Chapter 55: Nauseating
Liam and I stood in the shallow end of the pool, watching as Callum rushed off into the crowd. Finding his mate at a random party—what were the odds? The excited chatter around us grew louder as more people filtered into the backyard.
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” I asked, turning to Liam.
Liam’s eyes softened. “Finding your mate is overwhelming, but it’s the best kind of overwhelming.” His fingers skimmed my waist underwater. “Trust me on that.”
I felt my cheeks warm. The pool area was packed now, with bodies pressed against each other in every direction. Someone had cranked the music up even louder, making conversation difficult.
“It’s getting crowded,” I pointed out, glancing around at the mass of people. The excitement of winning the chicken fight was wearing off, and a strange queasiness had begun to settle in my stomach.
Liam nodded. “Yeah, word must have spread about the party.” He didn’t seem bothered by the growing crowd, but something about all these strangers was making me feel claustrophobic.
A wave of nausea hit me suddenly. The combination of alcohol, excitement, and being jostled around in the water was taking its toll. I pressed a hand to my stomach, trying to breathe through it.
“I think I need to sit down for a bit,” I said, swimming toward the edge of the pool.
Liam followed closely behind. “Are you okay?”