Page 66 of Heartbreaker
“I told you yesterday, I amdonediscussing this. It doesn’t matter how many times you ask, my answer isn’t going to change,” John says.
“Why can’t you just do this for me?” Ari pleads, her voice morphing into a whine.
“Because just like you, Ariana, I can make my own decisions. And it’s my choice not to be around him. You want to put yourself in the position to get your heart broken again? Be my guest. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“He’s different—”
“Enough,” John hisses. He takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tries to collect himself. “This is not the time or the place for this conversation.”
There’s no room for more debate when the others reemerge from the kitchen, including his mother and grandmother.
Aside from the cold shoulder John gives his sister—especially when she almost slips about Cabo—and the strained answers from Debra whenever my parents attempt to draw her into the conversation, dinner goes by without a hitch. We learned that Blake recently passed his journeyman exam to become an electrician, and he started dating a girl named Sarah. Bodhi broke up with his girlfriend (Laura, I think?) last week, and law school has taken up the majority of his life, much to his dismay. As for the other Williams children? Not much has changed.
“Savannah,” Papá says, catching my attention at the head of the table. “Did you decide if you’re going to re-sign with EWE, yet?”
Except that.
“We’re working a few things out,” I say.
My contract is set to expire at the beginning of next month—December 5th, to be exact. The day after Wreck the Halls, the December premiere live event, before we head to Europe for two weeks. The company and I have been negotiating for at least a month now, mostly about salary. I’d be more willing to bend on the other things if they’d compromise on the financial side. When I initially received my new contract, I was surprised by how much they were trying to lowball me. Even before I discussed it with John, I decided to attempt renegotiations.
“Getting close?” My father asks.
“Maybe.”
“You’re one of their biggest draws. Why wouldn’t they want to pay you more?” Nash asks.
“Not to mention, you’re basically married to the face of the company,” Blake adds, and I roll my eyes. “Isn’t there something he can do? Is there something you can do?”
“We don’t—”
“Savannah and I try to keep our business lives separate,” John says, answering for me. Why did he interrupt me? I was about to say the same thing.
“Not to mention—”
“Not to mention, Amos will ultimately give her whatever she wants. He loves her, and there isn’t a chance in hell that he’ll ever let her walk away.”
“Add a private jet to the list of demands, SJ,” my oldest brother says, earning a chuckle from the table.
I can only offer him a tight smile before I catch Debra’s gaze from across the table. Her raised brow over the rim of her wine glass tells me exactly what she’s thinking. I tear my gaze from hers to look at John, who also noticed her suspicious glance.
“Who’s ready for dessert?” Mamá asks. “We have flan, pumpkin pie, apple pie...” She continues naming other options, and slowly the table empties as everyone carries their plates to the sink before choosing a dessert.
John gathers my dishes, leaning down to plant a kiss on top of my head before he disappears into the kitchen, Samuel following suit. That leaves only me, Ari, and Amara at the table.
“Did I hear you say something about Cabo earlier?” Amara asks.
A ball forms in the pit of my stomach, but Ari’s brown eyes light up like the Fourth of July. Any minute, her brother is going to walk back through that door. Her mother, too. The last thing I need is for one of them to walk in while she’s talking about the vacation she just took with her father.
“Yes! Samuel and I—”
“Ari,” I cut her off. “Not right now.”
“Oh, come on, Savannah. Not you, too.”
“Yes, me too. This is not the time or place. Unless you’re ready to tell your mom the truth, I’d zip it.”
Ariana rolls her eyes and sits back in her chair with a huff, looking more like a toddler than a woman in her late twenties.
