“Please don’t.”
“Sorry.” She tightened her hold on him. “Do you remember the last time we did this?” she asked him, the hint of a smile in her voice. Donny couldn’t help but grin at the memory.
“God, yes.”
Athena snorted, “You’d asked out that kid from school, what was his name?”
“Brent.”
“Brent,” she confirmed. “You asked Brent out, and he embarrassed you and called you names and then I kicked his ass.”
“You did. Do you realize how many times I got my ass kicked because you did my ass kicking for me?”
“Anyway,” she continued, as if he hadn’t even spoken. “You were so upset when we got home from school, and you threw a huge temper tantrum on your bed, so I crawled in behind you and let you cry about it and curse me about it, then mom and dad walked in.”
Donny’s cheeks heated at the memory.
“They were so furious,” she went on. “Screaming and yelling about incest and shit.”
Donny couldn’t stop himself from laughing. Athena laughed behind him, then quieted down.
“Maybe fifteen and sixteen was too old for sibling snuggles,” Donny said soberly.
“Then what is twenty-two and twenty-three?” She asked him with more humor in her voice.
“Illegal, probably.”
They laughed again briefly and fell back into silence.
“Thank you, Athena.”
“For what?” She laid her head on top of his.
“Trying to distract me.”
“Is that what you think I was doing?” She asked, pushing herself up to a sitting position.
“Wasn’t it?” Donny sat as well, but curled himself into a ball at the other corner of the couch.
“God, no. I was just reminiscing on that time mom and dad thought we were fucking.” She laughed and reached over the arm of the couch and fumbled around.
“What are you doing, weirdo?”
“I’m looking for my phone. I need to tell Joel he’s on his own for lunch today.” She pulled her phone out of her purse and scrolled through her contacts.
“You don’t need to do that.” Athena looked at him sharply and he offered her a weak smile. “I’d feel bad if Joel wasted away because no one was there to feed him lunch.”
She laughed, “As if Gabriel would let that happen.”'
“Seriously, Athena. I’ll be fine. You can go. Will you just make sure the cats have food on your way out?” Donnywantedto be alone. He appreciated his sister trying to make him laugh and distract him, but he didn’t want to be distracted. The pain he felt over the fight with Roland threatened to consume him, and he was inclined to allow it.
“Are you sure?” She stood and stretched, then reached for her purse and threw it over her shoulder. Donny nodded and reached for the blanket and tightened it around himself.
“Will you let me know if you need anything?” she asked him, and he nodded again.
When her hand was on the door, she turned back to face him, her face drawn taut. “I love you, Donny.”
“I love you, too.”
