Chapter 165 A Gift


    There <b>were </b>five of them in the group. Back in high school, they drew lots to decide who was number one, two, and so on. The oldest was overseas, then Ethan, Brogan came third, and Alex ended up fourth.


    Alex never truly epted his spot. But since he couldn’t beat anyone in a fight, he had no choice but to stay number four.


    Brogan walked over and greeted Dawn with a smile. “Alex has always been a little weird. Don’t pay him any mind.”


    Dawn shook her head. “Of course not. He’s hrious.”


    Hearing that, Alex puffed up, straightened his shirt, and lifted his chin. “You hear that? She says I’m funny. You guys just don’t get it. Right, Dawn?”


    He just let her treat him like a big brother, and now he was acting like she was the big sister.


    If his face weren’t so handsome, he probably would’ve gotten hit a lot already.


    After a bit of joking, they all sat down to eat.


    Ethan ced the utensils in front of Dawn. “The chef here is a special invite from the Langleys. Try it out. If you like it, wee here all the time.”


    Brogan added, “You can eat here anytime. They’ll even deliver if you ask.”


    Alex grumbled, “Why do I never get that kind of treatment?”


    Alice balled up a napkin and tossed it at him. “Turn into a girl, and you’ll get it. Want to try?”


    Their bickering made the room lively and noisy, and Dawn felt her mood lift. All the tiredness from hiking earlier seemed to vanish.


    After dinner, they moved on to something more rxed–which meant drinks.


    Dawn had a couple, and her cheeks flushed pink.


    The


    guys went off to y board games, while Alice sat beside Dawn with her drink. She whispered, “Hey, you two officially got married yesterday. Wasst night wild?”


    Dawn froze, caught off guard.


    Indeed, no matter if it was guys or girls, conversations always seemed toe back to rtionships.


    She downed her drink in one go, voice barely above a whisper. “Not wild at all. We were about to start, but something came up, and then I just fell asleep.”


    “Asleep?”


    Aliceughed, clinking her ss against Dawn’s. “Wow, I can’t think of anyone who could turn down Ethan in bed. You’re the first, babe.”


    Dawn licked her lips and admitted, “Honestly, I didn’t want to fall asleep.”


    She’d been trying to keep her eyes open, but she probably just got too nervous and failed to hold on.


    Alice watched Dawn being so serious and honest, with a spark in her eyes. “I didn’t get you a gift when I came to Northville, so today is the day. I got you something good.”


    She tapped away on her phone, looking way too excited, like she was waiting for a drama to unfold.


    “All set.”


    Dawn was a little tipsy and slow to catch on. “What is it?”


    “You’ll see soon.”


    Alice gave a mysterious wink, then couldn’t help but pinch Dawn’s cheek. “Just hang tight. I’ll tell Brogan to get the room ready. No need to go home tonight since you came all this way. Just crash here.”


    Dawn wanted <i>to </i>say it wasn’t a big deal. She could just call a driver and head home. But if everyone else was staying, she figured she might as well stick around for breakfast tomorrow.


    She plopped down on the couch, feeling bored, and ended up drinking a bit more. Soon, Ethan came over with his jacket. “Are you cold?”


    Dawn grabbed it out of habit and set it next to her. “Nope, the AC is fine.”


    The seat beside her sank as he sat down. She looked at his eyes, a little hazy.


    “Are you drunk?”


    Ethan let out a low grunt, leaning back casually. One hand rested behind Dawn, the other


    pinching his nose. “Not really. I don’t know what kind of booze they brought. I’m feeling kinda hot.”


    Dawn blinked. “Then just rx. Alice said that we’re staying here tonight.”


    Ethan froze for a moment, instantly catching on.


    He straightened, tongue pressing against his teeth. “These guys…”


    She didn’t get it. “What’s wrong? If you don’t want to stay, we can head home-”


    Before she could finish, Alice returned, looping her arm through Dawn’s and giving Ethan a pointed look with raised eyebrows. “Go home? No way. We’re all staying here tonight. I want breakfast with you tomorrow. Don’t be stingy, Ethan.”


    Before he could reply, she added, “Come on, your gift is here. If you’re tired, just go upstairs and rest. No need to thank me too much.”


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