Credence

“Okay, okay,” I say, getting serious. “If you clean your plate first, I have breakfast duty for the rest of the week.”

She ponders it for a moment and then nods once. “Deal.”

I pick up my steak knife and fork, seeing we both have the same cut of meat and the same scoop of macaroni salad.

Her hands remain in her lap.

“Ready?” she asks.

“You don’t need utensils?”

She shakes her head, an unsettling smirk on her face. “Nope.”

Okayyy. You’re so doing these two shots.

“Go!” I yell.

I shovel in a mouthful and look over, seeing her take her plate and set it on the ground.

Huh?

I freeze, watching Danny and Johnny scarf up everything on her plate, one taking the steak and the other tearing off half as they both escape to a corner to savor their spoils.

What the fuck?

“That wasn’t the deal!” I blurt out, food nearly falling out of my mouth.

“You said I had to clean my plate.”

“You!” I reiterate. “YOU had to clean the plate!”

“Semantics.” She takes a swig of her beer, a look of self-satisfaction on her face.

“That was your dinner, honey,” Dad warns her.

She shrugs. “Saving calories for breakfast in the morning.” And then she looks at me. “Pancakes, please. With sausage and toast.”

She laughs, and I growl under my breath.

At least I can still do her two shots.

We sit and eat, Tiernan picking a sweet pickle out of the little bowl and biting into it.

“Snow’s coming soon,” Dad tells us, lifting his beer as he looks at Tiernan. “We’ll hit town a couple more times, maybe get you some low-key attire of your own that fits.”

“She can wear my shit.” I chew my food. “I got plenty.”

“She’s drowning in it.” And then he looks at her again. “We’ll find some jeans that fit that don’t cost three-hundred dollars.”

“Three. Hundred. Dollars.” I arch a brow at her. “What the hell possesses you?”

She scowls and opens her mouth to snap back at me but then she stops, pausing as she notices Kaleb putting a new plate in front of her and scraping off half his steak, already cut up into bite-sized chunks.

He doesn’t make eye contact and goes back to eating and drinking as if nothing happened.

“Uh…” She searches for her words. “Th—thank you.”

I roll my eyes and take a drink of my beer. I should’ve thought of that.