Watching my cousin (sister...sort of) with my ex boyfriend giggling at the dinner table, holding hands underneath it whilst simultaneously playing footsie (I would know, considering Sara thought my foot was Jared's for a solid ten seconds before I asked her what the hell she was doing) was undeniably a form of torture that no human should ever be subjected to, and yet, there I was, taking it like a convict in the prison for scorned ex lovers.

I had expected there to be more guests present at dinner considering the multitude of cars parked outside when I had arrived, but I brushed it off as I grew distracted with dinner.

My phone beeped and chirped away on the table, though I kept it overturned because I always thought it rude to be on your phone at the dinner table.

"Dad, what have you been doing to keep busy?"

"Oh, you know me. I've been mentoring some boys in the basketball program at your school, actually. Only those who've shown real and true progress, though."

"That sounds amazing for you dad, and perfect for you. I didn't tell anyone I'm your daughter at the gym, by the way. I didn't want anyone treating me differently."

His eyebrows raised in confusion but Kara cut in before it could get awkward, because knowing my father, he would've most likely taken offense to the fact that I didn't scream it from every rooftop who my successful father was.

"So, Virginia, tell us more about this play that you're in."

That came from Kara, who had been completely stunned at the fact that I was pursuing a career in the performing arts. Well, she wasn't alone in that, actually.

Up until senior year, I had been painfully shy, never once sharing my love of music with anyone in my family, but it wasn't until Sara had dragged me along to karaoke that I finally let it all out and I hadn't looked back since. It had always been my dream, but I had never put that dream out there in the universe, scared that it would jinx me, but saying it aloud to my dad was the best choice I could've made.

He fully supported my decision to major in theater, so long as I double majored in something else down the line in case that fell through. I still had no idea what that second major would be, but I told dad finance just to make him happy.

"It's going well, practices are every day after classes. I auditioned for a side character but our director told me any part I wanted I could have. We were practicing today and I couldn't get my notes right for this one so I swapped parts with Hazel since she was nervous about the part, so I get a solo now."

"That's wonderful. We'll all have to buy tickets, you know your father will be in the front row," Kara beamed, reaching over and grabbing my father's hand. That was...weird... They didn't usually show any public displays of affection, considering their relationship was completely platonic, or so I thought. I didn't know if I could handle my dad being romantically involved with my aunt...okay that sounded gross, with his dead wife's sister...no, okay, that was even worse.

They weren't together, as far as I knew. I shook it off, as dad lobbied another question my way.

"And how was your first day on the job? You started yesterday, right?"

"Yes, I did. It was good, the manager, Maddie is great."

"That's it? You didn't...meet anyone else in particular?"

What the hell was my dad hinting at? He was leaned back in his wheelchair, hands steepled in front of him as if he were in deep contemplation. I looked around at the table towards everyone else and noticed that they all still had their attention glued to me.

"What do you mean by that? I mean, I met some of the players, and they were cool, well, except for this one guy, but-"

"Did you get to meet Eli Shepherd?"

Whoa, how did Sara know about this guy?

"How do you know about him? Do you follow college basketball or something?"

"Are you serious? Your dad won't shut up about him. He's all, 'I've never seen anyone with his talent since I was on the court seven years ago' and all that. He says the NBA are going to draft him when May comes around, since he wasn't nineteen yet this May to be drafted."

"Yes, there was a surprise that I was going to make in just a few minutes, but...have you two already met?"

Ah, so my dad wanted to know if I'd met the prodigal basketball superstar. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, I met him, and then he proceeded to insult me in the very same breath. Don't get your hopes up about that one dad, he seems like a pretty boy dud to me."

My dad and Kara exchanged a worried and tense smile, eyes darting back towards the kitchen which had double swinging doors as the only barrier.

"Ooh, you think he's pretty," Sara goaded and I let my mouth run before my filter stopped me, which happened more times than not.

"Oh, the guy's freaking gorgeous, but that doesn't help with his attitude problem," I blurted, noting that everyone in the dining room were inspecting me very, very closely, with something akin to fear on their features. Well, everyone except Sara, who looked as if she were about to explode with laughter at the slightest provocation.

"What?!"

"Virginia, I was going to wait a few minutes until we got dinner out here, but there was someone that I wanted you to meet if you hadn't already. Eli?"

Mo-ther-fu-cker. No. Nopity nope nope nope NOPE.

I needed to hide. Did I duck under the table? Curl up behind my dinner napkin?

I darted my gaze around in a panic, searching faces for a clue that this was all just a cruel joke, but all too soon that familiar Greek God of a basketball player walked right through those flimsy swinging doors that led from the kitchen to the dining room with a megawatt smirk on his ridiculously handsome and tanned features and I knew I was toast. Burnt toast. Fucking crispy.

Legs crossed as he leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his abundantly muscular chest and hair artfully swept across his head half pushed up, it was strategically messy and went perfectly with his post-workout clothing, consisting of those sweatpants (who made those legal, again?!) and a tight fitting shirt that showed off every dip and swell of those deftly curated muscles by the months and years of dedication and hard work in the gym.

"I didn't realize I'd made such a lasting impression on you, Virginia."

He was laughing at me. He thought this shit was funny.

"Yeah, well, when you insult someone and basically call them a wannabe groupie-"

"I never said groupie," He quickly butted in, shooting his eyes towards my father nervously who was keenly interested in our exchange with a sly smirk on his own face.

"Okay, then. 'Ball Chaser' was it? Neat little way of saying it so you can play all innocent around my dad."

It was like a tennis match of verbal assault, back and forth we volleyed our words at each other, while the onlookers swiveled their heads coinciding with whoever was speaking.

"Yeah, the dad you lied about having," he countered and I stiffened in my seat.

"It wasn't like that," I argued, but my father had decided he'd finally had enough of this banter.

"Alright, that's enough of that. Virginia has already explained why she didn't mention that I was her father at the gym, and I respect her decision. Eli, why don't you sit down and we can discuss your future in the program over dinner."

I rolled my eyes but my lungs kicked in my chest as I realized that the only open seat was directly beside mine, to my right. Sara and Jared were placed directly across from me, where my dad and Kara were both seated at the separate ends of the table.

Cheeks aflame underneath my caramel skin which held the dusty pink secret of my embarrassment, (and excitement) at being sat directly beside Eli after only having just met him, and them immediately inserting my foot into my mouth where he was concerned, he took his spot beside me and I stiffened immediately.

I had never been so close to him, and his towering frame was intimidating to say the least, but it was his heavenly cologne that had me almost swooning where I sat and fanning myself with my dinner napkin that I had been so keen to hide behind only moments earlier.

This was going to be a dinner party disaster from Hell, and my ex boyfriend was seated directly across me to witness it all. Lucky me.