The Cursed Series, Parts 3 & 4 (Cursed #3-4) - Rebecca Donovan Page 0,51

is gonna suck.”

I fed him the lie. Made his love turn to hate. Abandoned you to your pain.

Whoever came up with the saying, You could cut the tension with a knife, wasn’t sitting at this dinner table. This tension needs a chain saw.

Niall takes the head of the table with Olivia to his left and Mr. … Isaac to his right. My mother sits between Olivia and Lincoln with Cassandra and Lily across from them. Parker and Lance follow beside Lily with Joey and Brendan opposite them, which forces Grant and me to sit facing each other since we were the last to arrive. Grant sacrifices himself and takes the seat next to Brendan while I scoot in my chair beside Lance.

Candles in tall glass cylinders are clustered around the deck, and even though the sun hasn’t set, it adds elegance to the outdoor setting. As do the square vases of wildflowers that pepper the center of the table. Not to mention the servers dressed in long black bistro aprons coming out with plates.

I scan the length of the table, trying to assess who’s going to start throwing insults—or plates—first. My bet is on Cassandra. She pours the contents of her martini glass down her throat as if it were water just as a server arrives with another. Olivia scowls at her without effect.

My mother looks frail, straightening the silverware in front of her. The color from our day on the lake has drained away, leaving behind delicate, ghostly skin. Guilt twists like a knife, knowing I contributed to her wilting.

I connect with Joey briefly. He offers a hint of a smile in recognition of how unstable this situation is. I skip over Brendan and search Grant’s face for reassurance. He smiles back like everything’s going to be fine. I appreciate the effort even though it’s obvious he’s completely faking it.

“This looks wonderful,” Olivia announces a little too loudly when the small plate of linguini and shellfish is set in front of her.

I examine it, never having eaten almost any of the squishy things mixed among the noodles. I mean, I’ve had them fried, but I’ve never had to actually see what they looked like before they’re coated and dropped in hot oil. I poke at a scallop with my fork. Someone coughs out a laugh, and I look up to find Brendan trying to conceal a chuckle. Maybe he won’t think I’m so funny when I fling one of these jiggly things across the table at him.

I lean over and ask Lance, “What is this?”

He checks out what I’m prodding and answers quietly, “Calamari. I know it looks gross, but it’s pretty good.”

“Isn’t calamari squid?” I ask. I’m unable to keep the grimace from creasing my face when I lift the noodles with my fork to reveal the tentacles still attached to the gelatinous body.

Lance nods. “Try it.”

I don’t. I can’t. Not if I’m not expected to throw it back up.

I eat around it the best I can. The lemon garlic herb sauce is pretty good with the pasta, but the texture of most of the shellfish feels like I’m chewing rubber. I choke down a scallop and shudder.

Now Grant has his lips pressed together to keep from laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Lily demands, unable to see me.

This causes the half of the table who can see me to break out in laughter.

I push my plate away, having entertained them enough. I look toward the adults, and Olivia gives me a you-tried shrug while Niall focuses on his plate, shaking his head, probably to conceal an eye roll.

“You’ve lived a sheltered life, haven’t you, Lana?” Cassandra interjects. “Too bad your mother kept you hidden away and didn’t allow you to experience the life that was meant for you. But she did a wonderful job teaching you how to be deceitful and conniving.”

I blink. She really just said that … out loud?

“Excuse me?!” I snap back just as Olivia scolds, “Cassandra!”

“What can I say? Like mother, like daughter.” Cassandra raises a brow and nods toward Grant.

Wait. She thinks I seduced Grant away from Lily like my mother did Nick?

I laugh dramatically—way over-the-top laughter. “You’re kidding, right?”

Isaac has a hand over his eyes, like he wishes he could be anywhere else. The rest of the boys, other than Grant, lean back in their chairs like they’re utterly amused and are waiting for popcorn to take in the show. Lily refuses to look up from her plate, as does my mother, although she