Finding Lena | ✔️

Chapter Sixteen

Liam's house is enormous, with large windows and brown slates on the roof. There are colourful lights flashing inside the house and the pounding music blares through huge speakers.

The drive is littered with cars, but Caleb manages to find a space fairly close to the mansion to park.

As we climb out, I'm suddenly glad I'm wearing my black jeans and denim jacket, and not a dress. It is freezing.

As we near the house, I recognise the song that's playing- Falling by HAIM.

The door is wide open, while swarms of excited people cluster inside. We follow, Caleb not leaving my side.

I turn to him when he says, "Ever been to a high school party before?"

"Lone wolves don't go to parties. What about you?"

He nods. "But nothing as crazy as this one."

"This isn't just any party. It's Liam Fitzgerald's party." As we step through the door into a hallway with music coming from all directions, I ask, "You'll stay with me, right?"

He smiles down at me. "I promise."

His hand locks with mine, and we advance through the foyer into the living room. The music is even louder in here, and there are people dancing and grinding and laughing.

We both look at each other, and I call over the noise, "I can't dance."

"Thank God," he says, breathing a sigh of relief, and tugs me away from the dance floor.

Suddenly, we catch sight of Phoebe, who rushes over to us and grins. "You made it!" she squeals. "We're just about to start a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven down in the basement, wanna join?"

I shoot Caleb a look. We both nod, since we have nothing else to do.

We follow her down to the basement. There are little lights hanging along the walls, and the music is quieter down here, more relaxing. There is a cooler with alcohol in it, but neither me nor Caleb make a move to get some.

There is a foosball table in the corner, with a couple of people laughing and twisting the handles aggressively. There is also a ping pong table, but some boys and girls are using it for beer pong.

In the centre are two couches opposite each other, with a coffee table in the middle, holding an empty glass bottle.

We sit on one of the couches, beside two of Phoebe's friends, while Phoebe, Liam and two others sit on the couch opposite. There are also a number of other people crowding the coffee table or sitting on the arms of the couches. Some others watch from behind the eager crowd.

Caleb puts his hand onto my thigh protectively, as we wait for the game to start.

A year ago, if I was told I'd be playing Seven Minutes in Heaven with Phoebe and her friends at Liam Fitzgerald's house party, with the perfect new guy sat beside me, I would've scoffed and walked away.

But here I am.

"Okay, so, I'll spin the bottle, and whoever it lands on needs to go into the cupboard over there," she points at a door nearby, "with whoever the bottle also chooses. Rules: door stays closed, lights stay off, and no getting out until the seven minutes are up, got it?"

We all nod quickly.

She adds, "And the rest is up to you." She winks and spins the bottle.