Page 87 of The Fractured

I smirked, unable to help myself when I gave Kate my full attention, resting my forearm on the table. “Why don’t you tell me how you really feel about me being here?”

“How dare you—”

“I said that’s enough,” Mark repeated.

Lily’s hand came to rest on top of mine on her thigh, and I settled back in my seat.

Across the table, Jane promptly stabbed her fork into multiple vegetables until she had a small stack. “If I’m still going to the salon, can I get my hair dyed blue?”

The corner of Lily’s mouth twitched before she covered it. At the same time, I looked down and shook my head in amusement.

“No,” Kate and Mark stated in unison.

Chapter 31

Lily

“I think it’s dry,” Jane said.

“Sorry?” I blinked, straightening away from where I was trying to eavesdrop beside the kitchen doorway. I looked down at the plate and dishcloth in my hands. “Oh.”

“What are they talking about?” Jane whispered as she washed the dishes.

“Dad said he needed to have thedad talkwith him.” I rolled my eyes as I put the plate away.

“Ah, yes, the good ol’ parental cock-block—”

“Jane.” Mom walked into the kitchen, disposing of a vase of flowers with a frown on her face directed at us. Mostly Jane. “I do not want to hear that word come out of your mouth again, got it? It’s vulgar.”

“It’s only vulgar based on the context.” Jane returned her attention to the dishes. Meanwhile, our mother’s lips were becoming more pursed by the second. “Anyway, what if I wanted to start referring to roosters as cocks?”

“Jane, that’s enough.”

“You know there’s a type of bird called a Booby? And another one is called a Dickcissel?”

I turned away, fighting a smile as I grabbed another plate to dry.

“My favorite is the Bushtit,” Jane said, already smiling.

My attempt to stifle a laugh failed and resulted in me blowing a brief raspberry before I slapped a hand over my mouth. At the same time, right as Mom was about to give Jane another warning, Dad and Dean appeared in the doorway. Both looked equally confused by the conversation they walked in on.

Mom shook her head in disappointment, shock riddling her features. “I should ground you.”

“But I already am, so…” Jane put emphasis in her shrug and turned back to the dishes.

In a huff, Mom grabbed several small plates from the cupboard, a premade cheesecake from the fridge, and then marched back into the dining room to prepare for dessert. Dad, on the other hand, only deadpanned at Jane.

“What? I learned it all from David Attenborough,” she shrugged innocently.

Dad didn’t respond. At least to her. Instead, his attention went to Dean beside him, and his expression grew stern. “I meant what I said, alright?”

“Understood.” The smile Dean gave him was one of pure sarcasm.

Dad’s eyes narrowed on him slightly — a last-ditch effort to make sure that warning truly sank in — before he left to be with Mom in the other room. She was making an effort to make more noise than was needed while plating dessert.

Dean pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and leaned against the doorframe. “What did we walk in on by the way?”

Jane grinned over her shoulder. “The all-important lesson on vulgar bird names.”