28.

Vera’s POV

The door swung open, and there she was—Cecily, my best friend, beaming from ear to ear as usual. Beside her stood Nicholas, her boyfriend, holding a box of cupcakes. Behind them, a group of people I didn’t recognize lingered, laughing amongst themselves.

“Cecily,” I said, surprised but glad to see her. “What’s all this?”

She flashed me a playful grin, brushing past Daniel and into the house like it was her own. “A surprise, of course! Nicholas and I thought it’d be fun to liven things up, so we brought some company.” She gestured toward the strangers behind her.

I looked at Daniel, who was standing stiffly by the door, his jaw tight. “You didn’t tell us about this,” he said flatly, his eyes narrowing at Cecily.

“Oh, relax, Daniel,” she said, waving him off. “It’s just a couple’s party. Nicholas and I thought it’d be nice to get together, and I might’ve invited a few more people. No big deal!”

“A few more?” I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the small group of strangers now filing into our living room.

Cecily shot me an apologetic look. “Okay, so maybe they’re Daniel’s friends. But you’ll love them! They’re super fun, I promise.”

I felt a flicker of unease as I watched Daniel’s friends settle on the couch, chatting and laughing like they belonged here. They were strangers to me, and I wasn’t exactly in the mood to play hostess for people I didn’t know.

Daniel stepped closer to me, his voice low. “If this is too much, say the word, and I’ll send them all home.”

I glanced at him, his protective tone catching me off guard. “It’s fine,” I said quietly. “Cecily’s here, and it’s not like we had any big plans today.”

He studied me for a moment, then gave a small nod before turning his attention to Cecily. “Next time, ask before you bring half the city into my house.”

“Oh, come on,” Cecily teased, throwing her arm around Nicholas. “You’re being dramatic. It’s just us and a few friends. You’ll survive.”

I rolled my eyes, unable to suppress a small smile. “Let me guess, you’re staying for breakfast, too?”

“Obviously,” Cecily said, grinning as she pulled me into a quick hug. “Now, let’s get this party started!”

Nicholas set the cupcakes on the table, and Cecily began arranging snacks like she owned the place. Meanwhile, Daniel’s friends started introducing themselves, though I could barely keep track of their names.

I stuck close to Cecily, feeling a little out of place among the strangers. She must’ve noticed because she leaned over and whispered, “Don’t worry, Vera. I’ll make sure no one does anything too crazy.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, shooting her a small smile.

As the house filled with chatter and laughter, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of annoyance and gratitude. This wasn’t how I imagined my morning going, but with Cecily around, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

And then there was Daniel—standing off to the side, his sharp gaze scanning the room. Even though he was calm and composed, I could tell he was on edge. It was subtle, but I’d spent enough time around him to notice.

His eyes met mine briefly, and for a second, I thought he might come over. But instead, he stayed where he was, keeping a close watch on everything.

This was going to be an interesting day.

The room buzzed with small talk and laughter, though I still felt like a fish out of water among Daniel’s friends. My hand toyed with the edge of my coffee cup as I kept close to Cecily and Nicholas.

One of Daniel’s friends, Joshua, suddenly stood up. He was tall, with a friendly grin and an energy that seemed contagious. “Alright,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Why don’t we get to know each other better?”

He extended a hand to me first, his smile warm. “You must be Vera. Daniel’s wife, right?”

I nodded, shaking his hand. “That’s me. Nice to meet you.”

Joshua moved around the room, introducing himself to Cecily, Nicholas, and the rest of us. His charm put everyone at ease, and soon the strangers didn’t feel quite so strange anymore.

Just as the conversation started to flow, another one of Daniel’s friends—Marcus, I think his name was—checked his phone and frowned. “Sorry, everyone,” he said, standing up. “I’ve got to head out. Something urgent just came up.”

“Oh no, is everything okay?” Cecily asked, her concern genuine.

“Yeah, just a work thing,” Marcus replied with a tight smile. “But it was nice meeting you all. I’ll catch up later.”

With that, he grabbed his coat and left, leaving the rest of us in an awkward silence for a moment.

Cecily, never one to let things get dull, clapped her hands together, her grin returning in full force. “Okay, this is boring. Let’s liven things up a bit!”

I groaned internally. Whenever Cecily got that look in her eyes, it usually meant trouble.

“What are you thinking, Cecily?” Nicholas asked, already laughing.

“Let’s play a game!” she announced, practically bouncing on her heels. “How about… spin the bottle?”

I froze, my eyes widening. “Cecily, we’re not teenagers.”

She waved me off. “Relax, Vera. We’ll make it fun—truth or dare style. No kissing, just questions and dares. It’ll be hilarious!”

Daniel raised an eyebrow, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. “Do we really need to do this?”

“Yes, we do,” Cecily said firmly, grabbing an empty wine bottle from the kitchen. “Come on, everyone! Sit in a circle.”

To my surprise, most of Daniel’s friends seemed on board, laughing and teasing as they gathered in the living room. Even Daniel reluctantly joined, sitting directly across from me, his expression unreadable.

Cecily placed the bottle in the center and gave it a spin. It twirled for a moment before slowing down and landing on Joshua.

“Alright, Joshua,” Cecily said, her grin mischievous. “Truth or dare?”

Joshua smirked. “Dare. I’m not afraid of you.”

Cecily’s eyes sparkled. “Okay, I dare you to call the last person you texted and tell them you love them.”

The room erupted into laughter as Joshua pulled out his phone, his face a mix of amusement and dread. “You’re evil,” he muttered, scrolling through his messages.

When he finally made the call, the laughter only got louder as he stumbled through the dare, blushing furiously by the end of it.

The game continued, each spin bringing new rounds of laughter and ridiculous dares. Someone ended up dancing in the kitchen, another person had to sing a love song to a lamp, and Nicholas was dared to eat a spoonful of hot sauce, which had everyone doubled over with laughter.

When the bottle landed on me, I hesitated. “Truth,” I said quickly, not trusting Cecily with a dare.

Her grin widened. “Alright, Vera. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?”

I glanced at Daniel, who was watching me intently, his expression unreadable. “I’d probably… be at home,” I said honestly.

“Aww, boring!” Cecily teased, but I could tell she was amused.

The game moved on, and the room felt lighter, the strangers now feeling more like friends. Even Daniel seemed more relaxed, though he stayed quiet, watching everything unfold with a faint smirk.

As the bottle spun again, I couldn’t help but feel a small sense of gratitude. This wasn’t how I imagined the day going, but somehow, surrounded by laughter and ridiculous dares, it didn’t feel so bad.