I enter the kitchen, where my aunts and Archer are helping my Mom finish up the food for our early dinner. After a week of keeping Levi and Jack from killing each other, Thanksgiving is finally here. My dad and Uncle Tommy are outside grilling. And the last I saw of Dani, she was at the piano.

Aunt Pey and Aunt Sadie's daughter, Sienna, is sticking boogers on every available surface of our house.

And Levi and Jack are most likely planning ways to assassinate one another. They haven't talked to or even acknowledged each other since the campfire the other night, and I can't tell if that's a good or a bad thing.

Aunt Violet slides up beside me as I get out the plates and forks. "Scar, listen to me," she says. "That Jack boy has grown quite a bit since I last saw him. He's quite a man, if I've ever seen one."

"Violet," Aunt Pey cuts in, "I estimated at least another five years before you entered your cougar stage. I didn't expect you to be drooling over college boys so soon."

Aunt Violet draws back from me, staring down her friend. She raises her voice from a whisper. "I am not a cougar. I was just pointing out the obvious. And for your information, Tommy and I maintain a very vigorous sex li—"

"Vi," Mom says, "two of my children are present. Matter of fact, I'm present. Don't make me vomit all over the turkey."

Aunt Violet ignores her and turns back to me. "Whatever. What's stopping you from climbing that boy like a squirrel on a tree? I know there are some valuable nuts to be found."

I laugh despite trying to keep a straight face. My eyes stray to Archer across the kitchen and Aunt Violet's face lights up. "Oh, I see," she whispers. "The forbidden fruit. Brother's best friend. Your love life is so exciting."

It's weird that everyone has figured this out except Archer. I shush her desperately, looking toward Archer to make sure he didn't hear anything. Aunt Violet catches my drift and presses her finger to her lips secretively, then goes to bring the mashed potatoes to the table.

I'm about to leave the kitchen, to get far away from Archer, when Aunt Pey catches my arm and pulls me close to her. "If Vi is Team Jack, mark me down as Team Levi. He seems like a nice boy. And he's pretty handsome, don't you agree?"

I'm about to protest, but we hear a voice calling for her from the living room, right on cue. Aunt Pey gives me a smile, then goes to join her wife watching football. Archer follows after her, snacking on a few chips and none the wiser.

I stand in the kitchen for a few more seconds, wondering how much longer I can keep up this act in front of my family before Archer figures it out. Judging from the number of comments I've received from others, I'm not exactly making it difficult to see what's really going on.

I go into the pantry to get some napkins and clear my mind away from my mom, who's standing in front of the sink right now.

I hear my Dad enter the kitchen. I'm guessing he's coming behind my mom and wrapping his arms around her waist, like I've seen him do a million times. "Almost done?" He asks. "I've got my meat ready for you."

There's a sound of my mom gasping and smacking him away. "You pervert. Get out of my kitchen," she says, laughing and swatting him with what sounds like a kitchen towel.

"What?" He asks woundedly. "I was talking about the ribs I finished grilling for dinner. Baby, it's Thanksgiving. Get your head out of the gutter."

My mom laughs, then I hear them kiss. More than kiss. Tongues, a scandalized laugh, a quiet moan. It's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard in my life.

Now I might throw up all over the turkey.

I burst out of the pantry, startling them. They pull apart, embarrassed by the fact that I just heard all of that. I just grimace and feel my whole body shudder violently before I leave them alone in the kitchen.

Mom rushes out after me, holding a giant stack of plates and silverware. She hands them to me, telling me to set up the table, before going back inside the kitchen. I focus on the task she has given me, trying my best to ignore the possibilities of what Mom and Dad could possibly be doing alone in there.

The stack is heavy, so I walk as fast as I can toward the dining room table before I drop it. I'm a few feet from the table, and I'm starting to worry that my arms will give out before I make it there, when an arm slides next to mine. Jack takes the weight of the stack into his one arm just before my arms turn to jelly.

