THE LINE BETWEEN US

The Carter mansion had hosted hundreds of parties before, but tonight felt different. Music pulsed through the massive house, the bass vibrating through the marble floors and tall glass windows. Expensive cars lined the long driveway, and laughter echoed from the backyard where lights glowed around the enormous pool. Amelia Carter stood at the top of the staircase, gripping the railing. She almost hadn’t come. Technically, this wasn’t even her party. Ethan had returned home from college for the weekend, and whenever Ethan came home, parties followed. His friends from Westbridge Academy and college always filled the house like they owned it. Which meant one thing. Lucas Knight would be here. “Why are you hiding up here?” Sophie asked, appearing beside her with two cups in her hands. “You look like someone forced you to attend your own funeral.” Amelia sighed. “I’m not hiding.” Sophie raised an eyebrow. “Amelia… you’re literally standing on the staircase like a statue.” Before Amelia could respond, Sophie leaned closer. “Oh,” she whispered dramatically. “This is about him.” Amelia’s face heated. “What? No.” “Lucas Knight,” Sophie said with a grin. “Your brother’s extremely hot and extremely forbidden best friend.” “Lower your voice!” Amelia hissed. Sophie only laughed. “You’ve had a crush on him for years.” “I have not.” “You used to sit at the kitchen counter pretending to do homework just to watch him and Ethan play video games.” “That was when I was fourteen,” Amelia groaned. “And now you’re sixteen,” Sophie said sweetly. “Which means the crush probably got worse.” Amelia opened her mouth to argue but suddenly the room downstairs erupted in cheers. Someone had just arrived. The front door opened and a group of Ethan’s friends walked in, loud and confident. And right in the middle of them… Lucas Knight. Amelia’s breath caught. He looked even more unfair tonight. Black jeans, Dark shirt, Sleeves rolled up slightly. His messy hair looked like he’d run his hands through it a hundred times. Like always, he carried himself with effortless confidence.But then something unexpected happened. Lucas looked up. Straight toward the staircase.Straight at her.Their eyes locked. And suddenly the noise of the party seemed to fade.For a second, neither of them looked away. Then someone stepped into Amelia’s view.A tall girl with long blonde hair slipped her arm around Lucas’s.Amelia blinked. The girl laughed at something Lucas said and leaned closer to him, clearly comfortable. “Who’s that?” Amelia asked quietly. Sophie followed her gaze. “Oh,” Sophie said slowly. “That’s Vanessa Hale.” Amelia frowned. “Should I know who that is?” “Rich. Beautiful. Popular,” Sophie listed. “And she’s been flirting with Lucas for like… two years.” Amelia felt something twist unpleasantly in her stomach. Downstairs, Vanessa whispered something into Lucas’s ear, her hand still resting on his arm. Lucas didn’t pull away. Sophie watched Amelia carefully. “You okay?” Amelia forced a shrug. “Why wouldn’t I be?” “Because you’re gripping that railing like you want to throw it at someone.” Amelia immediately let go. “Let’s just go downstairs,” she muttered. The two girls made their way into the crowd, the music louder now, people dancing and laughing everywhere. Almost instantly, someone waved. “Amelia!” Jordan Blake pushed through the crowd, adjusting his glasses. “I didn’t think you’d come,” he said with a shy smile. “My brother’s party,” Amelia said. “I didn’t really have a choice.” Jordan laughed nervously. Behind them, Sophie suddenly leaned close to Amelia’s ear. “Don’t look now,” she whispered. “Why?” “Because Lucas is staring again.” Amelia’s heart skipped. Against her better judgment… She looked. Across the room, Lucas stood near the kitchen counter.Vanessa was still beside him, talking animatedly.But Lucas wasn’t looking at Vanessa.He was looking at Amelia. His expression was unreadable,Curious,Focused. Almost intense. Before Amelia could look away, Vanessa noticed his distraction.She followed his gaze.Her eyes landed on Amelia. And instantly, her smile disappeared. Vanessa straightened and leaned closer to Lucas, placing her hand on his chest possessively. Amelia quickly looked away. “Well,” Sophie whispered dramatically, “that was aggressive.” “What?” “Vanessa just marked her territory.” Amelia rolled her eyes. “He’s not territory.” But the strange tight feeling in her chest didn’t disappear. Across the room, Lucas said something to Vanessa and started walking. Straight toward them. Sophie grabbed Amelia’s arm. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “He’s coming here.” Jordan froze like a deer caught in headlights. Within seconds, Lucas stopped in front of Amelia. Up close, he smelled like cedarwood and something warm.His eyes flicked briefly to Jordan. Then back to her. A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Didn’t expect to see you at this kind of party, Carter.” Amelia crossed her arms. “It’s my house.” Lucas chuckled softly. “Right.” For a moment, neither of them spoke. The tension between them was thick. Uncomfortable. But somehow… exciting. Lucas leaned slightly closer. “Careful tonight,” he said quietly. Amelia frowned. “Why?” His eyes darkened slightly. “Because parties like this can get messy.” Before she could ask what he meant, Vanessa suddenly appeared beside him. Her gaze moved from Lucas to Amelia. Cold. Calculating. “Lucas,” she said sweetly, slipping her arm through his again. “Ethan’s looking for you.” Lucas didn’t immediately move. Instead, he looked at Amelia one last time. Then he stepped back. “Try not to get into trouble tonight,” he said. Amelia lifted an eyebrow. “You’re assuming I do that.” Lucas smiled slightly. “I’ve known you for a long time, Amelia.” Then he walked away with Vanessa. Sophie immediately grabbed Amelia’s shoulders. “Okay,” she whispered excitedly. “Something is definitely going on there.” Amelia watched Lucas disappear into the crowd. Her heart was still beating faster than normal. And for the first time that night… She had the strange feeling that the party was only the beginning of the drama.