Eighteen Below Him

Samira's POV

The moment I stepped into the Simms' mansion, the bass thudded against my chest. Colored lights bounced off the walls and reflected across polished floors, turning the house into a shifting blur of bodies and noise. The scent of alcohol mixed with something sweeter, and I caught the faint trace of weed drifting through the air.

Amanda and Novia were practically vibrating beside me.

"Breathe Sam!" Novia hissed, tugging my arm to keep me moving. "And remember controlled chaos!"

"I am breathing!" I muttered, though my chest felt tight as I scanned the crowded foyer. "Controlled chaos is not going to stop me from hating every second of this!"

"Good!" Amanda said with a sly grin, adjusting her dress. "Hate can be fun if you do it right!"

I adjusted the small weed leaf pinned subtly inside the lining of my clutch. It was hidden but deliberate. A quiet reminder that I was here on my own terms. I barely had a second to steady myself before I spotted him. I took a deep breath and gave myself a pep talk.

'You can do this Sam! How hard can it be to get cordial with someone you hated all your life?'

He moved through the crowd with effortless confidence while talking to Chris and Denver. His dark hair fell perfectly across his forehead. His posture said everything. Calm. Untouchable. Completely at ease in his own space. Then our eyes met and my heart skipped a beat.

I bristled. I hated him. I hated the way he unsettled me. I hated how a simple glance from him felt like a challenge. I hated that I reacted at all. His lips curved slightly. It was not a full smile, just enough to suggest he knew exactly what he was doing.

I turned away first. Of course I did.

Ashley appeared not long after, as predictable as the bass shaking the walls. Her eyes landed on me instantly, scanning my dress from head to toe. The approval I did not ask for was absent, replaced by something sharper.

"I see you made it!" she said sweetly, though her eyes were cold. "I thought you might hide in a corner all night like the loser you are!"

"I would rather do that to be honest." I replied evenly, meeting her gaze. "Than spend my time pretending to own something that was never mine!"

Her smile tightened. "Oh it is not about owning. It is about knowing where you stand."

"And where is that?" I asked, tilting my head.

She stepped closer until we were nearly chest to chest. "Behind."

I held her gaze without blinking. "If you are so confident, you would not need to say it."

Her jaw flexed for a split second before she forced a laugh.

Denver approached us next, slow and deliberate. He stopped a few feet away, hands in his pockets and expression mischievous.

"Enjoying the party?" he asked, looking between us.

"It is unforgettable!" I said flatly, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

His mouth twitched. "You look like you are planning a protest."

"I might be." I replied, crossing my arms. "You seem like the type to deserve one."

He chuckled softly. "You really do not like me."

I dislike the entire group. All the same.

"No." I said firmly, letting the word hang in the air. "I absolutely despise you!"

Ashley shifted closer to him as if proximity was proof of something. "She has always been dramatic."

So she is after the entire group. Interesting!

"I am not dramatic." I said, smoothing my dress. "I am observant."

Denver's eyes lingered on mine longer than necessary with curiosity. "Observant of what?"

"Of patterns." I replied, staring him down. "Of inflated egos. Of people who think everything revolves around them."

"And yet you are here." Ashley announced dramatically, her face flushing with anger.

The music swelled behind us, heavy and relentless. I stepped away before I could say something reckless and made my way toward the kitchen. The girls had gone to socialize and popped in whenever they felt like it.

"You are avoiding me." Calvin said, suddenly appearing in my path.

"I am avoiding irritation." I shot back, hiding the fact that I was frightened by his sudden presence. "It just happens to look like you."

He smiled slightly, leaning against the counter. "That almost sounded clever."

Ashley appeared on his other side, clinging to his arm. "Careful Sam. Try not to embarrass yourself."

I cannot get rid of her it seems.

"I would worry about yourself first." I said, meeting her stare. "You seem tense and everywhere."

Her fingers tightened around her cup until I thought the plastic might snap. Novia grabbed my wrist from out of nowhere.

"Dance with us!" she yelled, pulling me toward the center of the room.

The dance floor was packed. Bodies moved without rhythm but were full of energy. I let the music take over for a moment, letting the bass drown out my thoughts. Calvin did not follow me, not like I expected him to. But I already missed the bantering. I forgot the main goal.

"You going to glare all night?" Novia asked as we swayed to the beat.

"I am dancing." I replied sharply, though my eyes kept drifting toward the bar. "He and that parasite just keep inserting themselves into my line of sight."

She leaned slightly closer, smug and teasing. "Maybe your line of sight keeps finding them."

Ashley and her minions moved closer, bouncing into us. Her movements were stiff and deliberate. "Some people do not understand boundaries." she said pointedly, bumping my shoulder.

"Boundaries require security." I answered, pushing back just as hard. "You look unsure."

Her smile slipped.

The night became a series of near collisions and almost conversations. Calvin and I reached for the same drink once and our fingers brushed before I pulled back. We crossed paths in the hallway and neither of us stepped aside immediately. Words were exchanged across rooms with nothing but eye contact.

Calvin remained calm through it all. That was what unsettled me most. He did not rise to anything. He did not snap back. He simply observed, amused and unbothered. Ashley, on the other hand, grew sharper. Her laughs sounded forced. Her hand lingered on Calvin's arm longer each time. She watched me when she thought I was not looking.

Later, I slipped into a quieter corner of the living room, needing space from the noise. Of course he followed.

"Taking a break?" he asked, leaning against the wall near me.

"I do not need permission to stand still." I replied, refusing to look at him.

"I did not say you did." he countered softly.

"You implied it." I said, finally turning my head.

He studied me for a moment. "You look different tonight."

"That is not your concern." I said, gripping my clutch tighter.

"It is if I am the one you keep arguing with." he replied with a shrug.

I folded my arms. "Do not flatter yourself."

He stepped a little closer, close enough that I could see the faint amusement in his eyes. "You act like I am the enemy."

"You enjoy provoking people." I said, my heart starting to race.

"Only the ones who react." he murmured.

My breath caught for a second before I steadied it. "You are not as composed as you pretend to be."

"And you are not as indifferent as you claim." he whispered. His lips were next to my ear in seconds. I didn't even realize when he got this close.

Ashley's heels clicked against the floor as she approached again, her expression tight.

"There you are." she said to him, though her eyes were fixed on me. "I was wondering where you disappeared to."

"I am not lost." he replied calmly but did not move away from my side. He was hovering over me but not touching.

"No." she said softly, her voice trembling slightly. "You are not."

Her gaze flicked to me again, full of warning. I met it without hesitation. The tension between us felt sharp enough to cut. The music pulsed in the background and laughter echoed from the other rooms, but in that corner everything felt narrowed down to glances and unsaid things.

For a long moment, none of us moved. He stood there calm and unreadable. Ashley stood rigid and territorial. And I stood my ground, refusing to step back.

If this was a game, I was not the one losing.