Page 22 of How to Prevent a Fumble

“That’s not going to happen ever again, Leo,” she hisses immediately.

“Do you know how many questions I had to dodge this morning from the girls? From my brother when I picked Elara up?”

But I’m not in the mood for this. I’ve already been chewed out this morning, I don’t need it from her, too. “Then stop lying to him.”

She rears back, her eyes filled with hurt. “Excuse me?”

I shrug. “Stop lying to your brother. That’s your issue, not mine. Now if you don’t mind, I need food.”

Raiding the fridge, I grab my carton of eggs and the brick of cheddar cheese.

“Leo—”

I cut her off. “Briar, I need you to stop.”

But when I turn, my stomach drops.

Briar, so full of fury a second ago, has her shoulders slumped inward, her eyes lowered as she bites her cheek.

“I’m sorry I?—”

Her eyes meet mine, and I can tell I fucked up. “I’m sorry for wanting what’s best for you,” she says coolly, turning on her heel and heading toward her room.

But that’s the problem, isn’t it? All of these opinions I can’t control aren’t my problem. No one knows what’s best for me but me.

She’ll come around, and we’ll be back to normal in a few hours.

Except that normal never comes. At least not today. Hourslater and she’s still nowhere to be seen, holed up in her room with Elara.

And I can’t help but keep thinking about the hurt in her eyes when I snapped at her.

It was a look I never want to see again.

8

BRIAR

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a small coffee shop buzzing with people mid-workday as I take my place in the corner seat to work on one of my secret projects.

It was something I started years ago when I wanted something that could make me money without Tony knowing, but he quickly found out, telling me it was one of the dumbest ideas I had ever had and not worth anything, and since then, I haven’t had the time to work on it.

Biting my finger, I drag a couple images into the document, putting the finishing touches on one section.

“Mom, can I have another hot cocoa?” Elara asks from beside me. It’s been three days since Leo and I fought, and we’ve been doing our own thing ever since. He hasn’t reached out for me to do anything, and since he hasn’t started training camp just yet, he’s clearly been fine making his own meals.

And I’ve been just fine without hearing from him.

I shake my head. “Honey, you already had a pretty big one. You’re fine.”

She lets out a sigh. “It was just so good.”

“It’s alwaysgood here.”

An old Goo Goo Dolls song plays over the speaker, filling the large, dark space with Johnny’s beautiful voice, and I start singing along, smiling when Elara recognizes it too, her shoulders swaying as she shoves lemon pound cake into her mouth at lightning speed.

Call incoming…

I frown at the caller ID, my body suddenly rigid.

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