Keeping Secrets

Uncomfortable Dessert

PEYTON

Amanda's mom pulled me into a warm hug as soon as she opened the door. "It's so good to see you, Peyton. How's school?"

"School's good. Busy, but good."

"Excellent. Come on in. Everyone is in the dining room. We just started on dessert."

"Ugh," I groaned. "I think I had too much of that already."

Vi—short for Vivian—laughed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, come on. I'm sure you can fit some of my pumpkin pie. I made it just for tonight."

That only made me groan harder.

I loved Vi's pumpkin pie. She was an excellent baker, but I'd already eaten way too much. It felt like I'd taken Thanksgiving break as an excuse to pig out more than usual—like I was stress eating.

I realized it might have had something to do with Beau, and the fact that I was finally coming to terms with how different my feelings were for him compared to Max. Or maybe it had to do with my dad and how he'd spent the entire Thanksgiving dinner going over Eli's football stats, practically bursting with pride that my brother—a high school sophomore—had made the starting lineup.

If I hadn't fully noticed it before, I definitely did now: there was an apparent difference in how my father both viewed and treated me and my brother. I wasn't much of an athlete, never had been, but I'd always been a good student.

My brother was the opposite, and as much as my dad harped on me to keep up with my studies, he was much more lenient with Eli. I wondered what would happen if Eli didn't end up getting the football scholarship Dad was banking on. Would he start pressuring him the same way he did me, or would he just let it slide?

And then I felt guilty. It wasn't Eli's fault that our dad was all over him to do well in sports. He was probably under just as much pressure as I was, just not for the same thing. Maybe even more so, since he was still living at home.

It was just that, for once, I wanted to my dad to look at me with the same pride he looked at my brother.

I removed my shoes and put them next to the door. Vi, waited with a smile that made her look like an older version of Amanda.

"I'm not so sure..." I hesitated. "But don't hold it against me if I can't eat anymore, okay?"

"No worries at all. I already put some aside for you to take home," she said, her eyes twinkling.

"Aww, you're the best, Vi." I gave her a quick hug before heading toward the dining room, with her following close behind.

"Hey, P!" Amanda called out from the table as soon as I stepped into the room.

"Hey, Mandi. Hey, everyone." I greeted the rest of the group. Her dad, aunt, and uncle were all gathered around the table, which was covered in coffee cups, plates, and an assortment of pies and cookies. An open laptop sat in front of Amanda's aunt Rita, and I could hear Justin's voice coming from the speakers.

"Hey, Peyton," Justin said, his face appearing on the screen.

"Oh, hey Justin. Are you doing a virtual Thanksgiving?" I asked, walking around to stand behind his parents so I was in view of the screen. His laugh made me giggle.

But it wasn't just Justin on the screen. Dane, Lucas, and Beau were there too, all looking right at me. The sight of Beau caught me off guard, and I was pretty sure I blushed.

"Oh, hey," I stammered.

"Happy Turkey Day!" Lucas said, raising a sandwich in a mock toast. "It's not really the same here." He gestured to the table in front of him, which was piled with food and beers, but not the traditional turkey dinner they were used to.