Page 96 of Feast

“Fine,” Halley wheezed and reached for her water glass.

“You’re supposed to chew your food, munchkin,” Stephen admonished, and plopped a slice of chicken on her plate.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Where was I?” Heather asked. “Oh, yes. Spencer’s social life. Are you seeing anyone?”

“I was,” he said, and Maddie froze. “I fu—screwed it up.”

“I’m sorry, darling,” Heather said sympathetically. “Did you have a fight?”

“Sort of. I want to try to fix it,” he went on. “But I don’t know if I can.”

“Dark meat, right kiddo?” Stephen said, and Maddie jumped when a chicken leg landed on her plate.

“Well, maybe we can help,” Heather said to Spence as Stephen went back to hacking at the chicken. “What was the fight about?”

“Is he really doing this?” Halley muttered into her water glass.

“She thought we should tell our parents we were dating, and I didn’t agree.”

Halley set her water down. “Yep, he’s doing it.”

“You look like a thigh man, Spence,” Stephen said and slid the hunk of chicken he had on his carving fork onto Spence’s plate.

“I don’t understand,” Heather said, confusion clouding her blue eyes. “Why wouldn’t you want to tell me you were dating someone?”

“I didn’t know how you’d take it,” Spence said while Maddie wondered if anyone would notice if she just slid under the table. “You’ve been so happy, and I just…I didn’t want to mess that up.”

“You’re not responsible for my happiness, Spence,” Heather said. “And besides, you know I’d be thrilled to hear you were seeing someone seriously.”

“I know, but it’s…complicated.”

“What does that mean?” Heather asked.

“Um, is there bacon in these green beans?” Halley asked.

Unable to stop herself, Maddie looked across Halley to find Spence staring at her, his eyes fierce. “Because it’s Maddie.”

Heather blinked, startled. “Maddie?”

Spence nodded firmly, his gaze never leaving hers over Halley’s head. “Maddie.”

Stephen looked up from the chicken, carving knife and fork in hand. “What’s Maddie?”

“Uh, Maddie?” Halley said and threw up her mashed potatoes and green beans into Spence’s lap.

Ten minutes later,Spence emerged from the guest bathroom in Stephen’s t-shirt and a pair of his pajama pants to find Maddie waiting in the hall.

“Hey.”

He cleared his throat. “Hey. Is, um, Halley okay?”

“She’s fine,” Maddie assured him. “How are you?”

“My ankles are cold, but other than that I’m good.”

Maddie looked down at his legs, where her father’s pajama pants ended halfway down his shins. Her gaze lifted to his, and the laugh in their shining depths eased the knots in his stomach. “Sexy, little brother.”