Chapter 53: Penny
Dessert’s deed, eryone’s still at the table, and the conversation has officially shifted from polite to chantic — the kind of family dinner chaos white poa’he full, warm, and fat letting the concrmation wonder wherever it wants.
Tyler Jeans bark, rubbing his stomach. “So, get this. Ithan the linebacker tried in deadlift and completely wrecked his shoulder
Mi. Hayes keks up from his tea. “The heavy??
Mr. Hayes whistles. “Dot”
*I know, right?” Tyler atins. “Coach
Tainted.”
I wince a little. “We had a guy at the studio mess up his shoulder too. He was doing a one armed press lift and jett…
Tyler’s eyebrows shoot up. “Wait, what? Why do ballet dancers need to lift?”
I just blink at him.
“Tyler”
He blinks back. “What?”
“You do know they have to keep us in the air, sometimes with one arm, multiple times a day right?
He shrugs, brushing it off. “I mean, I lift you all the time. It’s not that hard
There’s a beat
Then A
Asher – from across the t
table, deadpan –
“Didn’t you say she was too heavy for you?
Tyler snaps his head toward him, mouth open. “I never said that?”
“Pretty sure you did. “
Okay, but not like that. I meant heavy for–like–not for me, For someone else. Not me.”
I raise both eyebrows. “Good save.”
Tyler points a fork at me. “Don’t look at me like that. You know I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I know,” I say, sweetly. “Still wouldn’t trust you to lift the during a pipette combo.”
“Why
– one ankle not aligned, one elbow out of place, or one twitchy flex- and me I lean forward on my elbows, dead serious now. “Because one wrong shift cate’s done. I’d fy like a beautiful broken swan right into the marley and explode.”
Mrs. Hayes chokes on her drink
Tyler looks personally offended. “Wow. That’s dramatic”
“It’s accurate,” I say. “I love you, but unless you can lift me with one hand over your head and spin at the same time, we’re not risking
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Chapter 53: Penny
Mr. Hayes in laughing. “She’s not wrong”
“They actually do that?” Tyler asks, ryes wide..
“Yes!” I say. “All the time. Sometimes multiple dancers at once. The male dancers in a company ste terrdy
Asher sips his mater, saying nothing – but the corner of his mouth twitches
I catch it ad almost smirk. Alusost,
Tyler throws up his hands. “Tie, okay, okay Message received. You’d rather trust some 180 pound guy in tights than me
“If he’s trained,” I say, smug. “Absolutely.”
*You wound me.”
“You’ll
survive,” I grin. “Barely,”
Mrs. Hayes leans toward me, “This is the most entertaining dinner we’ve had in ages.”
I glance around the table everyone smiling, relaxed, joking,
Even Asher, who still hasn’t said much, but his eyes haven’t drifted from me once.
I don’t know what to do with that look, so I just look away and sip my water, hiding the flush that crawls up my neck.
“Can I help clean anything up?” I ask their mom, mostly just to redirect the fire under my ski
She waves a hand. “Oh no, sweetheart. We’ll get the boys to do i
In his low voice: “Sure. No problem.”
Asher, in his low
Tyler, groaning: “Whyyy?”
Mrs. Hayes facepalms.
Mr. Hayes gives me a
e a little smile. “You gonna
be okay on your own tonight, kildo?”
“Oh, totally,” I say quickly-
But Mrs. Hayes tilts her head. “You sure? How has it been living alone?”
I try to play it casual. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t love being alone, but it’s fine. Especially when it storms. Ever since, like you know, the robbery a few years
The room shifts slightly.
he plates are still. Even Tyler looks a little mukward,
The
Their parents both nod, knowingly. They don’t presy, and I appreciate that
But Asher’s gaze snaps up like a gun cucking
“What robbery?” he asks, his voice sharper than I’ve ever heard it
Tyler cuts in immediately. “Oh dude,
was frary. Like, two gays, in the middle of the night. They had gu
“Tyler,” Mr. Hayes says, m
Chapter 53: Penny
Mr. Hapes looks at me. “She doesn’t need to relive it.”
“I’m fine,” 1 say, waxing it off, even though I kind
wish Tyler hadn’t stented at all “I understand why it can arem, interesting. It was a white thing t
Not like he’s curious.
More like he wants names.
Tyler laughs awkwardy, tying to cut the tension “Any speaking of scary things – we had a brilliant idea earlier.
Asher sighs. “You. You had an ideaTM
my head toward them. “Tyler…”
He holds up a finger. “Let me finish. Don’t ruin the surprise.”
Tyler gestures wildly. “Penny lives alone. It’s scary. She’s got to cook, clean, lock everything. Don’t even have a car. We’re here making a meis anyway- why not just stay at her place until her parents are back?”
I think Tyler, I’m not
He turns to his parents like he’s pitching a business plan. “Think about it. She’d be safer. Less stressed. I’d stop forgetting my gym bag heery day. Asher can cook, so she’ll survive. We’re only ten minutes away. And I know we’re boys, but we’re respectful boys.”
Mrs. Hayes opens her mouth to object, but Mr. Hayes says, “Actually…
Oh god.
“No, Frally.” I try. “I don’t want to be a bother. I’m fine.”
Mrs. Hayes looks at t
it me. “But it’s a lot for one girl to handle
e’d make Tyler do his homework,”
Mr. Hayes adds.
“Ather could keep an eye on the house.”
“She won’t be alone.”
And now they’re nodding at each other like this is some kind of genius patenting revelation.
I glance at Tyler. He’s beaming like he just got into Harvard.
Then at Asher
Unreadable.
Completely unreadable.
And I suddenly can’t decide if I’m being rescued on
doumed.
But it’s already happening. The Hayes Family Emergency Co–Habitation Pla
1a has been appared.
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Chapter 53: Penny
Bly everyone except ove
Cool.
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Imao I mean…technically it is a good plan, especially having a navy seal chilling in your house. I mean dudes proven himself to be your safe bet. but Tyler just irks me, we all….
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