“Sure,” Blake replied. “How is it you’re in a band, yet we have to twist Eva’s arm out of its socket to get her to sing?”
“Don’t get me started. That girl will only sing in her room, her car, or the shower. I’ve been trying since she was eight years old. I gave up.” My dad knelt in front of the CD player and popped in the disc. He stood, bopping his head as the harmony of the two front singers began.
Feeling more comfortable, I nodded to Abby. “C’mon.” I went up on my tip toes and kissed Blake’s cheek. “We’ll be back.”
Before we reached the kitchen, Abby pulled me aside. “I need to talk to you.”
“What’s up?”
She bit down on her lip and picked at her nails.
“Abby?”
“It’s Eric.”
“What about Eric?” I asked, confused.
She dropped her hands. “I can’t stop thinking about him.”
A smile tugged at my lips, but I cleared my throat and replaced it with my ‘concerned’ face. “What’re you going to do about it?”
Abby stared at me as though I had grown a second head. “Seriously? I can’t do anything about it. You know that. I just don’t know how to stop it. And seeing Blake just made it one hundred times worse,” she said in a harsh whisper.
I tried to tamp down the happy dance going on inside of me. “Well, maybe there’s a reason you don’t know how to stop it.”
“Not this again,” she groaned, leaning against the wall outside the kitchen.
“You wanted to talk about it. It’s not my fault you don’t like my answer.” I exhaled. “If you’re not going to do anything about it, then what’s there to talk about?” I pressed gently, trying to plant the idea of a different future in her head without being too conspicuous.
“I’m treating Damon differently, and I think he’s noticing. It’s not good, and I’m scared I’ll fold and tell him.”
My heart raced. I knew a different side of Damon. I wasn’t sure what he’d do if he ever knew the truth, and I couldn’t let Abby do anything that would jeopardize him hurting her. Any lightheartedness I was feeling at the prospect of her leaving Damon washed out of me and I suddenly became serious. “Try not to think about it. Maybe if you can convince yourself it never happened, you’ll believe it and not act different anymore. I mean, if you don’t plan on doing anything about it, what’s the difference?” I shrugged.
“That’s your advice? The guy’s a freaking masterpiece, consuming my every thought, and you think I can just convince myself it never happened?”
“What other choice do you have?” I was agitated and just wanting to end the discussion. “It’s that or break up with Damon and explore your options, but you can’t let him know you cheated. Who knows what he’ll do?” I couldn’t hide the panic in my voice.
She blinked at me then, no doubt wondering why I just said that. “I’m not scared he’d do anything. He’s not like that. I’m scared I’ll be making the wrong decision, and then I’ll be screwed.”
He’s not like that? She didn’t even know him, and she’d been with him for years. A bitter pit formed in my stomach.
Abby’s eyes flared. “What if I saw him one more time? To see if I still feel the same. Maybe it was just the alcohol. Then I can put my mind to rest.”
My body stiffened. “I don’t know, Abby.” Is she insane?
“Well, what else am I gonna do?” she whined.
“For right this minute, you’re going to ignore it,” I ordered. “Go help Mom with the kitchen and then go spend Christmas with your boyfriend. Are you trying to give me anxiety? He’s right. In. There.” I shoved my pointer finger down the hall.
“Okay. Okay.” She gave me a pointed look. “But we’re not finished with this.”
“Whatever. Come on, lunatic.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the kitchen.
“There you two are. Could use a little help here.” My mom balanced a tray between her potholder-clad hands. “Grab a hot plate, would you?”
I dropped the piece of ceramic in front of her as she lowered the dish and shook out her hands. “We’re basically ready. Better bring this stuff out before your boyfriends run for the hills. Daddy loves when he has an audience.”
We set the table and yelled to the guys to come eat. I stood behind my chair, my palms tight around the top of it as I waited for everyone to take their seats. The guys came through the archway, laughing as my dad snapped his fingers, still singing the newest song his band had learned.
“You guys are really good, Mr. Ric—I mean, Joe. I gotta come see you play one night,” Blake said, sounding genuinely impressed.
My dad beamed. “That’d be great. Evangelina used to come, and now I can never get her there anymore. These two are there all the time, though.” He thumbed toward Abby and Damon. “Maybe you guys could double date sometime.”
I choked on my wine.
Blake patted my back. “You all right?”
My nose stung with the burn of the liquid trapped in my nostrils. “Fine,” I said through the fire and teary eyes.