She must have sensed my nervousness after all. I trail behind her as she takes me towards the large open front doors, weaving through the sea of mindless people.
It is far more suffocating in the crowded mansion, but we squeeze our way through the cramped space while I attempt to avoid eye contact with all the young adults. I maintain a tight grip on Lucy's hand, seeking calm in her presence during all the madness. As soon as we finally enter the kitchen, she releases my hand, and I take a moment to take in the scene: a frenzy of drinking games, with people shouting and acting like wild fucking animals.
“Wait here, Charley, and then we'll go out to the backyard, where things should be a lot calmer.”
As she shouts to me above the loud music blasting in our ears, I offer her a slight nod before watching her stroll away. I grumble and rest against the wall until a guy in the distance catches my attention—tall, dark, and handsome—and he can only be a couple of years older than me.
He flashes me a devilishly attractive grin before sipping his drink and continuing to chat with his friends. When Lucy eventually returns, she offers me a paper cup with colorless liquid in it, which I bring to my nose and take a brief whiff of. I glance up at her as the scorching sensation of powerful alcohol burns my nostrils.
“What in the world is it? Did you do the pouring yourself?”
She laughs before rolling her eyes.
“Yes, I did, and just drink it; it'll instantly calm those nerves, Char.”
I take a hesitant sip as she watches me intently, but the moment it hits my throat, it burns like acid and makes me cough. Shegiggles and slides her arm around my shoulders, gazing down at me.
“You're new to all of this, huh?”
I reluctantly peer up at her as we walk forward.
“Is it really that obvious?”
She responds with a big smile before looking ahead.
“Terribly.”
My eyes widen at the thought that everyone here can sense that I am an outcast as well.
As we wander into the backyard, the energy hits me like a fucking wave. The DJ's music reverberates through the air, mixed with the laughter of the crowd. The pool and partygoers inside glitter under the bright, flickering spotlights, and everywhere I look, people are engaging and enjoying themselves, creating an atmosphere that is both amazing and overwhelming, for me at least. Lucy leads me to a quieter spot in the far corner, where we sip our drinks and glance around.
“Chaos and Reign should be here at any moment now.”
I raise my eyes to her.
“Reign?”
She looks at me, stunned.
“You don't know who Reign Smirnov is?”
“Should I?”
Her mouth hangs open before she narrows her eyes on mine, suspiciously.
“How long have you lived in New York again?”
Before responding, I take a sip of my drink and break eye contact.
“A little over five years.”
She doesn't know about my past as an orphan because I avoid sharing those details with people since they are not easy to relate to if you have had a privileged upbringing, much like the rich kids here. Sharing my past feels like I am inviting judgment or pity, so I just keep it to myself.
“Well, Reign is Chaos' best friend, but he is a couple of years older than him. He is an underground MMA fighter and the finest in New York right now. They are joined at the hip and have been raised as brothers.”
I give a small nod when our eyes meet once more.
“So, whose house is this?”
