Page 22 of Salacious Park Avenue Prince

“This is awesome,” I said, scooping up another half a pasta shell. “Top ten for sure.”

Her brows lifted. “Really? I got the recipe from a friend of mine, and I wasn’t sure what you boys would think, so that’s a relief.”

“It’s covered in cheese,” Travis said. “What’s not to like?”

A faint blush crept into Vera’s cheeks, but she waved him off. “Just eat. Richard and I have a few things to discuss with you.”

“Me personally?” Travis shook his head and wiped his mouth. “Has my outfit tonight convinced you I should be the one to overhaul Caleb’s closet? Flannel doesn’t suit anyone.”

“Will you be serious for a second?” Dad answered.

Travis grinned around his fork. “I am being serious. Have you seen his jeans?”

“We’ve been hearing things about the behavior of you and those friends of yours?—”

“All good things, I’m sure.”

“—and we think it’s time you buckle down and find some direction. Like Caleb.”

Travis turned his nose up and reached for his drink. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew what a lame-ass he was. Didn’t even last the whole night at our par?—”

I all but choked around my mouthful of food as my dad slammed his knife down onto his plate. It was a rare day he lost his temper, but the flush on his cheeks was definitely rage-related right now.

“See, it’s this kind of behavior that isn’t going to win you any favors.”

Travis had never taken well to being reprimanded, even when we were back in high school, and that had only intensified since his time living alone and running wild with his know-it-all friends.

“You’d be surprised. My behavior gets mea lotof favors.” Travis’s eyes flicked back to mine, and the heat swirling there told me the exact kind of favors he was speaking of.

“Travis, don’t be so crass.” Vera sighed and shook her head, probably wondering how her little boy grew up to be the devil incarnate. “Richard is just trying to help you get some?—”

“Direction, I know. So this family dinner tonight is really some kind of intervention?”

“Well, I hardly think you would’ve shown up if we’d told you what we wanted to talk about.”

“No shit I wouldn’t. It’s insulting.” Travis’s jaw twitched, and I saw a flash of hurt flicker across his features. “I have direction.”

Vera reached across the table to where Travis was white knuckling his fork and covered his hand. “I know, baby. We just think if you did a little less partying and focused more, you’d be able to narrow down your major.”

A tense silence descended over the table.

“I don’t like being ambushed,” Travis grumbled.

“And we don’t like your behavior of late.” Dad’s comment earned him an icy glare, and while I should’ve been happy that Travis’s irritation wasn’t directed at me, I felt a twinge of sympathy for him. “You’ve been arrogant, hostile, and extremely self-involved whenever we’ve been around, and this constant bickering between you and Caleb has to stop.”

“Well, that’s not just me.” Travis locked his gaze with mine. “He’sjust as much a part of the ‘bickering’ as I am.”

“We know.” Those two words out of my dad’s mouth were probably the only thing that could’ve had me looking away from Travis in that moment because,what the actual fuck?“And Vera and I have decided it’s time to do something about it.”

I needed to speak up, and soon, or else I had a feeling I’d be sitting next to Travis at family therapy.

“I don’t need any kind of help or direction. I’m doing photography. You know that.”

Vera looked between the two of us before bringing her napkin up to the corner of her lips. “We do know that. But this isn’t just about you two.”

“Meaning?”

“After our trip to Peru, we’ve realized we’re holding on to too much. Too many material possessions that don’t matter, too much resentment for things that happened before we got together. Even the way we’ve contributed to environmental hardships such as eating red meat and poultry?—”

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