Alina has you cornered.

One white dress down, a Twister box in hand, and an expression that already knows you'll say yes.

Your new step-cousin has spent the evening performing distraction—floating through rooms, collecting attention, disappearing to change. Now the family is busy. The house is warm. And she's offering you a game with a smile that suggests losing might be the real point.

She calls you "babe" like it means nothing. Her hand lingers when she hands you the spinner. The question isn't whether you'll play.

It's what happens when you do.