Dinner ended up being a great mistake for Atticus, and there was only one person to blame—Caldor.
His single question had shifted the entire family's attention to Atticus's academy life. Anastasia had persisted in asking him to share everything about his time there, and Atticus ended up being the one talking throughout dinner.
The rest of the family laughed and chimed in with questions, much to his chagrin. Every chance he got, Atticus threw a dirty glare at Caldor, which made the boy gulp. If there was one thing about Atticus, it was that he was vengeful.
Atticus eventually had to tell them about Zoey, though he made sure to keep his rejection a secret.
Even he had his limits on embarrassment. He could already imagine their reactions—Anastasia and Zelda trying to comfort him, Ethan and Avalon telling him to man up, and Magnus probably just staring in silence.
