Page 151 of Burn Bright
“Death but struck the night twice,” Eliot exclaims ominously.
Mom narrows her yellow-green eyes. “No oneis dying tonight or tomorrow orever.” She points a matte black painted nail around at us. “You all shall live for centuries.”
“In mind and spirit,” Dad clarifies. “For the world will forever know your names alongside ours.”
“In body,” Mom argues with him. “For I’ll make sure they are all immortal.”
We drum the table together, except Tom who’s still standing on his chair. He taps it with his boot.
Dad’s grin widens. “I see the hunt for the Fountain of Youth persists.”
“It never ended.” She stakes him with a glare. “Would you stop me, Richard?”
He smooths his hair back, then lifts his wine. “Jamais.”Never.“Il n'y a qu'ensemble.”There is only together.I swear he glances at me at this, then raises his drink to Tom. “Mon fils.”
Mom also hoists her wine to him. “Gremlin. Proceed.”
Tom nods a thanks before surveying us around the table. “What constitutes betrayal in this family? Say, is it sleeping with the enemy?” His brows crane atme.
Can’t lie. I’m shocked. They’ve been quick to be nice to me like one false step will have me fleeing these dinners. This feels surprisingly more in fashion for my family.
I scoot forward. “Is this rhetorical?” I ask Tom.
“Nay.” He points his scepter at me. “Speak true.”
“I’d like you to clarify whether Harriet Fisher is an enemy of this family or an enemy ofyours. And if she isyourenemy, then why were you standing next to her at a bar last week?”
Everyone drums the table again.
Tom fights a smile, enjoying seeing me engage in this playful display. “I suffer through her presence for you, Ben Pirrip.”
“Thank you,” I say sincerely. “And I haven’t slept with yourenemy.”
Eliot clears his throat as he pours more wine. I snap a hard look at him. He has a diabolical smile as he tells me, “I said nothing, brother.”
“You’re implying I’m lying.”
“No, I simply felt a tickle in my throat.” He slouches back in his chair.
“Eliot Alice,” Mom chides. “Act your age or the Fountain of Youth will be dry before it reaches you.”
“Did you hear that?” Eliot asks our dad. “Mom is wishing death upon me.”
“If you want saved from her hyperboles, you’ll need to leave the room,” Dad says while eyeing me. “Are you dating Harriet?”
Mom’s neck nearly snaps when she zeroes in on me. “You have a girlfriend, and we haven’t met her?”
“Oh my fucking God,” I mutter.
“You’d fare better cursing to me,” Dad says, which we’ve all heard before. None of us are religious, clearly.
“Oh my Connor, does Ben have a girlfriend?” Tom teases, still standing on the fucking chair.
“You’re really wasting your whole opening on me?” I ask him.
“Dude, Mom is going to stab the goose if you don’t answer her. You should behappyI’m still focused on you.”
Our mom is gripping a knife. “When was this official? Did you not want us to know? Is it a secret?”
