“Sure, if Emma is up for it.” I stuffed the mashed potatoes in my mouth. They were so smooth and creamy. I couldn’t stop eating. Looking at Emma, she couldn’t stop eating them either.

“Yeah. I’m up for a movie. I haven’t seen one in a long time,” Emma said.

“Great. I’ll come pick you guys up before lunch,” Lexy smiled.

Elijah

After having one of the best turkey dinners I’d had in a long time, we all helped clear the table while Emma and Alex did the dishes.

Standing next to Alex while she rinsed the dish that Emma just soaped, I spoke to her. “Alex, you missed a spot,” I joked, pointing to the dish in her hand.

“Thanks,” she replied in monotone.

Alex wasn’t making eye contact with me and that made me feel like shit. Even when I tried to have a conversation with her, she was very short and to the point. She purposely avoided me. Yeah, that hurt. And worse, I think I screwed up our friendship. I thought she accepted my apology in the bathroom, but maybe she said it just to get me off her back. I had to fix this, but how?

Just as I came out of the kitchen, Seth dragged me to the hall and whispered bleakly, “You kissed her didn’t you?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Elijah, I can read you like a book. We are like brothers. Don’t give me that shit,” he huffed. “I can tell.”

“How can you tell?”

“You’re desperately trying to get her attention and she’s desperately trying not to look at you. There’s something going on between you two.”

I shut my eyes, and then opened them slowly. “Look. It happened once. It won’t happen again.”

Seth’s eyes grew wide and he backed me against the wall in anger. I didn’t want to hurt him and I didn’t want to bring any attention to us so I did nothing. “You’re not supposed to touch her,” he growled through his teeth. His words were so soft, not wanting others to hear. “You know our code. What the hell were you thinking? Whatever is going on, stop it. She’s not the kind of girl you have a one-night stand with. She deserves better than that. Jesus, Elijah. Jimmy is coming down for our graduation. Don’t mess with the little family we’ve got here, okay? I don’t mean to tell you what to do. From what I can see, she’s into you. You know how I know? She’s trying so hard to ignore you. You’re almost invisible to her right now. Whatever you did, you hurt her. If you really like her then make it work, but knowing your track record….” He paused. “Look, just do the right thing.”

“Hey, you two making out back there?” Dean chuckled, peering in from the living room. “Hurry up, I’ve set up the table. It’s poker time.”

“Yeah, we are. Jealous much?” Seth headed toward him.

As I followed behind, I took a peek into the kitchen. Alex was smiling and laughing at whatever they were talking about. When she caught me watching, she became a different person. The smile vanished and so did her laughter. Had I hurt her that much?

We sat around the coffee table. I didn’t know Alex and Emma could play, but then again, I’d never asked. I was sort of surprised. Alex didn’t seem like the type that would know the game, but she did say she was close to her father. Perhaps they played together.

“What’s the bet?” Dean asked.

“How about the winner can request one thing from anyone at the table.” Lexy looked at each of us for confirmation.

“Deal,” we all said in accord. Simple enough.

Dean exchanged chips for cash and dealt the cards while explaining how much the color chips represented. “The red is worth fifty cents. The blue is worth a buck. The green is worth five bucks.”

Everyone nodded.

“Seth, it’s your bet,” Dean directed.

Seth tossed in the red chip and everyone took turns looking at their cards. After a few rounds, everyone folded except for Seth and me. I knew Seth was bluffing. Even with that poker face, I could see right through him because he wasn’t making eye contact with me. I never told him I knew his tell. This was my secret. Sure enough, I called his bluff and I won that hand.

It had been a couple of hours. Everyone was out of the game except for Alex and me. She continued to make minimal eye contact with me. When she did, it was very quick, as if looking at me burned her eyes. I had to make her smile again.

I didn’t know if Alex was getting tired or if she didn’t want to be in the game with me anymore, but she shoved all her chips in the center. “I’m all in,” she said.

I gave in. “I’m all in, too.”

Everyone else gathered around us again, waiting…anticipating. Seth tried to see my cards, but I wouldn’t let him. Alex looked shocked and worried. Wringing a strand of hair in her finger reminded me of the first day I met her. “Show me what you’ve got,” I said.

Alex placed her cards down and bit her bottom lip. “Three tens.”

Those were pretty good cards, but mine were better. I had a full house. Looking at my cards again, I waited to give them a good show. “I was bluffing. You won,” I said quickly and shoved my cards with the other used ones.

“I won?” Alex beamed a real genuine smile. That made me smile big time and my heart felt warm seeing her happy. Everyone congratulated her and Dean gave her the wad of cash.

“Thanks,” she cooed, but sheepishly accepted it. I knew she felt bad for taking our money. She had a good heart. “Dinner’s on me next week. I’ll make my famous spaghetti.”