Awa returned to the table, feeling a whirlwind of emotions—excitement, guilt, and a tinge of fear that kept her heart pounding. She tried to calm herself, focusing on the chatter around her, but the sight of Forrest doubled over in pain pulled her attention right back to the problem at hand. He still hadn't recovered fully, his breathing uneven, and his usually composed face twisted with discomfort. People surrounded him, asking what had happened, but he could barely get a word out.
Tina hovered over him, her concern evident. "Forrest, are you okay? What happened?"
Forrest, still hunched over, sucked in a shaky breath, trying to speak through the pain. "I... I don't know," he rasped. "I wasn't paying attention. Then, out of nowhere—this insane pain... like someone kicked me right... there."
Awa froze, her face heating up with guilt as she remembered the kick. Oh no, she thought, I didn't mean to hit him there. She had aimed for a little revenge, just a playful kick to shake him up for pretending she didn't exist. But instead, her foot had made contact with something a lot more delicate. Now, Forrest was dealing with the consequences, and Awa was trapped in a whirlwind of guilt and fear of being caught.
One of the guys sitting near Forrest, with a slightly mischievous grin, leaned over and whispered loudly, "Think you can still have kids, man?" The remark earned him a sharp smack across the head from the woman sitting next to him.
"For God's sake, Kevin," she hissed, glaring at him, "how can you even joke about that?"
Forrest, despite his pain, glanced up from his hunched position, his eyes narrowing as if he was piecing something together. "I think… someone kicked me," he muttered, his voice strained, but the accusation in his tone unmistakable. His sharp gaze shifted across the table, scanning the faces of everyone sitting across from him, his suspicions clearly growing.
Awa's heart stopped for a split second, her pulse racing as the blood drained from her face. No, no, no... She had to stay calm. She had moved seats earlier, putting distance between herself and Forrest, so there was no way he could directly accuse her. But still, her stomach churned with worry. What if he somehow figured it out? Her mind scrambled to come up with ways to diffuse the situation if he did.
Forrest scanned the faces around him again, his jaw tight with frustration and discomfort. "Someone kicked me," he repeated, his eyes lingering on a few of the guys sitting nearby, who had already begun to look defensive.
Awa had to bite her lip to keep herself from panicking. She took a deep breath, glancing around and pretending to be as confused as everyone else.
Suddenly, a thought hit her, one that both horrified and amused her at the same time: What if Forrest really couldn't have kids because of this? Her heart raced as the bizarre idea took hold. She hadn't meant to hurt him so badly. Still, the thought of Beatrice growing up with a little sibling in the future popped into her mind—a sibling that might have been hers had circumstances been different.
No! What am I thinking? Awa quickly shook her head, mentally scolding herself for even entertaining such a thought. It wasn't her place to think about Forrest in that way, and it certainly wasn't her place to think about him having children. That was Tina's role, not hers. The future sibling she was imagining would be a cousin to Beatrice, not a sibling. She felt embarrassed by her own thoughts, her mind spinning with confusion.
Feeling embarrassed, she was lost in her own spiraling thoughts, she hit the table in front of her with her head to clear her thoughts, hitting the table with a soft thud. The sound was louder than she expected, she became the center of attention.
Keira and Tina both turned to look at her, concerned expressions plastered on their faces.
"Awa? You okay?" Tina asked, moving closer to her sister.
Awa quickly straightened up, realizing what had just happened. She had been so deep in her thoughts that she didn't even notice her own actions. "Oh, uh, yeah... I'm fine," she said awkwardly, waving a hand dismissively. She forced a smile, hoping no one would ask any more questions.
Tina wasn't convinced, though, and gave her a gentle nudge. "Are you sure? You seem kind of... distracted."
"I'm good, I'm good," Awa assured her with a sheepish grin. "Just… zoning out a little. Long day at work."
Tina gave her a knowing smile, but let it drop. She had enough to worry about with Forrest looking like he'd been hit by a truck. Awa let out a quiet sigh of relief as Tina turned her attention back to Forrest, who was now starting to recover, albeit slowly.
The others at the table were still throwing concerned glances his way, but Forrest was attempting to shrug it off, though not very convincingly. He was still pale and sweaty, his hand resting protectively over his lower abdomen as if bracing himself against another wave of pain.
Then, an idea sparked in Awa's mind. A thought she hadn't considered before but now seemed like the perfect opportunity: What if I stay a little longer? Not just because she wanted to see more of the company, but because she wanted to understand more about Forrest. Now that she had tested—albeit accidentally—one of his weaknesses, her curiosity was piqued. How far could she push this? What else could she learn about werewolves?
Turning to Tina, Awa asked, "Hey, do you think I could stick around for a while? You know, have a look at the company, see how things work here?"
Tina raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the request, but she nodded. "Of course. I don't see why not. You're part of our business partners, so it could be interesting for you."
Awa smiled, pleased with her sister's response. "Great. I've been curious about what you do here."
Tina glanced at Forrest, who was still trying to collect himself, then looked back at Awa. "Okay, let me finish up some things, and then I can show you around."
Awa nodded eagerly, though her mind was already running ahead, plotting. Her eyes briefly flicked to Forrest. Now was her chance. She wanted answers. She wanted to push the boundaries of what she knew about werewolves—especially Forrest. She couldn't help the small, wicked smile that curled at the edges of her lips.
Forrest, still sitting across from her, suddenly shuddered as a chill ran down his spine. He didn't know why, but he felt like he was being watched, like something was hovering over him. He rubbed his arms, his skin prickling with goosebumps despite the warmth in the room. Something wasn't right. But he couldn't quite place what it was.
Awa noticed the moment Forrest tensed up, and she had to suppress a laugh. It was almost too easy. If just her presence could make him that uneasy, what could she do if she really tried? Today was about testing limits—both hers and his. And now, as she prepared to stay at the company for a little while longer, she knew exactly what she wanted to do.
She stood up, stretching casually. "I think I'll go grab some more food. Be back in a minute."
As she walked away from the table, her heart raced with anticipation. She wasn't sure where the line between curiosity and danger was, but she was more than ready to find out.