Page 82 of Breaking Point

“She has every reason to be proud,” Liv says smally.

At that, I merely shake my head. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Olivia

Iam on a roll.

I offer a small smile across the dinner table. It’s just secretive enough to make Crew narrow his eyes over his hand of cards. He can’t read me, and the longer he tries, the closer I feel to winning.

Bullshit isn’t about having the best cards. It’s just about havingbetterones… and right now, I’ve got Crew Warden right where I want him.

“I call bullshit,” he says, laying his cards flat. My heart stalls for all of a moment until I lay down my last card. An ace.

“Whoo!” Theresa stands, hollering at the top of her lungs as Jimmy claps. I bow as the game ends, doing a small victory twirl. “You beat the unbeatable!”

I reach across the table as Crew unfolds his arms, smiling. I give his hand a stern shake. “I may have lied when I said I’ve only played once.”

“Beginner’s luck,” he denies as Theresa hollers again. She doesn’t even care that she lost too- she only cares thathedidn’t win.

“Beginner’s luck, my ass. She cooked you. Twice!”

“Thank you, thank you.” I bow and smile when Jimmy finishes clapping.

“She got you good.”

Crew smirks, leaning back in his seat, apparently content with his loss. “She did.”

“How does it feel to lose?” I tease, staring at him head-on.

Theresa merely laughs. “I think I love her,” she whispers as she offers a double-high-five.

He stands slowly, leaning across the table until we’re less than a foot apart. “I didn’t lose.” He draws back, taking his coffee cup to the sink as I gape after him.

I won two games. Fair and square.

“What does that mean?” I gape.

He shrugs as he leans against the sink. “It means you have a tell.”

“I do not,” I avidly deny, but… the truth is that I probably do.

Theresa laughs at our banter, moving to stand behind Jimmy. She squeezes his shoulders gingerly, and he leans into her touch lovingly. “Alright, you two. We’re gonna call it a night.”

“Of course,” I say smiling as I grab their dishes. Jimmy stands, and Crew crosses the room, offering his arm to his Dad. Jimmy glances at the help but accepts it begrudgingly.

“I got it, Ma,” Crew says, and when she moves toward the sink to do the dishes, I move to stop her.

“Please, let me. It’s the least I can do.”

She sighs happily, stepping back. “Would you look at that? Princess treatment. Thank you.” She leans in to hug me quickly. “See you in the morning.”

Crew helps his dad to the door before offering an appreciative glance my way and disappearing with them.

It doesn’t take long to clear the sink and wipe the kitchen until it’s sparkling clean. By then, they’re still upstairs, so I decide to flip off the lights and head to the guest house.

The chilly air is crisp, but I welcome the sight of the inky night sky as I step onto the porch. The pine trees loom like giants on the skyline, the wind blowing my hair over my neck.

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