Brothers.
“Fine,” I said. “On to my next question. If the scaristied to your GUTs, then have similar scars appeared elsewhere? Like around Branwell or Dante?”
Jack’s eyes widened. “Good question. There wasn’t a scar in Branwell’s apartment when we were here two weeks ago finalizing the purchase of my villa.”
“But what about now?”
“Let me check.”
“Wait! You can’t just go barging in to their apartment—”
Jack sank through the floor before I finished.
Last September Dante and Claire had moved out of the apartment on thepiano nobile(the first floor above street level), leaving the space to newlyweds Branwell and Lucy. It was simple for Jack to drift down there to poke around . . . but a terrible invasion of privacy.
He could go snooping through others things uninvited, but I couldn’t? Did no one else see the irony here? I maybe growled a little under my breath. Which led to another thought.
“Care to share what your vision was about? The one you had when the scar ruptured?” My voice drifted through the silence.
Tennyson shook his head, pushing crumbs around the table. “Nope.”
“C’mon, Tenn. Why not?”
He shrugged.
My eyes bugged out of my head. “Oh my gosh! It’s about me, isn’t it?” Energy pounded through me. Somehow my foot ended up tucked underneath my bottom, and I bounced up and down. “Dude! You know I can read you like a book, right? You have no poker face.”
“Chiara—”
“Now you have to tell me.”
“No—”
“It’s the sibling code. It’s a law.”
“There is no law.”
“There is.” I jabbed a finger at his chest. “It says I get to annoy and humiliate you until you tell me.”
A grin tugged at his lips. “No.”
“Tell me! Or I’m going to tell Mom about that time with Sticky Micky where you guys—”
“You’re seriously still on that? That blackmail ammo expired like . . . ten years ago.”
Ugh. Now I had to find something else to hold over his head.
A beat.
“I’m not telling you. Some things are mine to bear,” he continued. “Speaking ofbear. . . how is Mr. Chuffy these days?”
“I hate you.” I slumped backward in my chair. “Jack is so dead. Is ghosticide a thing?” I peeked at him with one eyeball.
“I believe the word you’re looking for there isexorcism.”
“You’re such a nerd. Why won’t you tell me about your vision?”
Dammit. He knew how I got over secrets.
