Page 148 of For the Fans

My mind is blank. I have no idea what to say, sifting through anywhere at all I could say that I got the money.

But then Avi cuts in, “Actually, I helped Kyran sell some collectibles online.” I gawk at him, and he gives me a look I can hear, telling me tojust go with it. “He had a bunch of old sports memorabilia that was worth a lot.”

“Oh…” Hannah hums, showing me a sad smile. “Well, I’m sorry you had to do that…”

I wave her off. “It’s fine. I… didn’t need it.”

This is so awkward. Can we change the subject, please??

“Alright, well, I’m starving!” Avi claps his hands together. “Let’s stop talking about money and eat already.”

“Good idea, sweetie.” Hannah rubs his arm.

He picks up the plates, eyes flinging to mine for just a second before he carries everything into the dining room. I step aside as he passes, like I’m afraid that if he gets too close, it’ll somehow become obvious that we’ve been humping. Hannah glances at me, tilting her head.

Forcing a smile, I grumble, “I’ll grab the rest of the food…” rushing over to pick up containers.

We’re setting everything on the table as Hannah calls out, “Tom! Dinner!”

Taking my usual seat, I’m really dreading this. I loathe forced dinners with my father as it is, but add the tension between me and Avi, and the whole thing is like a detonated bomb just waiting to gokaboom.

My dad stalks into the room, glass in hand—called it—and I distract myself by scooping orange chicken onto my plate. When I look up, Avi is staring at me. I tilt my head, and he tugs at the collar of his shirt, eyes dropping to my neck.

Peering down at my collar, I see that the V-neck of my sweater is revealing the very beginning of a purple bruise on my sternum. Otherwise known as one of the many hickeys he planted on me.

I quickly adjust my collar to cover it up, jaw ticking as I glare at him across the table. He bites his lip to subdue a tiny grin, eyes stuck on his plate as if he’s remembering something, and Ireallywish I could hear what’s happening in his thoughts.

Once my father has his food, we all dig in, the conversation remaining casual, which is a relief. Avi asks Hannah how things are going at work, and she tells us about that for a while, after which we talk football. Unlike Hannah, my father doesn’t seem too concerned with how Avi and I have been dealing with the lack of money. The only thing he wants to discuss are my stats and how I’m feeling about our next game against Ohio State.

But it’s fine. I’m used to talking football with him. In fact, I’m used to it being theonlytopic of conversation between us that doesn’t make me want to chew broken glass, so I’m good with recapping every second of this season if it means not having to branch out into anything less superficial.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t last for long. Because by the time dinner is winding down, he rumbles, “Are you planning to visit your mother tomorrow?”

My muscles stiffen, instant irritation brewing up inside me at the thought. “Well, considering that she hasn’t even called me in, like, a year, I was thinking no.”

“She’s your mother, Kyran,” he states firmly, as if I didn’t know that fact. “You should at least stop by.”

“It’s not like she’s made me a priority in the last however many years…” I push noodles around on my plate. “She has a new family to worry about… A new kid to replace the one she wants to forget.”

“Kyran,” my father barks. “Enough. You know that isn’t true. You’re just being dramatic.”

Dramatic??

A memory tries to weasel its way up, but I blink hard to force it away.

“Why do you care, anyway?” I huff at him. “She left you, too.”

He pins me with a stern look, one that used to have me straightening in my seat, desperate to show him the Kyranhewants to see. But for the first time ever, it seems like I may have stopped caring about what he thinks of me.

“That’s neither here nor there,” my father mutters. “She’s family, and the holidays are a time for being with family.”

“Oh, really?” I turn in my chair to face him. “So did you invite Bridget home for the holidays, then? Since being withfamilyis so important…”

“What has gotten into you?” he hisses, glaring at me with glassy eyes.

“Answer the question, Dad.” I stand my ground.

My father peeks at Hannah and Avi, who are both just staring nervously at us. “Your sister wants nothing to do with this family. She made that clear already.”