People kept glancing our way long after the music softened and the night started winding down. Some tried to be subtle about it, pretending to laugh at something while sneaking another peek, but I could feel it. The quiet stares. The half-whispered murmurs that followed Val's little conversation with Tasha.
I wasn't surprised. The moment Val—no, Celestia Valentina Moreau—had dropped her full name, the air shifted. That name carried weight, the kind that made people sit straighter and think twice before saying anything else.
By the time we were leaving, I spotted Derrick across the hall, eyes wide and practically sparkling with curiosity. The man looked ready to sprint over. I didn't even give him the chance, I took Val's hand and guided her toward the exit, pretending not to hear his distant, "Bro, wait up!"
I didn't stop walking until we were both in the car, the engine humming softly under the faint sound of Christmas music playing somewhere in the distance.
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