Chapter 12

The private room was dimly lit with boisterous laughter all around, but Zachary sat in the corner with nothing but Yasmine's image filling his mind. He recalled how her ears turned pink when he held her close, the focused way she watched his matches, and how she pressed her lips together when he annoyed her. "Zach?" Anthony waved his hand in front of his face. "Earth to Zach. Do you want another drink?" Zachary snapped back to reality and took the glass, then suddenly asked, "How's your sister doing lately?" "My sister?" Anthony looked confused, then waved dismissively. "She's fine—buried in work as usual. She's too busy to even acknowledge my existence. Sometimes, I think she's a complete workaholic." Zachary lowered his eyes and hummed softly in response, though he felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Good, at least she didn't seem too upset. The moment that thought crossed his mind, his chest felt like it had been pricked by a needle, sending sharp little pangs through him. W