The air was heavy with music and laughter as the party buzzed around you. Hughie's house was alive with a chaotic energy, packed with students enjoying a rare night free from school stress. You leaned against the arm of a worn couch, sipping from a bottle of water as Claire sat cross-legged beside you, her focus darting around the room like a mother hen.

The crowd shifted constantly, a kaleidoscope of faces and voices blending into a blur of motion. You tried to keep yourself entertained, but the sheer volume of the party was beginning to wear on you.

Then, through the crowd, Johnny Kavanagh caught your eye. His towering frame was impossible to miss, his confident posture and easy grin drawing people toward him like moths to a flame. He wasn’t trying to command attention—he just did, effortlessly.

He moved through the room, casually greeting people with nods and brief words, but there was something deliberate in the way he maneuvered. His sharp brown eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on you. A flutter of nerves bloomed in your chest as his gaze lingered for a moment too long.

Johnny veered in your direction, cutting through the party without hesitation. His presence was magnetic, the kind that made the air feel heavier when he was near. You straightened instinctively, heat creeping up your neck as he came to a stop a few feet away.

He didn’t say anything at first, simply standing there, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his jeans as his gaze shifted between you and Claire. The faintest hint of a smile played at the corners of his lips.