Chapter 33: XXXIII

Chapter 33: Out in the Open

The living room was alive with chatter and laughter as the group gathered for another one of Jordan and Sam’s infamous game nights. Snacks were strewn across the coffee table, and the faint scent of buttered popcorn filled the air. The five of them—Jordan, Sam, Danny, Maya, Riley, and Elena—were sprawled across the couch and floor, each trying to outwit the other in a raucous game of charades.

Riley sat on the edge of the couch, leaning slightly into Elena, who had her arm draped casually along the backrest behind Riley. To anyone paying attention, the closeness between them felt more than friendly, though the others seemed too engrossed in the game to notice at first.

“Okay, Riley, your turn!” Sam called, holding out the charades card deck.

Riley groaned, shifting slightly.

“I’m terrible at this,” she muttered.

Elena chuckled softly, her fingers brushing the back of Riley’s shoulder in an almost absentminded gesture.

“You’ll be fine,” Elena said, her voice low and teasing. “Go on, show us your skills.”

Riley shot her a mock glare before standing, grabbing a card, and glancing at the prompt.

“Alright, here we go,” she said, rolling her shoulders dramatically.

She launched into her performance, acting out what was clearly meant to be “a surfer.” Her exaggerated motions earned a round of laughter from the group, especially when she pretended to wipe out and flailed onto the couch.

“You’re terrible at this!” Jordan howled, clutching his stomach.

Riley huffed, throwing her hands up.

“I told you!” she said defensively, but her grin gave her away.

Elena reached out, tugging Riley back down onto the couch.

“Good effort,” she said, smirking.

“Gee, thanks,” Riley replied, though her smile widened as Elena’s hand lingered on her arm.

---

As the evening went on, Riley and Elena’s touches became more frequent, more obvious. A casual hand on the knee here, a soft squeeze of the shoulder there. At one point, Riley leaned back against Elena’s chest while the others debated what to play next.

Danny, sitting across from them, raised an eyebrow but said nothing, his gaze flickering between the two.

“You two seem cozy tonight,” Maya remarked with a smirk, her tone light but curious.

Riley straightened slightly, her cheeks tinged pink, but Elena didn’t flinch. Instead, she wrapped her arms loosely around Riley’s waist from behind, resting her chin on Riley’s shoulder.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Elena said casually, her voice tinged with amusement.

Jordan glanced up from the pile of game boxes he was rifling through, his expression a mix of surprise and approval.

“Okay, okay, I see you,” he said, grinning. “When did this become a thing?”

Riley opened her mouth to respond, but Elena beat her to it.

“It’s been a thing,” Elena said smoothly, her arms tightening slightly around Riley. “We just didn’t feel like announcing it.”

Sam let out a low whistle, exchanging a knowing look with Jordan.

“Well, it’s about time,” he said. “We’ve been wondering how long you two could dance around each other.”

Riley buried her face in her hands, groaning.

“Was it that obvious?” she muttered.

“Painfully,” Maya said with a laugh. “But in a cute way.”

The group chuckled, the atmosphere light and teasing.

---

The next game was a group favorite: Pictionary. Riley and Elena teamed up, their connection evident as they easily guessed each other’s drawings, even when they were barely coherent.

“Is that supposed to be a dog?” Danny asked, squinting at Riley’s wobbly lines.

“No, it’s a boat!” Elena said confidently.

Danny blinked.

“A boat? How—”

“Correct!” Riley exclaimed, pointing at Elena triumphantly.

The group erupted into laughter, and Riley leaned into Elena, their shoulders pressing together.

“You’re ridiculous,” Riley said, shaking her head.

“And you love it,” Elena shot back, her smile mischievous.

Riley didn’t respond, but the blush creeping up her neck said it all.

---

By the time the night wound down, everyone was sprawled across the room in various states of exhaustion. Danny and Jordan were arguing over who won the most games, while Sam and Maya watched with mild amusement.

Riley and Elena sat on the couch, Elena’s arm once again draped around Riley’s shoulders.

“This was fun,” Riley said softly, glancing up at Elena.

Elena smiled, her fingers brushing a strand of hair from Riley’s face.

“It always is with you,” she replied.

Riley’s breath hitched slightly at the intimacy in Elena’s tone, but she didn’t pull away.

From the corner of the room, Danny glanced over and caught the exchange. He smiled to himself, a mixture of amusement and acceptance in his expression.

“Alright, lovebirds,” Jordan called out, breaking the moment. “You staying for the afterparty or heading out?”

Riley glanced at Elena, who smirked.

“We’ll see,” Elena said cryptically, her fingers tracing light patterns on Riley’s shoulder.

As the group began tidying up, Riley and Elena stayed close, their touches lingering a little longer, their gazes a little softer.

It was unspoken, but everyone in the room could see it: Riley and Elena were no longer hiding. And they didn’t need to.