JESSICA'S POV
The silence stretched on forever. Every pair of eyes at the table was locked on me. My face burned so hot I thought I might spontaneously combust.
They stare at me like I'm prey.
Why the hell did I say that out loud?
"I... I meant..." My voice came out as a squeak. I cleared my throat, scrambling for something, anything that would make this less horrible. "I just meant they're very... protective. Like, overly protective. That's all."
Robert's confused expression didn't change. "Protective?"
"Yes!" I latched onto the word like a lifeline. "Very protective. Sometimes too protective. Like they're always watching me. Making sure I'm okay. It's just... intense. That's all I meant."
The lie was weak. Terrible. But it was all I had.
Sebastian's eyes were still burning amb