"Need some help?" He asks, smiling. I let him take the pile from my hands. His face hovers above mine, and he looks around to make sure no one else is in the formal dining room with us. I realize that this is the first moment we've had alone since the moment in the kitchen the day Jack got here.

I shake my head. "No," I lie, moving my face closer to his. After staying away from each other for a whole week, getting caught seems to be a small price to pay for one kiss.

Jack moves his free hand to cup my cheek, guiding my face up toward his. I have to stand on my tip-toes to lean over the stack and reach his lips with mine. He kisses me for a few seconds.

"You look beautiful," he says, looking down at the sundress I'm wearing. I give him a small spin.

"So handsome," I say, playing with the collar of his forest green polo. "It brings out the green in your eyes. I think it's my favorite shirt of yours."

"Then I guess I should wear it more often."

"Maybe," I say. "But on second thought, I like it even more when you're not wearing any shirt at all."

"In that case, do you think anyone would mind if I show up shirtless to dinner?" He asks.

"Nope. I say you go for it."

Jack laughs and brushes his hand over my shoulder to untwist my strap. "Maybe next time."

It's funny—joking about Jack showing up shirtless to dinner for me when we can't even kiss in front of them. Humor is one of the only things that can make the truth of our situation feel less weighty.

"Help me set the table?" I ask, wanting as much time alone with him as possible.

Jack laughs, sliding his hand to drag his thumb over a freckle on my cheek. "I thought you said you didn't need my help."

"Fine, I guess I don't." I start to take the stack of plates from him, but he smoothly moves it out of my reach.

"I'm kidding," he says, amused by the rise he got out of me. He leans down and kisses me on the temple. "I'll do the plates, you do the silver—"

"Archer! Jack!" I hear my dad's voice boom from the other room. "Help Tom and I move the outdoor furniture out of the way for football later."

Jack takes a deep breath and sets the pile down. I frown, but nod my head in the direction of the back door. "It's fine. I think I can handle a few plates and forks on my own," I say. "Besides, if you don't go, Archer will come to nag you even more."

Instead of replying, Jack takes my hand and presses a kiss to my knuckles. "Don't break anything."

"I'll try my best." Then he leaves to go help my dad. I sigh and start setting out the plates.

Behind me, I hear footsteps enter in behind me. I smile to myself. "I already told you, if you don't go to help, Archer will just come looking for y—"

"Something tells me Archer isn't looking for me," Levi says. I whip around, slightly startled.

"Oh, hey," I say, turning back around to continue my task.

"Do you think I should be offended that your dad didn't ask me to help move the furniture?" He asks, sidling up beside me. "I didn't think I looked that weak."

"Don't take it too personally. He didn't ask Kato to help either."

Without me asking, Levi takes the silverware and begins to help me set the table. "So I'm grouped in with the sixteen-year-old whose right arm is about six times the size of his left? That's a real ego boost."

I think for a second then laugh at what he's implying. "Kato plays tennis. That's why his right arm is bigger. Not because he does . . . that other thing."

Levi walks around the table, placing the forks at every place setting. "You mean that thing that every teenage boy in existence is known to do? Whatever you say, Crimson," he says.

"Well if you want to get invited to move furniture with my dad next time, you should start with not calling me 'Crimson' around him," I say, smiling. "He makes a face every time you do, if you haven't noticed."

"Damn." Levi shakes his head. "So how long do I have until he takes me out back and executes me for insulting his daughter?"

"My dad wouldn't execute you," I say. "Forget what he said when you got here about bullets and stuff. My dad doesn't like using guns."

"Thank god."

"If he ever did decide to kill you, I bet that he'd do it with his bare hands, if I'm being honest." I says. I've never seen him actually hurt someone, but my brother had to have gotten his fighting tendencies from someone.

"Thank you. I feel so comforted knowing that I'll die an excruciatingly violent death by his hands," Levi says, pulling out a chair and sitting down. I feel his eyes on me as I keep walking around the table.

I finish placing the plates and start with the knives. "You want to know how to get on my dad's good side?"

