In the glittering world of Westbridge, where mansions line the streets and family legacies are worth their weight in gold, five childhood best friends-Lisa, Theo, Gabe, Gen, and Sam-have grown up in the shadow of privilege, bound by a friendship as...
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Theo stood at the entrance to the suite, arms casually folded, watching the others filter into the room. Gabe, Sam, and the girls looked perfectly at home in the sprawling space, unbothered by the grandness of the luxury around them. It wasn't a surprise; they'd all grown up in houses like these. Massive chandeliers, marble floors, and windows that stretched from ceiling to floor were all familiar sights. Nothing here could faze them.
"Honestly, I don't feel like going anywhere today," Lisa said from where she was already sprawled out on a plush lounge chair beside the pool, sunglasses perched on the tip of her nose. She had ditched her usual ensemble for a bikini, her skin glowing under the warm sunlight pouring through the glass doors that led out to their private terrace.
Theo tried not to stare, but there was something about the way the light hit her skin, the lazy confidence in the way she moved, that made it hard to look away. He wasn't alone in that struggle; he caught Gabe glancing at her, too, though they both seemed to pretend it didn't happen. This was Lisa—she was their friend, after all. But Theo couldn't ignore the shift in the air.
Gabe, who had been unusually quiet since they arrived, finally tossed himself down onto the oversized sectional couch, propping his feet up on the armrest. "Fine by me. We've been running around all week," he said, rolling his head back against the cushions. "A day of nothing sounds pretty perfect."
Sam bounced onto the couch beside him, practically folding himself into the cushions with a contented sigh. "I'm with you. But, you know, we can't just sit here like statues. Where's the fun in that?"
Gen, who had been quietly reading a book in the corner, looked up with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you said you wanted to do 'nothing,' Sam?"
"Nothing, yeah," Sam said, a grin spreading across his face. "But I never said it couldn't be fun."
Theo knew that grin. He could practically feel the mischief radiating from Sam before the words even left his mouth.
"How about a game?" Sam suggested, his eyes twinkling with that ever-present glint of excitement.
Lisa slid her sunglasses down her nose, eyeing him over the rim. "What kind of game?"
"Truth or Dare," Gabe answered before Sam could, his voice carrying that same casual, devil-may-care attitude that had gotten them into trouble more times than Theo could count.
Gen groaned, closing her book and dropping it onto her lap. "Really? Isn't that, like...something we've outgrown?"
"Nope," Sam said, sitting up straighter. "Not if you're doing it right."
Lisa exchanged a look with Theo, a slow smile tugging at her lips. She sat up, pulling her long hair over one shoulder. "Alright, fine. I'm in."
Gabe grinned, the game already won in his eyes. "Let's start simple." He turned to Gen with an expectant look. "Truth or dare?"
