It's always you. - Hector Fort

Chapter 13

"Are you gonna stare longer, or what?" Hector murmured, his voice low and teasing as he leaned in close, his gaze locked on me.

I rolled my eyes, but didn't back away. "Are you gonna keep standing this close, or what?"

His smirk deepened, eyes flicking to my lips for just a second before returning to mine. "Nice comeback," he said, his tone dripping with amusement. "But we both know you don't really mind me being this close."

I could feel his breath on my skin, and my heart skipped a beat, but I managed to keep my voice steady. "Don't get cocky, Hector. Maybe I'm just waiting for you to realize you're in over your head."

He let out a low laugh, his gaze turning darker. "In over my head? Sophie, I think you're the one who—" But he cut himself off, the words hanging between us. He leaned in even closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Or maybe I'm exactly where I want to be."

The space between us felt electric, like something was about to happen. I held my breath, almost daring him to close the gap.

~ Later, after regrouping with Lamine and Alex...

"Where's your drink, girl?" Lamine's voice interrupted the tension, making me blink.

"Oh, hey." I shook myself out of the moment. "My drink? It's probably all over my dress, thanks to someone who thinks he has a right to everyone's personal space."

Alex grinned knowingly, nudging me. "Why don't you go back and make him pay for it, hmm? I think he'd be happy to."

I rolled my eyes, dropping into the seat next to her. "Please, Alex, I'm not giving him the satisfaction."

Lamine leaned in with a laugh. "That 'someone' was Hector, wasn't it? Come on, Sophie. Go demand he replace your drink."

I sighed, standing up with exaggerated annoyance. "Fine. I'll be back—and I expect a fresh drink, just so you both know."

I found Hector leaning casually against the wall, watching me approach with that familiar, maddening smirk.

"So, where's my drink?" I asked, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow.

He tilted his head, gaze sliding from my face to the stain on my dress. "The one on your dress? Thought you'd already taken care of it."

"Funny," I said dryly. "We both know this was your fault. So, are you going to replace it, or are you just going to stand there smirking?"

He chuckled, his eyes never leaving mine. "Depends. Are you going to keep pretending you don't want me to keep standing here?"

I narrowed my eyes, stepping closer to him, close enough that I could see the tiny flecks of gold in his eyes. "You're really pushing it, aren't you, Hector? First, you invade my space, then you ruin my drink, and now you think I'll just play along?"

His voice dropped to a murmur, the smirk fading just a bit. "You're still standing here, aren't you?"

My breath hitched as his gaze flicked down to my lips, and for a moment, neither of us said anything. We were both right on the edge, and I could feel him leaning in, his face inches from mine.

"Sophie," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe I should just..."

"Maybe you should just..." I murmured, my voice trailing off, daring him to finish the thought.

Just as he leaned in, his hand brushing my arm—

"Ahem! So, did I miss anything?" Alex's voice cut through the moment, and we both jerked back, startled. She stood there, a smirk on her face and a fresh drink in her hand. "Sophie, here's a replacement. Thought I'd save you the trouble of asking Hector."

Hector sighed, clearly annoyed but chuckling as he stepped back. "Guess that settles it, Delgado," he said, his voice still holding that teasing edge.

I took the drink from Alex, giving her a grateful look but trying not to laugh. "Guess it does," I replied, trying to ignore the way my heart was still racing.

Alex just grinned, clearly way too entertained by the whole thing.