CHAPTER 267
KATYA POV
By the time the music started thinning into echoes and the bonfire burned low, I already knew. I didn't even have to look at Chiara properly—just the way her laughter had gone louder, looser, spilling over itself like it couldn't find where to stop.
I sighed, long and slow, tipping my head back to stare at the stars.
Of course.She had promised. She'd even sworn it—hand to chest, dramatic as ever. But Chiara and alcohol had always had an understanding I was never part of.
She knew how to drink. Too well. Knew exactly how far she could go… and always pushed a step past it.
"Chiara," I said, slipping my arm around her waist as she stumbled sideways, nearly face-planting into the sand.
She laughed like I'd just told the best joke in the world. "I'm fine," she declared, words stretching as she leaned heavily into me. "See? Walking. Perfectly."
I tightened my grip. "You're zigzagging."
"That's just… creative walking."
