Page 84 of Fashionista's Playbook

“Enough!” Her father boomed from the end of the table with such force I sat up straighter. “You care about my daughter, Travis?”

I looked at her, let my eyes drift over the angry twist of her lips and caught her gaze. I got lost in the way her eyes went from stormy blue to bright, clear, and curious. I watched as her entire demeanor shifted because I looked at her.

Strangled emotion clutched in my chest and held tight.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Then to Moriah he said. “You happy here?”

“Yes.” She never looked away from me.

“Then everybody shut up and eat some damn turkey.”

“Here, here!” DT lifted his glass in a big, beefy hand.

I couldn’t help but snort a laugh. “Amen.”

Elise slipped from the table, grabbed a bottle of wine from the side bar, and disappeared out of the room.

I whispered in Moriah’s ear. “When this is over, we aren’t leaving my bed until practice tomorrow.”

“I’m down for that.”

CHAPTER FORTY

Moriah

Other than Elise’s absence, the rest of dinner was a success. Vincent disappeared by the time I cut pie in the kitchen. They’d probably run off together, Elise was his type, and considering what I knew of Vin—he was probably hers. They deserved each other.

I wasn’t used to this sort of angry reaction from myself. I even shoved the serving spoon too hard into the pumpkin pie and sent crust pieces flying over the table. Travis had grinned, amused, which made my heart flutter. Each time, my anger abated a little more.

I’d never responded to conflict. I’d shied away, kept my mouth shut.

Taking up for myself felt good. Even if it meant upsetting Mom. I’d deal with that guilt later. But knowing Travis had my back and in his own way, so did Dad—made things easier to process.

“Ryan, be nice to your brother.” Mom shifted the smaller of the boys onto her other thigh so that his brother couldn’t steal the cookie he munched on. “Behave or we’ll go home.”

A large part of me wished they would. Mom ignoring Elise’s slights got old before I left for college. The new version of me was over the blatant bias completely.

“You’re angry with me.” She correctly interpreted my silence.

I continued to sort leftovers into containers for everyone to take home with them and thought about a response. How I felt seemed almost too complicated for words.

“I’m not angry, Mom. I’m tired. Sick and tired of Elise being allowed to treat me however she wants and you…” Encouraging it. Allowing it. “It’s not okay. Today should have been awonderful, enjoyable day. It was anything but—because you chose to bring her.”

“I shouldn’t have to sacrifice one daughter’s happiness for the other’s.” Her voice was thick with emotion.

Still, I didn’t turn. “That’s just it. It’s always sacrificing somethingforElise. She’s had holidays with you, I have not.”

“We came hereforyou, Moriah.” This time she was stern.

I turned slowly. “And she went out of her way, once again, to embarrass me in front of people whose opinions matter.” I shrugged. “It was good to have you and Dad here, the boys even. But it's not worth it.”

“Moriah, please—” my mother pleaded, her body rigid as she set the toddler on the floor to chase after his brother.

From the other room, I could hear my father snatch up the boys. His playful growls and their giggles softened me somewhat.

“I don’t know what you want from me, Mom. She takes it too far, she always has.”I’m not going to cry. Do not cry.

“I never meant for this trip to hurt you. Your sister has been through a lot the past few months. I couldn’t leave her alone and I didn’t want to miss a rare opportunity to see you, especially when you haven’t been home in years.” Her eyes went misty. “It’s like two halves of my heart hate each other. I can’t live like that.”

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