Fake Friends - Saxon James Page 0,63

was with.

So if they ask, it’s on them.

I’m surprised Mom didn’t give me the third degree the second I walked in the door.

“Ah, he is alive,” Grandpa says dryly, the moment I walk into the living area. “Here we were thinking you’d run away again.”

All I have to do is keep my cool. “I didn’t run away the first time, I went to college. Big difference.” I quickly turn my attention to my sister, swamping her in a hug. “Piper, blessing us with your company, huh?”

She snorts. “Hardly. It’s more like I wanted company.”

And like she’s said the magic words, the heat immediately passes from me to her. I’d feel bad, but … I don’t.

“You just need to find yourself a husband,” Gran says. “Once you have a man in your life, you won’t feel so lonely.”

I wonder if she’d give me the same advice.

“Yeah,” I agree, and Piper frowns at me. “Or a dog. A hamster. Maybe one of those descented skunks.”

Her frown deepens. “Or I could just visit my family and not transfer my emotions onto another being.”

Gran sniffs, and I know she’s immediately about to launch into her you’re getting older bit. “Don’t leave it too long, Piper. You’re a beautiful girl now, but in a few years …” Right on cue.

And instead of just taking it like she normally would, Piper bites back. “Well, you’ll excuse me if the guy I liked decided he’d rather go gay than date me. Sorry, Gran, that must be so disappointing for you.”

Yikes. There’s a definite tone there I’m not liking. It has me torn between pointing out Tanner is bi and he and Royce were always going to happen, and keeping quiet. Because if there’s one thing I’ve always relied on, it’s knowing my sisters will have my back. But can I count on that when she’s holding on to this resentment?

Grandpa waves his hand. “I swear the gays are everywhere these days.”

“We pray for them, you know,” Gran says.

And that’s more than enough for me. I get up to go check if Mom needs any help in the kitchen, but she meets me in the doorway.

“Dinner’s served,” she calls, ushering me toward my seat. Which means no getting away from any of them.

It’s stifling. The tiny dining room, bumping elbows with Piper at the six-seater table. Sitting directly opposite Gran and right next to Grandpa.

And yet it’s like I’m worlds apart.

They’re all talking like there isn’t a gigantic wall between me and them, and they cover off every mundane topic from town gossip to how Harvey’s is going.

And I should care. I should enjoy this with them. But after spending so much time with Circus, and letting myself feel what I’ve been running from for years, I don’t want to keep it all in. I want to share that I’m happy and possibly in love.

It fucking sucks that I can’t.

Gran’s chili usually helps boost my spirits, but even it’s not enough to distract me. I glance over at where Piper’s pushing her food around the plate, and I guess I’m not the only one going through emotional stuff. Is she still upset over Tanner? And if she is, am I breaking some kind of sibling code by being friends with him?

I nudge Piper with my elbow and pitch my voice low. “I’ve been thinking about the diner and how you’ve been looking for new ideas. Ever thought of adding something vegetarian to the menu?”

A light smile crosses her lips, but before she can answer, Dad cuts her off. “Vegetarian options cost too much in overhead and wastage. There’s no market for it.”

Apparently I didn’t speak quietly enough. “We make everything to order anyway, why don’t we just let people choose what they want?”

“Then you create the habit of people changing everything just because they can. You’ll have custom orders coming out of your ears and be unable to keep up. The way we do it now is a process we’ve perfected over years, and it works.”

My jaw ticks as I clench my teeth.

There’s no point arguing. But apparently Piper thinks there is. “Actually, it’ll make us more competitive. We’re still pulling a steady profit with our regulars, but we rarely see new people through the doors. I’m there every day, and I pay attention. Changing some things up wouldn’t be a terrible idea. I mean, look at Peg’s. That place is constantly full. And if we sit around just relying on our current business, that business will eventually