[ Zethu's POV ]
The scent of wood mixed with the bell pepper I was slicing as part of preparations for the upcoming barbecue. I made sure to cut them into finger-thick strips, just as Tessa instructed me. The repetitive movements helped me ease the chaos in my mind.
What was I doing here, outside of the safety and comfort of the lake?
Serina told me that there will be a big fire and dinner in the open, and that many will gather to eat and discuss the future of this community. It sounded important, so when she asked me to help, I couldn't refuse her.
I kept glancing at Ashton, who was stacking logs for the bonfire, not because I was interested in him but because I caught him staring at me. Was he curious about me because he knew I was a mermaid, or was there more to it?
Others would pass by, come and go, but Ashton was somehow always there, in visual range, looking at me.
I wished he could look somewhere else because his restless energy was distracting.
