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Post by Cara Ferrera on Mar 26, 2009 2:00:02 GMT -5
"Why did you ask her to stay?" Cara asked, now abandoning all pretenses of doing the dishes and let magic do them all.
"Roland, I'm not trying to push. I just know that you didn't want her here... so why didn't you jump at the chance when she wanted to go home?"
All the signs seemed to point to something bigger between Roland and his partner. "And the look she gave you when you were talking to Blake... I know you keep denying it, but something's there. Why are you trying so hard to ignore it?"
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 26, 2009 2:12:36 GMT -5
Roland's jaw hardened. "I asked her to stay because I didn't want to have to explain to you why I let her leave," he said flatly.
But that wasn't enough for her and she kept going. And it would have been a whole lot easier to argue with her about this if that kiss in the study wasn't still so fresh on his mind. How could he deny that there was something there after that kiss? But he still believed it was one-sided. Riley didn't want him.
"You're not *trying* to push, you *are* pushing," he said in a sour tone. "Why, Mum? Why are you so intent on seeing me involved with someone? I told you I didn't want to get married."
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Post by Cara Ferrera on Mar 26, 2009 2:18:42 GMT -5
"I'm not telling you to put a ring on the girl's finger," Cara defended, and her own anger sparked. She was dealing with too much tonight, and Roland's irritation over this was just one more thing to set her off.
"Fine," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Then I will make your night easier on you, and I'll go ask her to please go home."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 26, 2009 2:23:46 GMT -5
"No, don't do that," Roland said quickly.
It was irrational, and he had no explanation for it, but he'd worked so hard to get her to stay that he didn't want her to leave now.
He sighed heavily. "Look... we're actually getting along OK for now... I don't want to ruin that. When we're not fighting, it's kind of nice. I might even say we were friends. But please stop trying to read more into it."
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Post by Cara Ferrera on Mar 26, 2009 2:28:33 GMT -5
"You just told me you've been fighting practically all night!" Cara countered. "And she doesn't look at all happy with you right now, does she?"
Her eldest, for as smart as he was, was such a bloody idiot. Could he not see how Riley reacted to him, or, more telling, how he reacted to her? "How am I supposed to not read into it?" She asked. "Everyone in this house is reading into it except for you. Roland... I get that for whatever reason, you are against being in a relationship. But if I stop trying to push you, can you at least consider the possibility?"
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 26, 2009 2:39:58 GMT -5
Roland couldn't meet her eyes. Yes, he was feeling something for Riley, and it was getting nearly impossible to deny. But what he was missing was the way Riley reacted to him. He thought she didn't like him.
"Everyone?" he repeated. Was he that bloody transparent? He needed to get a grip. She didn't want him, and he... well, he couldn't say the same. But he didn't want a relationship; that hadn't changed.
"What do you want me to say, Mum? That I like her? Fine. I like her, OK? But it so happens she can barely stand me. And I'm done talking about this with you."
With that, he walked out of the kitchen and back to the dining room table.
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Post by Cara Ferrera on Mar 26, 2009 2:44:20 GMT -5
Cara let out an angry sigh. She knew she pushed too much sometimes, and maybe she pushed in the wrong places. She should be pushing Cyrus to marry Lina.
In the back of her mind, she actually felt very sorry for Lina, but her own stubborn pride would never let her admit it.
It was another moment before she returned to the table, still angry, but feigning a smile for everyone. "There's always more food if anyone is still hungry," she said.
So Roland liked her. So what? Cara already knew that much. She knew her family well. What she didn't know was why Roland wasn't doing anything about it. Her eyes hovered over the two, but she held her tongue.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 26, 2009 11:59:09 GMT -5
Roland was still irritated as he sat back down next to Riley. He was angry that he'd been forced to admit to his mother that he liked Riley. But again, he used that "safe" word. Liked. And yet, even he knew that the word was woefully inadequate to describe what he was feeling. Still, he hid behind the word, not yet ready to admit to more than that.
He turned to look at her, and realized that she was once again angry with him. Obviously she was angry about what he'd said to Blake. But couldn't she see that Blake was an arse and that he had said what he did as an attempt to put an end to the discussion? He certainly hadn't meant anything against her.
"Riley, we need to talk," he whispered. "As soon as we get out of here. I didn't mean it the way it sounded."
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Post by Riley Neves on Mar 26, 2009 14:03:16 GMT -5
"Roland, it's fine," Riley whispered in return. Her voice was soft and she there was a resigned look on her face. She and Roland were just always going to fight or be angry. She couldn't put the energy into it anymore or she'd drive herself insane.
He looked angry still, too, so she sighed. "I'm sorry," she said, hoping that being the one to apologize might make him a little less on edge. She knew how he hated to say it.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 26, 2009 14:42:17 GMT -5
His brow furrowed in momentary confusion. Why on earth was she apologizing? She hadn't done anything. Then he realized... she had picked up on his annoyance and thought she was the cause of it. Which was silly. But it was pretty typical of their relationship.
"Don't apologize," he whispered. "I'm not mad at you."
