Avery ruffled Leah's hair with a mix of indulgence and comfort in his touch.
"Leah isn't overweight, and girls should have some curves like hers."
Ritchie echoed, "I'm not overweight either, and a guy's gotta have some meat on his bones."
Belinda chuckled, "Alright, no one's overweight here. A healthy appetite is a blessing. No need for diets."
Ritchie's shape could be partly attributed to Belinda's indulgence.
Lilith glanced at Avery, everyone said he treated Leah like a sister, but to her, they seemed more like a couple in the making. Could they be secretly dating?
She teased, "Avery, Leah, if strangers saw you two together, they'd bet on you being lovebirds."
Avery's mouth quirked into a half-smile, "Passersby think every man and woman together are sweethearts."
William popped a piece of crab meat into his mouth, speaking deliberately, "I can vouch that my Uncle Avery and Leah aren't dating. Kids never lie."
"Yes," Kane nodded, "Avery won't have a girlfriend until he's twenty-eight."
Lilith pouted, thinking it must be unrequited love. Leah pined after Avery, but he only saw her as a sister.
After all, a man as dazzling as him would surely opt for a socialite, not a lonely country girl.
"Leah, with Avery being such a heartthrob, how do you not fall for him spending every day together? If it were me, I'd be head over heels by now."
Leah took a deep, hidden breath, and that comment hit too close to home.
Aurelia, not wanting Leah to feel awkward, quickly interjected, "Lilith, Leah is now part of our family. My parents have already taken her as their goddaughter, so let's not tease her and Avery."
Lilith, a notorious loudmouth, could spread a little gossip like wildfire.
She made a face, "I just want to snack on some juicy stories."
"The gossip of the family is off-limits, but feel free to feast on outsider's tales," Aurelia reminded her.
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