Erin Xavier snapped several photos in a row before he was finally satisfied.
He inspired Zoe Pierce, who looked up at the others and suggested, "Why don’t we each take a few individual pictures?"
The mont she said that, Erin Xavier felt the photos on his Intelligent Brain had lost their appeal.
Chase Shaw scoffed and tossed his Intelligent Brain to Erin Xavier, raising an eyebrow. "Thanks for your hard work, Erin."
’Who’s the childish one now?’
Erin Xavier took the Intelligent Brain to take pictures of Chase and Zoe. After a few shots, he realized sothing was wrong. "Chase, why do you keep staring at Zoe?"
In one photo after another, he stood beside Zoe, a faint smile playing on his lips, his eyes completely fixed on her.
As if he were afraid people *wouldn’t* notice what was going on.
Chase Shaw flipped through the photos. "It’s not like anyone else will see these."
"I do what I want."
Zoe Pierce glanced at them, too. The romantic tension was palpable.
It ca from Chase’s eyes. Their gazes t perfectly, and her heart began to hamr in her chest.
Zoe Pierce broke eye contact, casting a guilty glance at Miles Sherman.
Miles Sherman was her boyfriend right now, not anyone else.
Any resolve she’d had before crumbled after just one test.
All one could say was that while Erin Xavier had started the whole thing, when it ca to taking the photo session to another level, the first person to go always got the short end of the stick.
Nathan Lockwood sat down on the sofa and patted the spot next to him. "Zoe, co sit with for a few pictures."
Zoe sat down, and Nathan Lockwood imdiately reached out, his arm wrapping around her shoulders and neck with unerring precision.
Just as she was about to look over at him, she heard his voice. "Zoe, look at the cara."
Erin Xavier watched the scene unfold with a raised eyebrow, then glanced at Miles Sherman, who was calmly taking their picture. Erin ran his tongue over his back teeth a few tis, barely managing to suppress his irritation.
’So intimate. It’s kind of hard to watch.’
But the thought that scenes like this might beco common among them in private forced Erin to try and get used to it.
’Even now, this isn’t my ti.’
He glanced at Chase, who was standing beside him. Sure enough, Chase’s expression wasn’t exactly natural either.
’Everyone is trying to adapt.’
’It’s harder than I thought, but we have to.’
When it was finally Miles’s turn, things were a bit more normal. They simply clinked their glasses together and snapped a few photos.
Zoe hadn’t eaten much at the victory party earlier, what with all the toasting. Now that it was just them, she let herself go, eating sothing to line her stomach before taking several more gulps of champagne.
She had to be so guarded in public. Only in front of them could she allow herself to let loose a little.
Erin grabbed a pair of dice from nearby. "How about a drinking ga?"
Zoe hadn’t felt this relaxed in a very long ti. She had been like a tightly wound string, fighting for victory in the friendship match. Now, it was finally over.
She was desperate to unwind.
However, her luck was decidedly average. After more than ten rounds against Nathan Lockwood and the others, she had lost half of them.
"Zoe, that’s enough," Miles said in a low voice, covering the mouth of the bottle with his hand. "Any more and you’ll be drunk."
Zoe glanced beside her. Without even realizing it, she’d already finished five or six small bottles of beer and nearly half a bottle of champagne. No wonder her face felt so hot.
But when she looked at Miles, all she said was, "Miles, we won."
Miles paused for a mont. "Yeah."
"Even if I get drunk, you guys will be here... I haven’t been this happy in so long."
’I’ve gotten everything I wanted.’
’Both society’s definition of success... and them.’
’That’s why I can let loose like this.’
"I want to drink more," she said, grinning at him. Her face was flushed, and she already looked a little tipsy.
This ti, however, Miles had no reason to stop her. With a resigned sigh, he let go of the bottle. He watched as Zoe smiled, then poured herself another glass.
’It’s inevitable that Zoe is getting drunk tonight.’
Miles glanced at the others, who had also been drinking heavily. They were holding up much better than Zoe. Thanks to frequent family and social obligations, their alcohol tolerance was far higher than hers.
Even though they had drunk just as much, they were all still clear-headed.
Nathan Lockwood went to the restroom, and Miles went to turn on the air purifier. The whole room reeked of alcohol.
When he turned back around, the Oga, who had been passed out drunk on the sofa, was struggling to her feet.
Chase also stood up, trying to steady her.
But then Zoe slowly lifted her head and murmured, "Chase?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, almost like she was whining playfully.
Chase grabbed her wrist. "Yeah, I’m here."
But Zoe wasn’t satisfied. She pulled her hand free from his grasp, raised both arms high, and giggled. "Pick up."
The tall, imposing man looked down to see her face tilted up toward his, a wide smile on her lips. Her eyes curved into crescents, and a pink flush spread from her cheeks down her neck.
He swept her up into his arms.
With his arm supporting her from below, the Oga was suddenly at eye level with him, her face nuzzling into his shoulder.
"Chase, how did you get so tall...? The view from up here is amazing..." she mumbled, looking around.
Before Chase could answer, she reached out and touched his head. "Does your head still hurt? Is your spirit sea okay...?"
’She always had a way of making his heart lt.’
’Worrying about things like that, even when she’s completely drunk.’
"It doesn’t hurt anymore, Zoe," he said, his voice gentle and coaxing.
Zoe nodded, satisfied. "That’s good. You have to get a good night’s sleep every night."
Erin, who had drunk more than anyone, heard the commotion and looked up to see Zoe being held by Chase, whispering sothing to him.
Zoe saw his mouth open and started directing Chase. "Chase... I wanna go over there... What is Erin saying...?"
There’s no reasoning with a drunk person. Chase carried her over, and she easily wriggled free, plopping down next to Erin. She pinched his lips and tugged. "What were you trying to say, Erin...?"
His lips stinging from the tug, Erin rolled over, pinning her arm down. "I was saying that you only ever think about Chase."
Zoe froze, then imdiately retorted, sounding aggrieved, "No, I don’t."
"But we do the most together..."
Erin froze.
"When you kissed ... down there... I... Mmph!" A hand instantly clamped over her mouth. Zoe’s words shocked the drunkenness right out of Erin.
Clapping a hand over her mouth was a futile gesture, but the sha would be unbearable if she actually said it out loud.
She reached up to pull his hand away, and Erin’s nerves tensed. "Don’t talk about that, okay? I’m begging you."
Zoe nodded. The mont Erin let go, she scrambled to the side. "You’re the one who was falsely accusing ... I... You... You’re shaless..."
Another wave of red visibly washed over her already crimson face.
When Erin turned around, he was t with three pairs of deep, probing eyes.
Nathan Lockwood had just co out of the restroom, his freshly washed fingers still damp. He had erged just in ti to witness the entire exchange, from Zoe leaving Chase’s arms to her conversation with Erin.
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