"Since it sounds like my life kind of depends on it, yes."

I shrug. "It's simple: just act like him."

I see Levi raise an eyebrow, so I elaborate, "Just do things that you see him doing, and he'll notice and start to like you. My dad likes himself."

"So . . . talk about street racing?"

"Yep."

"Wash the dishes?"

I nod my head.

"Make out with your mom?"

"Ye—No!" I almost drop the knives in my hand. Levi starts to laugh. "You have a death wish," I whisper, holding back my own laugh. "You're lucky he wasn't around to hear you say that."

"What? You need to be more specific with your directions. It is a thing that your dad does quite often," Levi says innocently.

I set down the last knife. "Yeah, trust me, I know. It's disgusting and endearing at the same time."

Levi gets back up and starts placing the napkins. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, grossness aside, I've always thought it was cute. How much my parents love each other even after over twenty years of marriage and three kids," I explain.

"Your parents are pretty great. In all aspects."

"Definitely," I agree. "Growing up with parents like them really complicates my love life, though."

"How?"

I watch as Levi places the last napkin. "Because my standards are impossibly high. I don't think I'd ever be able to settle for anything less than the kind of love that my parents have."

I raise my gaze and catch Levi looking right at me. The corner of his mouth tilts up. "Who says that you ever have to?" He asks.

We stand in silence for a few seconds as I process everything I just told him and his reaction. His question doesn't really beg an answer, so I flash a quick smile and turn to leave the formal dining room. The table has been set.

I follow the sounds of music to the formal living room, where Dani has started playing the piano with Kato and Sienna. But it doesn't sound good at all, and from what I can tell, Dani's the one messing up, pressing keys at the wrong tempo. I watch her give up and just start banging the keys wildly. Sienna is laughing beside her, clapping her hands to the terrible sounds.

"Dani, what happened to that progress you were making with Levi?" I ask, leaning against the piano. Dani just shrugs and takes her hands off the keys. Sienna starts banging on the keys, mimicking Dani.

I give her a long look, but my mind keeps straying back to my conversation with Levi. "Here," I say, picking up her glass of water sitting on the table nearby. Water fixes everything. "Drink. You're acting weird."

Dani takes the glass from me and obeys, taking large gulps one after another.

"Slow down," Kato says, "you're gonna drown yourself drinking that fast."

But Dani just keeps drinking, eventually finishing the entire glass. She gives me a slight smile. "What? I was just doing what you asked," she says slowly, as if she's tired. "Lighten up, guys, it's Thanksgiving."

"Just calm down a bit, okay?" I tell Dani, but she's not paying attention to me. She's asking Kato if he wants to play Chess with her. Sienna climbs off the bench and runs to the couch.

Leaving them alone, I go to watch football with everyone else until Mom calls for dinner half an hour later.

Dinner was ready when I left the kitchen, so I can't even imagine what she and my dad were doing in the meantime.

The cut on my leg still hurts even though it's been a few days since I fell, so I have to walk slowly. I limp over to my usual seat, the one between Dani and Archer, resisting any help offered from Levi and Jack.

I sit down, expecting Dani and Archer to sit next to me. But Dani sits across from me, staring off at something in the distance. And Archer sits next to Aunt Pey, badgering her about her professional sport connections.

That leaves two empty seats next to me. It doesn't take a genius to predict who takes those seats.

I look back over at Dani. "Hey," I say, snapping once in front of her. "You okay?"

Dani jolts out of her state and stares at me for a second. She blinks a few times. "Yeah, I'm fine," she says, dropping her gaze to her lap.

Aunt Sadie scolds Sienna, who's standing in her chair. "Sit down, young lady."

"You're a piece of shit," the four-year-old says back to her mom, but sits down anyway. Aunt Pey recoils, looking like she wants to say a few choice words of her own.

"Sienna, where did you learn to say that?" Aunt Pey gasps, standing up. Sienna laughs and points at Levi, who holds his hand up defensively. Jack laughs at his misfortune. Everyone can figure out who Levi said that phrase to.

