Time seemed to freeze as the bowl of hot minestrone soup slid off the tray, tipping directly toward Cassandra. The scalding liquid splashed across her pale forearm, and she let out a startled cry.
“Oh my god!” Callum jumped up instantly, panic flashing across his face. “Are you okay?”
Cassandra automatically pulled back, but she wasn’t fast enough to avoid the soup completely. The hot liquid had already soaked through the sleeve of her light blue sundress, leaving an angry red stain spreading across the fabric.
“I’m so incredibly sorry, miss!” The waiter’s face had gone pale with horror. He frantically grabbed napkins from the table, offering them to Cassandra. “Please, let me help—”
“It’s fine,” Cassandra said, though her voice was tight with pain. She pressed the napkins against her arm, wincing slightly.
Callum was already on his feet, hovering over her with concern etched into every line of his face. “Let me see, Cass. You might need burn cream.”