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Post by Riley Neves on Mar 26, 2009 15:00:28 GMT -5
Riley just looked at him, a similar confusion in her eyes. She just didn't get it. What was going on?
But she nodded. He said he wanted to talk to her later, and she would find out then. It obviously meant he didn't want to talk about it now. Besides, with the look of things, the celebration was almost over, anyway.
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Post by James Montgomery on Mar 26, 2009 15:12:29 GMT -5
James cleared his throat when silence seemed to fall. It was one of those times where it just felt like the right time to leave.
"Well, Lillian, I think it's time we really head home this time," he said, taking his wife's hand and nodding to his two children. "Thank you for dinner, and it was wonderful seeing you all again."
He stood up. "I'll get our coats." He said this to give the three of them time to say goodbye. He felt a little bad that Cara and Lillian didn't get to talk much tonight, but it had been an interesting dinner, to say the least.
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Post by Riley Neves on Mar 26, 2009 15:23:39 GMT -5
Riley glanced up, getting that same feeling that she should probably excuse herself and go home, but she came with Roland, so she was going to wait for his cue to leave.
Realizing the Montgomerys were on their way, she turned to Geoffrey and pushed her seat back a little to stand to hug him goodbye.
"I'll stop by tomorrow, okay?" She said quietly, immensley thankful that he had been here through dinner.
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Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Mar 26, 2009 15:35:31 GMT -5
Geoffrey gave her a smile. "You'd better," he said. "I always make too much coffee in the mornings, you can help me drink it."
He hugged her back warmly, then shot a glance at his cousin. As expected, he was watching them avidly. It seemed obvious to Geoffrey that Roland had it pretty bad for Riley, and he just hoped he stopped fighting it soon. He was going to give Riley whiplash if he kept jerking her around the way he was.
He pulled away from Riley and moved over to hug his aunt. "Bye, Aunt Cara," he said. "Thanks so much for having us. Dinner was great... and dessert was even better."
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Post by Cara Ferrera on Mar 26, 2009 16:32:12 GMT -5
Cara pulled Geoffrey into her arms. "Thank you," she told her nephew. "I'm glad you could make it." She kissed his cheek in a motherly way, and then moved to her sister.
"I'm sorry tonight was... well, I'm sorry we didn't get to catch up much, Lils," She said quietly to Lillian. "We'll have to get together for lunch or something one day. I miss you."
She hugged James, and then finally Christine. "You are growing up into such a beautiful young lady, Christine," she told her, smiling. "We're glad you came."
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Post by Blake Malfoy on Mar 26, 2009 20:53:41 GMT -5
Blake took this opportunity to stand up as well. "We really should be going, too," he said. "Our return portkey was set for 8:30, so we really can't linger."
He held out his hand for Emelia. "Come, darling, won't you say good bye to your brothers? Such a pity you didn't get more time to talk to each other."
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Post by Cyrus Ferrera on Mar 27, 2009 11:16:34 GMT -5
Cyrus was unusually quiet during dinner. It wasn't that he was quiet due to eating, it was just he was thinking a lot of what should be going on. He knew he should have already asked Lina to marry him. It was a huge mistake that he didn't ask her before when he first thought about it. The only thing he wanted was to do it right. Have his parents be proud of him for doing it, but it didn't look like his mother was going to.
He had already proposed one time, but Lina denied him. Cyrus knew he should do it right. He couldn't imagine Lina not in his life. Of dinner, he watched Lina and Roland. He wished that she would lean over and whisper to him.
Once dessert came around, his aunt Emelia and uncle Blake showed up. When was the last time he saw them? Cyrus didn't remember, but he listened to the exchanges between his uncles and father, then looked to Lina. Even Cyrus didn't like his Uncle Blake. He looked from his mother back to Lina. Cyrus wasn't sure what he should do. The eariler argument entered his mind. What was he supposed to do? What if Lina just said no the next time he finally asked?
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Post by Emelia Malfoy on Mar 27, 2009 13:38:07 GMT -5
Emelia stood from her chair, her small piece of pie only half eaten.
"Yes, it's a shame," she said, but what could be done about it? Timing was timing.
She went to Mathieu first, smiling shyly and hugging him. "Thank you for having us. I've missed you all."
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Post by Mathieu Ferrera on Mar 28, 2009 11:34:04 GMT -5
Mathieu hugged her back, clinging to her an extra moment. "I've missed you too, Em. Please... let's not lose touch again. I never should have let it happen, but I don't want it to happen again. You're my baby sister and I love you."
He kissed her on the cheek before pulling away. "I'm going to write to you, and I really want you to write back this time, OK? Please promise me you will."
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Post by Emelia Malfoy on Mar 28, 2009 11:43:17 GMT -5
Emelia swallowed, her smile fading and it took everything she had not to look at Blake for an answer. There was a reason she lost touch with her brothers. They let it happen... they wanted nothing to do with her after she married Blake, and when they did write, she and Blake both knew they didn't really care to hear back. They were just being polite.
But she nodded all the same. "If you really want me to, I will."
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