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Sebastian: Hey princess, where are you? Party’s not the same without you.

I fire off a message to Gemma, too, just in case.

Sebastian: Is Lil with you?

“Bash, man, help me out here,” Brandon says. “Tell Naomi she should let me cook for her. My culinary skills are unmatched.”

I raise an eyebrow at him, chuckling. “Dude, you’ve been chasing this girl for months. If she’s not convinced by now, I don’t think my endorsement is gonna change her mind.”

Naomi smirks, sipping her drink. “See? Even your wingman knows a lost cause when he sees one.”

Brandon grins, undeterred. “Nah, Bash just doesn’t understand the finer points of seduction. It’s all about persistence, right cupcake?”

“You mean blowing up my phone at 2 AM?” Naomi says.

I’m about to interject when I spot Lil entering the kitchen. Our eyes lock, and for a moment, the rest of the world fades away. That familiar electricity crackles between us, and a grin spreads across both our faces.

But then hers falters, and her gaze shifts to something behind me. Before I’m able to turn, slim arms snake around my waist.

Fuck. I don’t need to see her to know it’s Blake if the smell of alcohol and weed is any indication.

“Congratulations, Bash.” Her words slur together. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

I groan, trying to disentangle myself from her. “B, come on. We talked about this.”

But she clings tighter. “Don’t be like that. I was thinking. I could give you a special reward for winning the game.”

I glance back at Lil, who’s watching the scene frozen to the ground and eyes watering. Shit. This is not how I wanted this to go.

Brandon and Naomi have fallen silent, their date forgotten.

I finally manage to pry Blake’s arms off me, turning to face her. Her pupils are dilated, and she sways on her feet. Great. What did she take this time?

“You need to go home. Sleep it off.” My patience is wearing thin.

She pouts, reaching for me again. “But I want to stay with you. You can do whatever you—”

“B, what the hell?” Naomi rushes over to Blake. “You’re a mess.”

I step back. “Not happening.”

Blake giggles, leaning heavily on Naomi. “I’m just having fun, Nay-Nay. Don’t be such a buzzkill.”

I catch Lil’s eye again, trying to convey an apology without words. She looks away, biting her lip. Fuck, I can’t let Blake ruin this for me.

Naomi sighs, wrapping an arm around Blake’s waist to steady her. “Come on. Let’s get you some water.”

As they start to leave, Blake turns back to me, a sloppy grin on her face. “Don’t forget about me. I’ll be waiting for you.”

I grimace. “Just go, Blake. Please.”

Brandon clears his throat as they disappear into the crowd. “Well, that was… something.”

“No shit.” When I look back, Lil fights her way through the crowd. Away from me.

Fuck my life. This night keeps getting better and better.

Chapter 20

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