About an hour had passed and I was sat on the counter in the kitchen. Ace had slipped one of his jumpers to me when I mentioned I was cold. The musky, wooden scent of his cologne lingered in the air as I watched everyone chatting together.

I finally worked up the courage to get up and walk into the living room alone. They were all drinking, including Ace. I watched as his lips met the glass, the golden liquid sliding down the glass and into his mouth. I didn't know what type of alcohol he was drinking, but it didn't seem like my type of drink. I snuck my...