stopped speaking. The words literally died right in his throat.

His eyes went straight to me, looking at my face. I watched him gasp for air he could barely breathe. He sat completely frozen on the couch

Even though I was dressed in baggy, oversized clothes, he was staring at me like he was seeing a ghost. But he could not look away.

The pretty girl next to him noticed what was happening. She tapped his arm gently, asking him to finish what he was saying, but Kieran did not move a muscle. He did not even blink. He could not take his eyes off me.

The silence stretched out between us, It was an intense, silent battle of eye contact. There was only him and me, staring at each other across the room.

Suddenly, Milo jumped up onto the table nearby. He was holding his cup high in the air, liquid sloshing over the sides and spilling onto his hand. He looked around the room, his face red from drinking.

“A toast, everyone! Listen up!” Milo yelled at the top of his lungs, drawing the attention of the entire room. The students stopped talking and turned to look at him. Milo pointed his cup directly at my chair. “To Asher Carter! The mascot who became a monster on the ice!”

The entire room erupted into wild, crazy cheers. People screamed, clapped their hands, and stamped their feet hard against the floor.

I did not look at Milo. I did not care about the crowd or the cheers. I kept my eyes locked entirely on Kieran’s face.

Slowly, very deliberately, I lifted my cup toward him. I held it up in a silent, mocking toast. A small, dangerous smirk curled the edges of my lips, showing him that I knew exactly what I was doing to him.

Kieran smiled slowly. My smirk was driving him absolutely insane, pushing him right to the edge, and we both knew it.