ᴛᴀɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ʜᴇʀ

ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ

Ciel sat on the couch, sipping his drink as he chatted with Xoia. The party buzzed around them—music thumping, people laughing, conversations blurring together. Xoia grabbed his hand and pulled him toward a group of her friends.

"Guys, this is Ciel," she said with a bright smile.

He offered them a polite nod. "Hey, I'm Ciel."

A tall girl with an effortless elegance raised an eyebrow. "And where did you meet this one?" she teased, lips curling into a smirk. "I'm Haley, by the way."

Haley was striking—tall, poised, and beautiful, radiating the kind of confidence that came with knowing she was the center of attention.

Another girl, her polar opposite, leaned in with a lazy grin. "Sup, I'm Joey."

Joey was shorter, with multiple piercings and tattoos peeking through the sleeves of her oversized hoodie. Where Haley exuded class, Joey had an effortless edge.

"Is he the one?" Haley asked, nudging Xoia playfully.

Xoia laughed, shaking her head. "No, no, this one's already taken."

"Ah, so when do we get to meet the mystery girlfriend?" Haley pouted.

Xoia ran a hand over her arm absentmindedly. "Soon."

Ciel pulled his phone from his pocket, suddenly feeling the need to check in on Akira. She was home, having a girls' night with Grace and Desiree. He quickly typed out a message.

Ciel: Hey love, just checking in. You okay?

He stared at the screen for a moment before locking his phone and slipping it back into his pocket. His chest tightened slightly—he didn't like being away from her for too long.

"Alright," Haley suddenly announced, snapping him back to reality. "Let's play a drinking game!" She climbed onto a chair, waving her drink in the air.

People gathered, forming a circle.

"Never have I ever?" someone suggested.

"LETS GOOO!" a random voice in the crowd cheered.

"I'll start," Xoia said, twirling her drink in her hand. "Never have I ever had a one-night stand."

A few groaned and took a sip.

"I'm probably gonna lose," Haley sighed dramatically before taking a drink.

The game carried on, questions becoming more scandalous, people becoming louder.

"Never have I ever cheated on my partner," someone said.

A few people exchanged glances before hesitantly taking a sip.

Ciel let out a small breath of relief when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

Akira: I'm good, babe. Just watching a movie with the girls. Don't get too drunk.

He smiled, his fingers hovering over the keyboard before responding.

Ciel: I won't. Love you.

As he sent the message, a drunk girl beside him suddenly stumbled, knocking her drink over and spilling it all over his shirt.

"I'm sooorrryyy," she slurred, giggling before hiccupping.

"It's fine," Ciel muttered, standing up. Xoia was already grabbing his arm.

"I'll help you clean up," she offered, tugging him toward the stairs.

She led him to the laundry room, flipping on the dim overhead light.