SUNKISSED - Jeremiah Fisher

- 15 -

- Sarah -

We all gathered around the big oak dining table, which had seen its fair share of these summer dinners. The scent of butter and fresh lobster mixed with the salt in the air, while the soft clinking of plates and forks filled the space. The best part of Belly's birthday was always the dinner—everyone crammed around the table, laughing, teasing, and celebrating.

Plates were piled high with lobster tails, corn on the cob, asparagus and Laurels famous miyeok-guk. It was a feast Belly looked forward to every year. Jade and I had been whispering and giggling about how cute Belly and Cam looked together, sneaking glances at them down the table. Every now and then, Cam would catch us watching, flashing an easy smile that made Belly blush even harder.

Cam wasn't who any of us expected her to bring to her birthday dinner, but he was definitely growing on me.

"So Cam," Jeremiah's voice broke through the small conversations buzzing around the table, loud enough to make everyone pause. His tone was light, but I knew him well enough to sense the playful teasing behind it. "You mind if I call you Cam Cameron?"

A chorus of giggles erupted from my side of the table, mostly Jade and me, though I saw even Steven grin across from us. Cam, to his credit, handled it well, a slight chuckle escaping him. "Yeah, man, feel free. That's funny," he said, nodding in good humor.

Jeremiah leaned back in his chair, trying to play it cool. "Cool," he said, with a casual shrug, though the smirk on his face betrayed how pleased he was with himself.

Across from us, Susannah chimed in, her voice warm as always. "I'm glad you're here, Cameron," she said, smiling at him. "I know your mom, Denise, from the club. I've heard a lot about you." Her words, as usual, were genuine, and I watched Cam's face light up with appreciation.

As Susannah and Cam exchanged pleasantries, Laurel quietly slid a bowl of miyeok-guk in front of him, a tradition for Belly and Steven's birthday ever since we were kids. It was her way of bringing a piece of her Korean heritage into the celebration, something that always made Belly feel special. Laurel, always observant, mentioned casually that Cam was a vegetarian, a fact she must've picked up from Belly earlier in the day. I didn't miss the way Jeremiah's eyes flicked to me, a mischievous grin forming on his lips.

I shook my head, mouthing "Don't you dare," as I struggled to contain my laughter. Jeremiah was already wound up and in full teasing mode.

"So, why don't you eat meat, Cam Cameron?" Jeremiah asked, his voice all innocence, though we all knew better. The entire table quieted, eyes flicking between the two of them. Steven leaned forward slightly, as if waiting for the punchline.

Cam didn't miss a beat, though. "The meat industry is, like, the number one contributor to global warming," he said, calm and collected. His tone was so matter-of-fact that I watched Jeremiah's smug expression falter just a little. "And I like animals," he added with a small shrug, his reasoning simple but genuine.

"Just don't come for my leather jacket," Taylor piped up with a laugh from the other side of the table, clearly trying to break any tension.

"I'm pretty sure you mean pleather," Steven quipped, jumping in before anyone else could, earning a round of "oohs" and laughs from Jeremiah and Jade.

Taylor narrowed her eyes, flipping him off with a playful grin, making Steven laugh even harder. I glanced at Belly, who was caught between laughing and being thoroughly embarrassed. That was the thing with this group—when everyone was together, no one was really safe from a little teasing.

Steven wasn't done yet, though. "You know, Belly eats meat," he said, shooting Cam a wicked grin. "So, you let her kiss you with those lips?"

The table erupted again, laughter filling the space as Belly's face turned bright red. "Guys, stop," she said, her tone both embarrassed and annoyed, but it only seemed to fuel Steven and Jeremiah more.