Liana's POV:
At night, I was sitting on the couch with Char while Laura was talking with Ethilia somewhere else.
"I was thinking… we should do something. It's getting all boring," Char said, looking straight at me.
I frowned and turned to her. The smirk tugging at her lips said more than her words ever could. I sighed, knowing I'll regret it, and nodded slowly.. God knows what this troublemaker's planning now.
"Okay then," I muttered, leaning back with a lazy stretch before yawning. "Whatever you're thinking, but yeah… it's getting boring."
Char grinned and patted my shoulder. "Alena's already sleeping, and your mom and dad are with her. No wonder you're this restless."
I pouted a little. She wasn't wrong. Mom said I should stay away when Alena's sleeping because I always end up waking her up to play. Which… might be true.
I just can't resist spending time with that cute little munchkin. But still, that doesn't mean I should be banned from being around her!
Char got up and walked toward the balcony, where Ethilia and Laura were talking. I wanted to know what they were discussing, but I wasn't stupid enough to interrupt. Not after Miss Laura's "do not disturb" order.
Rubbing my eyes, I leaned my head back and kept my eyes closed until I heard footsteps returning. I peeked up, smiled faintly, and turned toward them as Laura and Char sat down on the floor.
Char took out a bottle and placed it between us. "Come on, sit on the floor, Liana."
I frowned and slid off the couch like a melting popsicle until I was sitting on the floor, leaning back against it. Don't judge me, I was way too lazy to stand up and sit down properly.
Ethilia sat beside me. She looked… off. Her eyes were a little red, and there was that quiet heaviness around her. I noticed, but didn't ask. Instead, I looked at Laura, who gave me a small, reassuring nod.
I hummed. "So, what are we playing? And no alcohol, please." I rolled my eyes as I said it.
Laura raised a brow with a smirk, "Why not alcohol?" Her teasing tone made me glare at her, which only made her laugh harder.
I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. "Because I love my liver, thank you very much. I'm not planning to die early."
Char and Laura exchanged glances before bursting out laughing. Char threw the pillow back at me. "You just lose yourself after one glass. Lightweight."
I huffed and crossed my arms. "So what? At least I love myself more than you sometimes, your highness."
That earned a small chuckle from Ethilia. I turned toward her with a raised brow. "Hey, you too?"
Ethilia pressed her hand over her lips, shaking her head, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her. I could see her fighting that laugh.
I sighed dramatically. "Okay, fine, laugh then." That was all it took. The three of them burst into laughter, almost rolling on the floor.
Char wiped her tears and cleared her throat, still chuckling, "Let's play Never Have I Ever. Truth or Dare feels too old now."
Laura clapped her hands once and nodded. "Good idea! If not alcohol, then what do we use?"
Ethilia stood up slowly. "Soda? That should work." She looked at me questioningly, and I nodded with a small smile.
Within a few minutes, everything was ready. Small glasses were filled and placed in front of us, the soda fizzing softly under the light.
Char cleared her throat dramatically. "Alright, so we'll decide who starts by spinning this bottle. Okay? And see those three glasses in front of you? If you've done the thing, you drink."
I looked down at the glasses and nodded slowly. Sounded simple enough. Then she added with a grin, "Whoever finishes all three first loses, okay?"
I raised a brow. "Are you making your own rules again?"
Before Char could reply, Laura stepped in, smirking. "And the loser has to…" She pulled out a few folded papers and placed them on the floor. "Pick one of these. There are dares written inside. And you must do it."
She winked at me, and I rolled my eyes, leaning back against the couch again. "Fine, fine. Let's start before I fall asleep."
Ethilia reached forward and spun the bottle. It twirled a few times before landing on Laura, who grinned mischievously.
"Never have I ever…" She paused for dramatic effect, leaning closer. "…made out in public."
I smirked. Of course, that's what she'd start with. Char rolled her eyes but picked up a glass and gulped it down. I sighed and did the same. The fizz burned my throat a little.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Ethilia narrow her gaze slightly, her lips pressing together. I pretended not to notice, for the sake of my survival.
Next was Char's turn. She grinned and took a deep breath, "Never have I ever… been rejected."
My smile froze, and so did Laura's. We both silently reached for our glasses and took a sip. The irony wasn't lost on me. I'd been rejected by Ethilia, and Laura had been rejected by me. What a perfect little circle.
Then came my turn. I glanced at Laura, grinning like a villain. "Never have I ever… had a threesome."
Ethilia choked on the air, and both Char and Laura turned into red tomatoes, which only made me burst out laughing.
Laura sighed, grabbed her second glass, and drank. Char followed, finishing her last one.
"Wait..." Ethilia blinked in shock, turning to Char. "You too?"
I was also shocked. I remembered her joking about something like that once, but I never thought she'd actually meant it.
Char groaned and rubbed her forehead, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Well… I wasn't exactly planning it, and honestly, I don't even remember much. I just woke up the next morning and found out my drunk ass had apparently gotten laid with two women."
Ethilia's jaw dropped. "You're into women?"
Laura quickly clapped her hands before things could spiral. "Okay, okay! Enough interrogation. Char's the loser, so pick a paper. Dare time."
Char crawled forward, grabbed one of the folded notes, and opened it. Laura leaned over to peek and instantly started laughing. "Sing a song!"
I crossed my arms, smiling faintly. "Perfect. I want to hear that."
Char groaned again but started singing anyway. Her voice was soft, and for a moment, the whole room felt lighter.
When she finished, we all clapped, still smiling. Laura refilled the glasses, the fizz bubbling again, and Ethilia took the chance this time.
She bit her lip, thinking for a moment before whispering, "Never have I ever… burned the kitchen down."
I burst out laughing, and Laura immediately drank, then glared at me. "You too."
I raised my hands in mock surrender and drank it. "Guilty."
It was again Laura's chance, and she thought for a while. She leaned forward, eyes glinting with mischief. "Never have I ever had someone fall for me after just one night."
My eyes widened at Laura's words. Of course, she'd throw something like that. Char slowly crawled to my side and whispered just loud enough for me to hear, "Drink."
I frowned, giving her a sharp look. But before I could ask anything, I caught the glint in her eyes... that teasing dare. With a sigh, I picked up my glass.
Char clapped her hands softly and stayed beside me, officially out of the game after losing.
But the second I lowered my glass, I caught Ethilia's look. That piercing look that made my stomach twist. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes… they said too much. My hands went cold.
I cleared my throat and tried to sound casual. "Never have I ever… been in love and pretended not to be."
For a moment, it went silence. Then, almost at the same time, both Ethilia and Laura reached for their glasses and drank.
I smirked at Ethilia, but my smile vanished when I glanced at Laura. She'd closed her eyes as she swallowed, and the tiny tremor in her breath stung more than I expected.
Char sighed and clapped lightly. "Next! Now look, Laura has one glass left, and both Liana and Ethilia have two."
Ethilia cleared her throat and bit her lip before looking at me. Her eyes narrowed, and I could feel the way she was clenching her fist. "Never have I ever had a one-night thing… for fun."