CHAPTER TWELVE
Amber wants to spend the rest of the evening dancing. The moment we step inside, the lights feel too bright and the music too loud. The bass thrums under my skin, matching the pounding in my head. People are everywhere, dancing, drinking, laughing—but it all feels like a blur, like I’m underwater.
Valentina keeps hold of my hand like she’s staking a claim.
We weave through the crowd toward the kitchen, and I try to act normal. I nod at a few people, c***k a joke to someone I barely know, but Valentina’s still watching me. Like a hawk circling something wounded.
When we reach the counter, she turns abruptly, placing her drink down a little too hard.
“All right,” she says, crossing her arms. “Let’s stop pretending for five minutes.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Pretending?”
“Ye
