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I steeled my back. Tonight, I would not break down. I would survive tonight with my head held high and what’s left of my dignity intact.
Ethan lifted his head to meet my gaze and stilled. Something flashed across his eyes for a moment, only a second, but I saw it. Regret.
What did he regret? Did he regret coming here tonight? Did he regret what happened between us? Or did he regret the feelings he chose to suppress for me?
No. I refused to give my heart any false hope of a happily ever for us.
I walked up to them with a smile on my face that I hoped looked natural. As I neared them, Ethan’s eyes never left mine.
“Happy Thanksgiving.” I stopped in front of them.
“Hey, Lils,” Marcus was the first to reply.
I looked to Ethan who only grunted as his reply. Okay, I guess we don’t speak to each other now.
“How are you, Marcus? How is work?” I held out my hand to take his coat.
“It’s been quiet lately, but with the festive season coming up, I know that we will be getting more and more calls.” He removed his coat and handed it to me. “You look beautiful by the way, Lils.”
I blushed.
“Can I take your coat?” I smiled at Ethan politely. I was trying my best to keep it composed. Ethan blinked at me but didn’t say anything. He removed his coat and handed it to me.
I walked back to the coatroom and hung their coats for them. When I exited the small room, they were walking to the living room where everyone was.
Grayson turned the corner from the kitchen holding two wine glasses.
“Is that for me?” I pointed to the wine in his hand.
He nodded and handed me a glass. Without hesitation, I downed the contents in the glass.
“Woah, slow your role, sis. Are you trying to get drunk?”
“Would that be so wrong?”
The smile slipped from his face, and he narrowed his eyes at me. “Yes, it would, Lils. Tonight is important. Can you just try to be on your best behavior?”
“I will try, but I won’t promise.” I turned to go back into the kitchen. “I need a refill.”
When I entered the kitchen, I found my mother moving all over the place doing the final touch-ups for dinner. When she saw me walk in, she smiled. Someone call an ambulance. My mother actually smiled at me, and it looked somewhat genuine.
“You need anything, honey?”
I lifted my empty glass in the air. “A refill. Don’t worry, I will get out of your hair.”
“Nonsense, you can help with the salad dressing.” She pointed to a bowl in the middle of the kitchen island. “I already added everything to it. You can just mix it all in.”
Not wanting to start any fights between us, I obliged. What was the worst that could happen? As long as she didn’t stick her nose into my life, we would be fine.
I walked to the bowl and set my glass down. I stirred the salad dressing ingredients together and then drizzled them on top of the green salad.
When I looked up, my mother was staring at me from the other side of the kitchen.
“What?”
“Grayson tells me that you work for Ethan now, at his practice.”
“I do.”