Before the situation can escalate any further, my Dad comes inside and sits at the head of the table. "Just got off the phone with Gracie. She says Happy Thanksgiving to all of you," he says happily, oblivious everything. He takes Mom's hand. "Why don't we start by going around and sharing one thing we're all thankful for?"

Following suit, we all join hands. Levi smiles as he takes my hand in his. Jack rubs his thumb soothingly over the back of my other hand.

Dad begins by saying, "I'm thankful for my beautiful family. I love you all. Even you, Tom."

Aunt Violet cuts in, getting off track. "Twenty-six years later, and you're still hitting on my husband, Grayson."

"Twenty-six years later, and I'm still out of your league, Tom," Dad says.

"Twenty-six years later, and I'm still in love with you," Uncle Tommy says, kissing Aunt Violet on the cheek. "That's what I'm thankful for."

Aunt Sadie laugh. "Twenty-six years later and we're all still together. I'm thankful for that." She raises her glass of wine, and the six of them toast. It's weird to think about how they've been friends since they were my age.

Archer apparently had the same though. "It's insane how you all fell in love so young. I couldn't imagine falling in love at my age," he says. Then he looks at me, and I want him to end his speech there. "Scarlett, on the other hand . . . brought her great friend, Levi. I'm thankful that my poor little sister won't die alone."

Levi laughs and squeezes my hand gently. Jack clears his throat. Archer looks at him and grins. "And I'm thankful for my best friend. You're the brother I never had, and I hope that never changes."

Jack looks up at his best friend then at me. "I'm thankful for the home you guys have given me." He looks at my parents, and I feel his grip tighten in mine. "You guys made me into the person I am today. All of you."

"I love you, dude," Archer says. Jack says it back, and it isn't weird at all because Archer and Jack have probably said that to each other dozens of times before today. That's how close they are. My heart aches at that, at the strength of Jack's friendship with Archer. The friendship at stake here.

Levi sees the sad expression on my face and says, "I'm thankful for the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with you all. I've had an amazing week as a guest of the Maddox household."

Mom smiles warmly at him. "You're very welcome, Levi. Our doors are always open to you."

Archer chuckles. "I agree. You're a cool guy, Levi. Wouldn't mind having you as a brother-in-law."

"Archer," Dad says, "don't get ahead of yourself. They're just friends."

"Yeah, we're just friends," I insist, my voice hardening.

Archer scoffs, not letting up. "Not from what I've seen. Scarlett can say she and Levi are just friends, but I think we can all see past that. I mean, look at—"

Jack's hand tightens around mine, and I look over to see his jaw clenching and unclenching rhythmically. The fire is back in his eyes.

I push the subject off of me. "I'm thankful for the new friends I've made this year. Speaking of . . . how's Mya, Archer? Talk to her recently?" It's a low blow, but I need to get Archer to focus on something besides my love life. I need to turn everyone's attention somewhere else, or this may blow up very quickly.

Archer doesn't mind. He waves his hand in the air, brushing it off. "Yeah, Mya's great. We've got a good thing going on."

Mom puts down her wine glass. "You've never told us about a Mya before. What's this thing you have with her, Archer?" She asks in a voice that demands to be answered.

Archer groans, leaning his head back in his seat. "It's nothing, Mom. She's just a friend."

"That's not what she says," I say, taking a sip of water. There's a part of me that screams that this is wrong — airing out his dirty laundry like this. But that's exactly what Archer's been doing to me. This is what siblings do.

"Archer, explain," Dad demands, and Archer starts to get ticked off. He looks at me with an irritated look in his eyes, and I know I'm mirroring the same resentment toward him.

"You wanna know the story? Fine. I text her at night and she comes over. Then she's out of my place within the hour. I don't have an ounce of feelings for her, despite the story Scar must've conjured in her head," Archer says explosively. His hand is gripping a bread knife, and his grey eyes are narrowed on my parents. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"I'm thankful that I'm the favorite child," Dani says, resting her head on her fist.

