Page 109 of Broken Pact

Beau catches my eyes, raising his brows as if to say, See? I told you.

I roll my eyes in response and help myself to the food laid out on the table.

“Alright, everyone. Let’s eat! But don’t forget to leave room for dessert. We have dilly bars!” Mom crows with a clap of her hands.

“From The Dairy Scream?” Graham asks, his eyes lighting up just like they’ve always done when it comes to dessert.

“The very one.” Mom nods, her grin wide on her face. “I had your father stop in Avalon Falls to get them this afternoon. That way we didn’t put Cora out, you know. Give her a night off.” Mom looks over her shoulder as her palm rests on my forearm. She gives it a gentle squeeze, the smile lines around her eyes deepening with her grin.

I set my fork down against my plate, the delicate clink sounding almost hollow. “I made vegan key lime pie cheesecake with homemade whipped cream for tonight.”

“Did you sneak anything else in there, honey?” Mom asks, a teasing lilt to her voice.

“My sister’s a rogue, so proceed with caution, man,” Beau says,

“Oh yeah?” Mason asks, looking from my brother to me. “Why’s that?”

“She loves to experiment with random, weird shit and call it dessert. I swear she lives to trick all of us every week,” Beau says with a laugh.

“Her treats are usually delicious. But finding out you ate beets and zucchini and Aquaphor after you have a belly full of brownies does something to a man, yeah?” Graham chimes in, grinning.

“Aquafaba. Aquaphor is ointment.” I clear my throat and pull my arm from underneath my Mom’s grip. My fingers tangle together on my lap, safely away from any prying eyes. Not that anyone is paying attention to me. No, they’re all having a good chuckle. About me. Or my baking, it seems.

Jasper’s hand covers mine in the next breath, his palm large enough to engulf both of mine.

Beau looks at me, winking. “C’mon, sis. You have to admit, you color outside the lines.”

“The goat cheese ice cream was one of the most . . . memorable of our girl’s desserts,” Mom says with a slow nod.

“Hey, I liked those,” Dad interjects with his face tilting toward his plate, his focus on scraping every last bit of potato from it.

“Yes, well, you’ll eat anything, dear,” Mom says with a chuckle. Her face softens as she looks across the table at my father.

“Anything my daughter makes, you’re too right, Hazel,” Dad says, lifting his face to wink at me.

It’s a little reassurance, and I appreciate it. But I wish I didn’t need it at all. It’s a weird juxtaposition really. Feeling so insecure about this specific skill when it comes to my family, but feeling the complete opposite around literally everyone else.

“I’m sure it’s all good,” Mason says. He flashes a half-smile around the room.

“You’ll be alright with the store-bought dilly bars,” Graham says. “At the very least, it’ll be better than?—”

“I thought the Carters were different.” Jasper’s voice carries, the deep tenor cutting through the chatter. The hair on the back of my neck stands to attention as the energy shifts in the room.

Beau pulls his gaze from his friend, a chuckle still on his mouth. “What’s that, man?”

Jasper’s thumb brushes against the inside of my wrist. The soft touch pulls my gaze to him, to the frown marring his face. I’m not used to seeing him with anything but that perpetual grin. Sometimes it’s larger, oftentimes it’s mischievous. But right now, there’s nothing but disappointment and a little bit of contempt dripping from those perfect lips of his.

“The Carters are old guard in Rosewood. Almost founding families but not quite. You can’t walk ten feet without bumping into someone who has nothing but glowing things to say about the Carters, especially the matriarchies. But this?” Jasper shakes his head, a lock of hair sliding across his forehead. “This is bullshit.”

51

CORALINE

There’s a beat of silence as everyone processes what Jasper just said. I flip one of my hands over and lace our fingers together. It’s dual-purposed: it stops me from brushing that hair from his face and it gives me a way to tell him that I’m okay.

“Nah, this is not what I expected tonight from the infamous Carter family,” Jasper finishes.

Graham and Beau sit back in their chairs in a synchronized movement.

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