*Caterina*
‘I wonder who that is?’ I asked myself.
But I wasn’t able to get up and check since my mom was still talking to me.
“Oh, Cat, it’s so good to hear that the semester has been going well for you,” she said.
I mindlessly smiled over the rim of my glass and gave a short nod. I couldn’t get Elio’s expression out of my mind, and I worried about what was going on. He had looked strained and slightly anxious, which made my stomach churn for him.
Everyone’s voices started to muffle out in my head and I found myself starting to physically pull away.
“Cat?” my mom asked. “Is everything alright?”
I gave another smile and a nod. “Oh, yes. I’m just—uh, need to freshen up my glass,” I said meekly.
I quickly turned away before getting caught up in another question. I squeezed through a few people while trying to ignore the guilty feeling in my chest. Once I glanced back, that disappeared as I saw her chatting with Franky again—with a smile on her face.
