Chapter Twelve: Friends, Flirtation & Fire

Arthur and Rosie walked into the house, still buzzing from the high-altitude energy of Leh. The warmth of home hit different now — familiar but somehow lighter, less tense. Maybe it was the clean air, or maybe it was the way they'd opened up to each other, finally. Either way, the house felt more like home than it ever had before.

"I seriously can't wait to tell Millie about that monk who gave you life advice after like five seconds of looking at you," Rosie grinned, tossing her duffel bag onto the couch.

Arthur laughed, flopping down next to her. "He didn't even blink. Just hit me with that 'Your heart's loud, but your mind is louder.' Like, okay Buddha 2.0."

Rosie giggled. "He was right though."

Arthur gave her a playful nudge. "You're just saying that because you liked seeing me emotional for once."

She smirked. "Well, you did cry when the dog followed us for three kilometers."

"Shut up," Arthur grinned, pulling a pillow and throwing it at her. "Okay okay — let's do this. Let's call our friends. One big get-together. You bring your squad, I bring mine. Mix the worlds."

Rosie raised an eyebrow. "You sure they won't start roasting each other like in those 'meet the boyfriend's friends' horror stories?"

"Let them roast. That's how bonding happens," Arthur shrugged, then winked. "Besides, I'll be there to defend your honor."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "Deal."

The next few days were full-on prep mode.

Rosie handled the food — appetizers, drinks, and a lot of "let's just order pizza later if we screw up."

Arthur got the games together — card decks, truth-or-dare bowls, charades slips, and even an impromptu beer pong setup.

Jane peeked into the living room once while they were setting up and raised an eyebrow. "You two are turning this house into a bar, huh?"

"It's a social mixer, Mom. With snacks," Arthur grinned.

"Well, keep the fire extinguisher nearby. Just in case," Jane said, disappearing with a knowing smile.

The Night of the Get-Together

By 7:00 p.m., the house was alive.

Music was low, laughter was high, and the entrance hallway looked like a mini airport terminal as friends poured in. Arthur's gang — Millie, Lucian, Harrison — came through first, shouting their hellos and dropping sarcastic one-liners before their jackets even hit the hooks.

"Rosie! The infamous girl who dragged Arthur into the Himalayas," Millie teased, hugging her.

"He needed dragging," Rosie laughed. "Or he would've ended up in some club blackout again."

"Touche," Lucian said, raising his beer.

Rosie's friends arrived shortly after — Ava, of course, with two other girls and a guy named James.

James was tall, dressed way too sharply for a casual house party, and clearly carried confidence like it was cologne.

"Rosie, wow," James grinned, pulling her into a half-hug. "You're glowing. Was it the trip or just the mountain air?"

Arthur, from the corner of the living room, raised an eyebrow.

Rosie laughed lightly. "Maybe the sunlight. Haven't seen much pollution lately."

The get-together kicked off smoothly. Drinks in hand, people found their corners — some playing cards, some on the couch gossiping, others digging into snacks.

Arthur and Rosie moved between the groups, making sure everyone felt welcome. But Arthur kept noticing something. Every time Rosie laughed, James was just... there. Not overdoing it, but enough to plant seeds in Arthur's head.

Millie leaned in. "Is it just me or is Suit-and-Smooth trying to flirt?"

Arthur didn't respond immediately. Just stared, watching James lean in a little too close as Rosie explained something animatedly about a monk and a mountain goat.

"It's not just you," Arthur said finally.

Later in the evening, they all gathered around the large living room table, playing a rowdy game of "Never Have I Ever."

"Never have I ever skinny dipped," Harrison said, raising a brow.

Lucian and Ava both took a sip.

Millie gasped. "Y'all are freaky."

Rosie laughed. "Wait till you hear about Arthur and the Leh waterfall incident."

"Don't," Arthur warned, pointing a playful finger at her. "Snitches lose pizza privileges."

Rosie leaned into him with a mischievous smile. "It was majestic."

James chuckled from the other side. "Damn, Rosie. Sounds like you two had... quite the bonding time."

Arthur's jaw tightened. He sipped his drink, avoiding eye contact.

Rosie noticed the shift but played it cool. "It was a healing trip. For all of us."

James nodded slowly, still watching her. "Must've been nice. I'd love to see you in that zone sometime."

Arthur's hand clenched around his drink.

Millie saw it and nudged him under the table.

"You okay?" she whispered.

"Fine," Arthur muttered.

As the party rolled on, Rosie headed to the kitchen to grab more snacks. James followed under the pretense of helping.

"You've changed a lot," he said, reaching for the chips.

"Thanks?" Rosie said, laughing nervously.

"No, really. You've got this...glow. Confidence. Like something in you woke up."

She looked at him carefully. "Yeah. Life does that when you stop running."

James stepped a little closer. "You look good, Rosie. Like, really good."

Before she could respond, Arthur appeared at the kitchen door.

"Hey, uh... we're doing another round of Truth or Dare," he said, eyes locked on James.

Rosie nodded. "Coming."

James didn't move. "I'll be there too."

Arthur gave him a tight smile. "Looking forward to it."

The night rolled toward midnight. People were tipsy, laughing loud, and snacks were down to crumbs. But Arthur wasn't laughing much. Neither was Rosie.

She noticed how quiet he'd gone, how every time she glanced his way, he was watching her. Watching James.

Eventually, she sat beside Arthur as people were setting up charades.

"You okay?" she asked, nudging him.

He looked at her. "You know him well?"

"James?" she blinked. "Kinda. College friend. We've hung out a few times."

Arthur leaned closer, his voice low. "He's pushing it, Rosie. You see that, right?"

Rosie paused, then nodded. "I noticed. But I can handle it."

Arthur's eyes softened just a little. "I know you can. Doesn't mean I won't be watching."

Their eyes locked for a beat longer than necessary.

Then Ava called out, "Rosie, your turn! Charade queen, let's go!"

Rosie smiled and stood. "Duty calls."

Arthur watched her walk off, tension still sitting somewhere deep in his chest.

James watched her too — but with a very different look in his eyes.