"Archer, that's not how we raised you to treat women," Mom says, staring at her son. Her voice is eerily calm, nothing like Archer's angered tone. But there's no calming Archer when he's angry; he has to come down by himself.

Archer laughs mirthlessly. "As if Dad was such a saint before he met you. How many late-night friends did he have when he was my age?" he spits out, and I hold back a gasp. Mom's hazel eyes flash. Uncle Tommy looks guilty at the other side of the table, probably regretting telling those stories loud enough for me and Archer to overhear.

Dad's voice cuts across the table like a whip, deep and angry. "Archer, that's enough." He rarely uses that voice on us — not yelling, but holding the same powerful effect. The table falls quiet.

Their identical grey eyes meet from across the table, and the effect is like steel striking against itself. I shrink back in my seat. Archer stares back defiantly, but Dad's face reveals nothing but anger, demanding respect.

"Outside. Now," Dad demands, sliding his chair back and standing up. Archer remains seated, crossing his arms over his chest. Dad walk over to the archway leading out of the dining room, waiting for his son to follow his orders.

"Archer," he repeats in a deep voice that says he won't repeat himself again. Finally, Archer groans like a moody teenager and kicks his chair back, walking to the living room with my dad. Mom looks upset, and she follows behind them. When we hear the front door close, everyone left at the table lets out a collective breath.

Somehow, by trying to deflect the conversation off me, I ruined Thanksgiving dinner and upset my mom. I am just on a roll today.

"So," Aunt Sadie says awkwardly, "I guess dinner is postponed for now." She turns to Levi. "Levi, why don't you tell us all a bit about yourself?"

Unable to just sit around and act like nothing just happened, I rip my hands from Levi's and Jack's and practically run upstairs, prepared to indulge myself in a nice, long scream into my pillow. Tears prick at my eyes.

I close my bedroom door behind me and sit on the edge of my bed, gripping my sheets so tightly that my knuckles turn white. I squint my eyes shut and let a few tears fall as I sit in the darkness.

Everything is falling apart.

The door opens slowly, and I look up to see Jack sliding into my room discreetly. I drop my head back in my hands.

"Scar, it's okay," he says, and the bed dips next to me. "Please don't cry."

Jack wraps his arm around me, and I rest my head on his chest, letting everything hit me at once. He kisses the side of my hair tenderly, and I wonder how the hell I could deserve him.

"I know how hard this all is, believe me," he says. "It kills me to have to pretend in front of everyone when all I want to do is be with you."

I shake my head. "I know. I feel terrible. I'm so sorry I'm putting this all on you," I say, holding back sobs. "You shouldn't have to do this for me."

Then I bury my face in his chest again, letting my tears wet his nice shirt. "It's worth it though," Jack says. "I'd go through this shit a million times over for you. Even for just a few moments like this, it's all worth it."

That makes me smile. And sniff. And cry a bit more. He holds me through it all, telling me how much he cares about me and what lengths he'd go to just to be with me.

It's with him that the world begins to clear up again. It feels like he picks up the broken pieces and gently slides them back in place as best as he can.

I kiss him, letting my sadness show through the way my lips brush his. We spend a while like that, not making out, but giving each other a series of soft, intimate kisses. With each kiss, my smile grows a bit more genuine.

We don't even hear the steps coming down the hallways. Or the doornob turn.

"Scar, Dad told me I had to apologize to you, so here—what the fuck."

Jack and I jump away from each other at the sound of Archer's voice and the door opening. Then the hallway lights are shining on our faces, and Archer is standing frozen in my doorway.

♔

voting

jack (and how do you feel about Levi? Are you neutral toward him? Like him? Hate him?)

levi (and how do you feel about Jack? Are you neutral toward him? Like him? Hate him?)

thought corner

1. Thoughts on Levi and Jack's behavior in this chapter?

2. Have your views of Jack or Levi changed in the past few chapters? How so?

3. How will Archer react in the coming chapters?