Right before going in, she had texted Finn to let him know.
“Turns out Avery broke up with that man she was dating, so the mood is even worse,” Linda whispered to her. “It’s just the five of us until Max gets here. Please stay a little. I know it’s unfair, and that your cousin can be difficult, but what is family for, Jane?”
Oh no.
She didn’t have time to reply because she was immediately jumped on by her aunt.
“Anne, sweetheart, I knew you’d make it.” Darian pressed her in a tight hug. The twin sisters weren’t identical, and they always laughingly emphasized that Linda was ten minutes older.
“I can’t stay,” Anne tried reminding her.
“Nonsense. What’s more important than being with your family on Thanksgiving? Avery will be so pleased.”
How willfully blind could they be, she thought, while trying to squeeze in an explanation about why she couldn’t stay.
“Anne! Now we have almost the whole family. Look at these two beaming.” Fernando showed up, all smiles, and gestured toward his wife and her twin sister.
Now Anne had four elders in their holiday attire smothering her at the front door. This was going great. “I can only stay for a few—”
“Come on in, dear. Avery’s already here,” Darian said, taking her by the hand.
She plastered a smile on. God, I’ll give you thanks if you kill me now. She hadn’t seen her cousin since before she and Finn had gotten together, and she certainly didn’t want to see her now. It was enough she’d have to see her on Sunday for lunch.
Her aunt drew her into the living room. “Avery, look who’s here.”
Through the dining room door, on the other end of the living room, Anne had a glimpse of the beautifully set table. Her aunt always loved things to be right and proper.
“Hey, Anne. Good to see you.” Avery smiled at her from her place on the couch. She was in a blue dress that flattered her hair and skin tone.
“Hey, Avery. How are you?”
“Could be better, thanks for asking.” Avery smoothed a hand over the skirt of her dress.
“I’m sorry to hear.”
“Not your fault.”
Anne could almost hear the this time that Avery didn’t say.
“So, you’re staying? I was told you were going to be at a friend’s.”
Oh God. The bile rose in her stomach. This was staring at the face of the secret and the lies that covered it up. “Um, yes, I’m not staying. I just stopped by.”
“How lucky for us.” That sounded more like the Avery she knew. “You probably heard that Noah and Jill are not coming. They blame it on me, but really, she was always looking for excuses to spend the holidays with her family.”
Anne just bit the inside of her lower lip and tried to seem sympathetic. She sat down on the armrest of another couch, dying inside, thinking about Finn. She didn’t want to do it here, but she had to. She withdrew her phone and typed a quick text to Finn. “Held hostage, trying to get out. If you get home before I do, wait at the back.”
She raised her gaze from the phone and found Avery eyeing her through narrowed eyes.
“You look different,” Avery said. From her mouth, it sounded like an accusation. She didn’t have to bother; Anne felt guilty as it was.
Her stomach dropped. She knew she looked different. She had noticed it, too. It was the effect of being with the man she loved.
“Your hair maybe?” Avery said, running a hand over her own luscious, cascading, brown-with-highlights hair.
Anne touched hers. “Nope.”
“Yeah, you’re always wearing it like that. Why don’t you do something about it?”