Page 247 of Power Play

“No.”

Her head turned sharply. “No?”

“You heard me.”

“You don’t get to decide that.”

“You’re right. You can refuse to talk, and I can decide what your refusal means for me.”

Her face changed, and I knew she heard the boundary beneath my answer. I wasn’t threatening to punish or abandon her. I was telling her that pretending forever wasn’t an option.

By the time I parked outside my apartment, neither of us had spoken again.

Charm got out before I could walk around to her side. She ran through the rain and up the stairs while I followed. After unlocking the door behind her, I tossed my keys into the bowl.

She stripped off her wet jacket and turned toward me. “Fine.”

I closed the door. “Fine what?”

“You want to fight? Let’s fight.”

“I don’t want to fight.”

“You’re doing a great impression of someone who does.”

“I want you to tell me the fucking truth.”

“I have told you the truth.”

“You’ve told me the version that lets everybody keep pretending Thanksgiving isn’t going to be a disaster.”

Her face drained, giving me every answer she had refused to say aloud.

I pushed away from the door, forcing my movement to remain gentler than I felt. “What did they say, bebé?”

“Ryan.”

“What did they say about me?” I shouted, slamming my palm against the door.

Charm looked away, and a humorless laugh tore out of me. “I fucking knew it.”

“They apologized.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

“They said they overreacted.”

“Still not my question.”

Charm dropped her purse onto the chair. “My mother has called me almost every day.”

“I know.”

“She keeps saying she wants to give you a chance.”

“Then let her.”

Charm stared at me.