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I can't help but grin at her obvious infatuation. "I can tell. You've got that whole 'heart-eyes' thing going on."
Seeing her embarrassment, I soften my tone. "Hey, no need to be shy about it. It's sweet." I glance at our empty cups, sensingSarah might need a moment. "How about I grab us some refills? Give you a moment to cool that blush?"
Sarah laughs, looking grateful. "That would be great, thanks."
As I stand to head towards the drinks table, I'm still smiling at Sarah's reaction. It's nice to see such genuine affection.
I pause for a moment, taking in the scene around me. Despite the initial awkwardness, there's something warm and inviting about seeing friends and family gathered like this. The easy laughter, the casual touches, the sense of belonging – it's all so foreign to me. Growing up in the foster system, I never experienced anything quite like this. A pang of longing hits me, unexpected and sharp. For a moment, I allow myself to imagine what it might be like to truly belong somewhere, to have a family of my own.
Lost in thought, I don't notice Marcus until it's too late. I bump into him hard, spilling my drink all over his shirt. Horror washes over me as I realize what I've done.
"I'm so sorry," I exclaim, frantically trying to dab at the wet spot on his shirt. "It was an accident, I didn't mean to—"
"Watch where you're going." He jerks away from my touch. "You could have knocked over the grill. Do you have any idea how dangerous that would be?"
His words hit me like a slap. I feel the heat rising in my cheeks. My eyes narrow as I meet his gaze, my chin tilting up defiantly.
"It was an accident," I bite back, my voice equally sharp. "And in case you hadn't noticed, I'm already apologizing and trying to clean it up. Back off!"
"Hey, man," Derek says, his tone light but with an underlying edge. "It was just a spill. No harm done, right?"
Marcus's jaw clenches, and for a moment, I worry things might escalate further. But then Ryan steps in, his presence commanding attention.
"Accidents happen," he says, his voice calm but authoritative. "Let's get this cleaned up and get back to enjoying the evening, shall we?"
The rest of the night passes in a blur of awkward small talk. By the time Liam announces we're leaving, I'm more than ready to go.
The drive home with Liam is tense, the silence between us thick and uncomfortable. I stare out the window, watching the streetlights blur past, trying to process the events of the evening. Liam's grip on the steering wheel is tight, his knuckles white.
"Well, that was a disaster," Liam finally says, his voice bitter. "I can't believe Marcus made such a scene over a little spilled drink."
I turn to look at him, surprised by his take on the situation. "I think we were both at fault there. It was an accident, but his reaction was... intense."
Liam scoffs. "That's Marcus for you. Always so uptight, like he's got a stick up his ass." He glances at me, a smirk playing on his lips. "You know, you're pretty feisty when you're riled up. I liked seeing that fire."
His comment makes me uneasy, but I try to brush it off. "I don't enjoy confrontation. I just... reacted."
"Well, it was hot," Liam insists. "You showed them you're not just some weak human to be pushed around."
"What do you mean by that?" I ask, trying to keep my voice neutral.
Liam shrugs. "Come on, Zoe. You know how it is. Humans are... well, they're not as strong or capable as shifters. It's just a fact."
I feel my temper rising again. "That's a pretty broad generalization, don't you think? Humans have their own strengths."
"Sure, sure," Liam says dismissively. "I'm just saying, it's good that you showed some backbone. You'll need it if you're going to hang around the pack."
The rest of the drive passes in uncomfortable silence. I find myself questioning why I agreed to go out with Liam in the first place. Sure, he's charming and good-looking, but there's a callousness to him that I hadn't noticed before. Or maybe I just hadn't wanted to see it.
As we pull up to my apartment building, Liam turns to me with a grin. "So, you're still coming to the pack BBQ next weekend, right? You already agreed, remember?"
I frown, caught off guard. "Another BBQ? You guys sure love your meat, huh?"
Liam chuckles. "What can I say? We're animals at heart. But this one's different – it's for the whole pack. It'll be bigger, better."
I hesitate, torn between my growing discomfort with Liam and my curiosity about the pack. A part of me wants to back out, but I've never been one to go back on my word.
"Right, I did agree," I say finally, trying to muster some enthusiasm. "I'll be there."
