Page 109 of The Fate Of Us

In the meantime, I fill my plate with the kind of sushi that looks like it has the least rawfish in it, the one smothered in what I’m hoping is a spicy mayo, anything to overpower the raw fish taste.

I pop one in my mouth, pleasantly surprised, then another, all the while sneaking glancesat the other members of the most awkward, staged family dinner in history.

I look over to Goldie first, who looks like the food spread across the table may as well berotten. Her lip is curled, her eyebrows slightly strewn together, and before I break the silence, I make a mental note to sneak her out and take her to In&Out later.

I clear my throat, a warning call for the others. “I uh… I didn’t know you liked sushi,Gold’s.”

Her eyes sparkled for the first time since we sat down, her head tilting and lips pryingopen—

“Oh, she loves it! Don’t you, Marigold.” Mom calls to her, not taking her eyes off the tunasashimi laid neatly across the plate in front of her.

Goldie turns to me, her face deadpan. “No.”

I feel my lips tug in the corners at the monotone way that came out of her, but at the sametime, if I ignore the waves for a second, I can hear my heart crack, and fracture in the places it already had this evening. It was bad enough that they didn’t listen to her about acting, but the fact they didn’t even know her favourite food?

I felt my blood boil.

“It’ll grow on you, darling, trust me. It’s oh so good for you!” She sings, shoving moreraw fish into her mouth. I shake my head at her, but she doesn’t notice.

Then I glance towards my dad, who is still in a staring competition with his plate, onelonely California roll sitting in the centre. My being here has obviously made his vocal cords shrivel up, which I didn’t expect.

He was always the talkative one out of my parents, always had something to say. Whichwasn’t a bad thing, I welcomed him being the chatty father figure on the rare occasions they’d ask me about school, or ask what I wanted for my birthday. It was only when they’d remind me about the week of auditions I had to go through to see if Iwarrantedthe birthday present I wanted, or go to the school dance I told them about that I wished they'd shut up.

I didn’t expect to see him so quiet tonight. I’d not seen them for years, because I left,because of how they’d treated me like a shiny trophy-child to show off to the world. I’d expected some resistance, some animosity, anything other than blissful ignorance and stony silence.

I open my mouth, to say… I don’t know what I was going to say, something to break theice, when my mother beat me to it.

“Adaline, darling, you seem to be enjoying those dragon rolls!” she beams, and I take thelightheartedness to smile and be kind about them— “Maybe go easy on them though…” My ears started to hum. “Here,” she smiles, reaching over to the plate stacked with perfectly cut fish. “Try the tuna, it’s just to die for, surprisingly low in calories too!”

I felt my ears grow hot, the steam that was surely about to burst out of them simmeringunder my hair. “What did you just say?” I ask her, my face the replica of my dad’s.

Emotionless. Dead.

She shakes her head like I’m being silly. “Just a suggestion, Adaline. No need for theferocity.” she reaches for another slice of sashimi with her chopsticks before settling back in her chair. “You look beautiful, of course you do. It’s just that these dragon rolls will go straight to your thighs—”

“Mom.” Warns Goldie, our mother dishing her a quick glance before her eyes land backon me.

“—Which are looking… rather…”

“Beautiful.”

I could tell you whose voice that was even if I couldn’t hear it. Just from the way itrattled my bones, and set my skin on fire, I knew who was speaking.

Which is why I don’t hesitate to twist my body around to face him.

He looks proud of his entrance, which makes me just as proud of him. His eyes glide overto me without a second thought, a glimmer of a smile gracing his face, lit up by the final minutes of the golden hour. A white linen shirt and deep blue jeans cover his body, his hair imperfectly styled, and white Converse adorning his feet.

“Nathaniel? Is that you?” My mother calls, the warmest I’ve ever seen her greet him.

A distraction was what I heard them call him once, after I stupidly decided to go to herafter he kissed me. She blabbed, told Dad everything, and before I could take a breath, they told me to cut down my time with him.

And after what she told me before, that the only good thing about having him here wasthat it’d keep the press happy, I knew that happy tone was nothing but synthetic.

“Mrs. Moore. Lovely to see you again.” He nodded towards her, before his eyes slid tothe left of me, his head tilting as my sister screamed from beside me.

“Nate!!” She was out of her chair like a flash of sunlight, bounding towards him andwrapping her arms around his waist.

He wasted no time in bending down slightly, mirroring what she was doing with him.“Hey, little one!” He mumbled, and for the first time in forever, I saw a flash of his full smile.

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