Our Dirty Little Secret

Big Announcements

River’s Pov

It’s been two weeks since the dinner and two more weeks left before we move.

The whistle blows, sharp enough to snap everyone into place. We line up for drills, the sun sitting heavy on the back of my neck. Sweat already clings to my shirt, even though we’ve barely started.

“Stone, get your head in the game,” coach yells.

I blink, forcing my eyes forward, but my mind isn’t on routes or yard lines. It’s on Mom and Adam.

“Focus!” Coach shouts, and I flinch, catching myself before I drift again.

After practice, I don’t follow my teammates to cool off. Instead, I go home. As I step in, I find Mom giggling in the living room.

“Are you sure?” she asks into the phone.

I can’t hear what the other line is saying, just the muffled rhythm of voices through the speaker. But Mom’s expression tells me enough.

I drop my bag by the couch, folding my arms. “You look happy,” I say. “What’s going on?”

Mom hesitates, biting her lip. She glances at the phone, then back at me. “It’s Adam.”

Adam. That’s all I need to hear.

“Problem?” I ask.

“No… no.”

I raise my brows. “Then what is it?”

“He asked if we could come over.”

There it is again. Dinner.

“Tonight?” I ask, trying not to raise my voice.

“Yes.”

My jaw tightens. “You’ve already agreed.”

“No.”

“I thought we have two more weeks before we move.”

“We do. It’s just dinner.”

“We’ve already had dinner.”

“This time his daughter will be there.”

Daughter. Kenzie.

I stare at her. “And she’s okay with it?” I ask.

“Well, not exactly,” Mom says, “but she’s trying.”

“I wanna skip dinner.”

“You’re coming with,” her expression hardens.

“Mom… look, I’m happy for you,” I say, running my hands over my face, “the first dinner was awkward as hell.”

“It wasn’t,” she defends.

“It was,” I say. “His daughter refused to be part of it, and frankly speaking, I don’t blame her.”

Mom goes quiet. “She didn’t refuse,” she says carefully. “She just needed time to process it.”

I scoff. “Time?”

“Mom, this arrangement is awkward for me too.”

“I get that—”

“You don’t.”

“River.”

“Mom, I’m happy for you,” I say honestly, “but it’s too soon.”

She tries to say something, but I cut her off immediately. “For me, Kenzie—even, not you, not Adam.”

Mom exhales slowly. “I know this isn’t easy.”

“No, listen,” I snap. “You keep saying it’ll be fine like that magically fixes it. It doesn’t. You’re dragging us into this and expecting everyone to just… adjust.”

“I am not dragging you,” she says, voice rising. “I am asking you to be part of my life.”

“Funny. Feels more like you already decided.”

“River, I know how you feel,” she says calmly.

“You’re not getting it.”

“No,” she snaps back. “You think Adam and I don’t feel awkward? You think it was easy for us to hide?”

I stare at her, words cut in my throat.

“Please come for dinner,” she says quietly.

I don’t answer.

“River.”

“I heard you,” I mutter, already turning away.

She doesn’t stop me as I head down the hall. I shut my bedroom door harder than I need to and drop onto the bed.

Dinner again. I wonder what drama awaits me.

I scrub a hand over my face and sit up, dragging myself off the bed. By the time Mom knocks on my door, I’m changed and ready, even if every part of me resents it.

“We’re leaving in five,” she says.

“Yeah,” I reply.

The drive is quiet. No music. No small talk. Just the hum of the road and the ticking of the blinker every time she changes lanes. Adam’s house comes into view too quickly, the lights on inside like we’re expected.

Mom parks and exhales. “You don’t have to say much,” she says. “Just… be respectful.”

I don’t respond. I open the door and step out.

Inside, Adam greets us with a smile that feels a little too practiced. “Hey, River.”

I nod once. “Hey.”

Then I see her.

Kenzie stands near the kitchen doorway, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the floor like she’d rather be anywhere else. She looks up when she hears my name, and for a split second, our eyes meet.

No smile. No greeting.

Just the same awkward distance that’s been there since the beginning.

Adam clears his throat. “Kenzie, this is Anna and her son, River.” He points at me, then Mom.

“Hi,” she says, flat.

“Hi.”

Mom steps in behind me, hand brushing my arm like a reminder. We’re here. We’re doing this.

I swallow and follow them toward the table, already counting the minutes until it’s over.

And somehow, that feels worse than not coming at all.

I take a seat beside Kenzie while Mom and Adam sit opposite from us. Dinner feels normal. Adam and Mom, as usual, are lost in fairy-tale land.

I stare at my food, my eyes drifting to Kenzie every now and then. She has this look on her face that I can’t quite place.

“Should we tell them, or are you?” Mom suddenly says. “I don’t know how to tell them.”

Adam straightens his back and clears his throat. “Princess… River… um… we…”

“WE ARE GETTING MARRIED,” Mom shouts, finishing his sentence.

“WHAT,” Kenzie and I yell in sync.

“Married? Dad,” Kenzie glares at Adam. He goes silent.

“It happened so soon,” Mom chimes.

“You think,” I say, loud enough for Kenzie to hear.

“That’s what the dinner was for, wasn’t it?” Kenzie asks, still glaring at Adam.

He looks scared of his own daughter. Hilarious.

She looked like she was ready to blow. I don’t know when it happened, but I placed my hand on her thigh, squeezing it in a futile attempt to calm her down.

“Does my opinion even matter?” she asks, her voice calmer.

“It does, Princess.”

She didn’t waste another second with us—she bolted.

I didn’t say anything to Mom or Adam. I just watched them. They had no remorse; they felt valid.

I had it with them.

“Dinner was lovely. Thanks for having me,” I said, leaving, not giving them a chance to respond.