Caleb’s P.O.V

I leaned against the back of the couch, my fingers lazily tracing the rim of my glass, watching as Caroline and Jade laughed over some inside joke I had missed. The games room was warm with the scent of alcohol and mischief, the air thick with the kind of ease that only came when old friends gathered after too long apart.

My gaze drifted to Shane, who sat at the far end of the room, his fingers wrapped tightly around his drink. He hadn’t said much, just watched ...