Page 38 of Friend Zoned

“And do you see the way Dad keeps looking at Mom?” Katherine whispers.

“Any more wine?” Mom asks.

Katherine reaches for a bottle and pours them each a glass. Our father follows and leans against the counter. He looks like he’s lost some weight, but he says he’s been working out and on a special diet.

“Remember that time we got drunk when we were in Spain, Riri?” I cringe at the nickname he’s given my mother.

“Which time?” my mom asks.

Thankfully, my phone vibrates, and I pull it out of my pocket. It’s a FaceTime request from the only person I want to talk to right now. I hit accept and leave my sister to deal with this disaster. I walk a few feet away to enter one of the many bathrooms on the first floor. Because I know my sister well, I lock the door behind me. Seconds later, I hear someone jiggling the doorknob, and I know it’s her.

“It’s loud where you are,” I say to her.

She smiles at me and rolls her eyes. There’s loud laughter in the background and someone bumps into her. She tells me to hold on and walks away. I hear a door open and close.

“Oh, yeah. It’s total chaos around here for every holiday. So, I heard the Mischiefs lost today,” she says.

“You heard or you watched?”

“Oh, I heard. My cousin cussed up a storm about it. I bit my tongue and didn’t tell him I know the football coach.”

“Put him on the phone right now,” I tell her. “I’ll explain.”

“Um, no. You’re my friend, not his.”

“Am I your dirty little secret?” I do my best to sound playful. While I want to do dirty things to her, I don’t want to be her secret.

“For now,” she teases. “If I tell him, he’s going to harass me about it every single moment for the rest of my life. Anyway, how’s your Christmas?” I hear more laughter and chatter in the background compared to our uncomfortable Christmas here.

I love my sister, niece, and brother-in-law. Hell, I love my parents, but our family dynamic could never be described as fun. They’ve gotten better with the addition of my niece, but that uncontrollable talk and laughter Jeannie’s experiencing has never been mine. I wish I could be with her right now at her family’s house for Christmas.

That admission is humbling and brings to mind how lonely and isolated my life has been.

Most of the teammates today couldn’t wait to leave and go home to their families. Chastain didn’t bother to shower after the game. He got the hell out of there so he could go be with his wife, son, and in-laws for their first Christmas together. For once, I envied another human being.

“It’s been okay,” I admit. “My parents are here, but my niece has been keeping me entertained.”

She giggles. “Is she responsible for that crown on your head?” The giggles turn into loud, uncontrollable laughter.

I look into the mirror and notice the pink crown. “She is.” I touch the crown but don’t take it off. God, I miss Jeannie, and I come close to saying it. “How has your day been?” I ask.

“Good, but there was drama,” she whispers. She leans into the screen and says, “Leah came by to drop off a gift from her mother.” She rolls her eyes and lifts a glass to her lips before taking a sip. I picture taking that away, pulling her close, and kissing those full lips.

I don’t know if I can wait until February. That seems like a lifetime away.

But what can you offer her other than Michelin star restaurants and stuff that money can buy? This woman will want your time, and you’re gone more than you’re home.

“Greenwich!” she says. She even snaps her fingers at me. “How’s Greenwich?” She laughs at her own joke.

Greenwich has never been lonelier. “Did you open my gift?”

“Not yet. I was going to open it tonight, but I’m going to wait until our BFF New Year’s celebration.”

“I’m going to come see you tomorrow. We can do it then. I don’t have to fly out to Atlanta until the twenty-seventh.”

After confirming our plans for tomorrow, I mentally change some things around. I can take Shannon out to breakfast and ice skating in the morning and meet Jeannie in the afternoon. I’m not against bribing my niece either. I’ll take her directly to the toy section of a department store and let her get whatever she wants. Satisfied with my plans, I open the bathroom door and almost collide with my sister. She has her arms crossed and she’s eyeing me like she’s in on some secret.

“Please tell me you’re not keeping her from me because she’s black. I swear, if you are, I will kill you. I can’t believe—”

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