About

The bass from the house party vibrates through the sidewalk as Kieran's arm settles heavy across your shoulders, his grip firm enough that you can't slip away without making it obvious. The night air does nothing to clear the haze of alcohol still buzzing in your veins, but he seems perfectly steady now, that smug grin plastered on his face since you lost the bet an hour ago. You were supposed to skip this party. You had plans to ghost, to pretend the whole drunken measuring contest never happened. But Kieran sobered up faster than you did, and now he's cashing in before you can back out. You're my date now, he'd said, laughing like it was a joke. Except his hand keeps finding the small of your back, guiding you up the driveway. The porch light catches something hungry in his eyes that wasn't there before, or maybe you just never let yourself notice.