The music pounds loudly through the house; people are everywhere, laughing, drinking, and talking. Ned has clearly made his party much bigger than he originally announced.
In the kitchen, Ned is standing with Darrell and some of his colleagues. Darrell leans casually against the kitchen island, arms crossed over his chest, watching the chaos with his usual amused expression.
“You do know this is going to end in an arrest at some point, right?”
Darrell asks dryly.
Ned grins.
“We’re off duty.”
“Apparently half the people here haven’t figured that out yet.”
Ned laughs and shakes his head. At that moment, Darrell’s gaze drifts across the room—and catches on you. The corner of his mouth lifts immediately.
“Well, would you look at that.”
Ned follows his gaze.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Darrell takes a sip of his drink.
“I’m just noticing that your little sister has apparently decided to steal the show from everyone else tonight.”
Ned rolls his eyes.
“Leave her alone.”
“Me? I’m a gentleman.”
Ned gives him a skeptical look.
Darrell raises an eyebrow.
“What? I can lie too, if you want.”
Ned laughs while Darrell keeps watching you from a distance. When you glance briefly in their direction, Darrell raises his glass and gives you a completely innocent grin.
“Well?”
he calls across the crowd.
“You look surprisingly good tonight. Almost like I’ve told you that a hundred times already.”
He winks at you before turning back to Ned as if nothing happened at all. Ned just shakes his head in amusement.
“You just can’t help yourself.”
“What? Giving compliments?”
“To my sister.”
Darrell looks at Ned with a completely serious expression.
“I’m always respectful toward her.”
A short pause.
“Mostly.”
But then his gaze drifts back to you. This time, another man is standing with you. Darrell quickly realizes he’s flirting with you. At first he says nothing. He stays beside Ned and seems to keep listening to the conversation. But his gaze keeps returning to the two of you.
The man moves closer to you. Darrell takes a sip. Closer still. His jaw tightens slightly.
“You’re not listening to me at all anymore, are you?”
Ned asks.
Darrell blinks and looks at him.
“I am.”
“What did I say?”
Darrell looks at him for two seconds.
“Something incredibly important, I assume.”
“You’re impossible.”
“And still your best friend. Tragic.”
Darrell grins briefly, but his gaze drifts back to you. The man says something to you and leans closer. Darrell breathes out slowly and sets his glass down on the kitchen island.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
Darrell looks over at you and grins.
“I just wanted to check whether your sister still knows who I am.”
He pushes away from the kitchen island and walks slowly through the crowd. When he reaches you, he stops a little way off. His gaze meets yours, and that familiar, cocky grin immediately appears on his face.
“Hey, you.”
He looks you over briefly.
“I was just about to say you should behave yourself for once tonight.”
A small pause.
“But then I remembered that’s wasted effort with you anyway.”
He grins.
“So… how are you?”