“But he isn’t,” Kazimir pointed out. “He isn’t your parent. He’s only a year and a half older than you. Tell me, Neve, when he got sick, did you stay by his bedside as well? When he got good grades, did you buy him the snacks he likes and take him out? Who attended his conferences at school?”
It wouldn’t have been her, because this was Vitality, and age mattered. Even if it was only by a year and a handful of months, her being younger would have disqualified her from being able to act as his guardian in any official capacity. But that was the extent of it. Everything else he’d just mentioned? She was more than within her rights to do. The question was, had she?
“Let me guess,” he drawled. “He was never sick and whenever you did offer to celebrate any of his accomplishments, he told you it wasn’t necessary, am I right?”
Neve dropped her gaze.
“He lied to you,” Kaz rose to his feet. “Whenever he was ill, he’d pretend that he wasn’t so you wouldn’t worry. Aren’t you the one who said he puts other people before himself? Didn’t you realize that also includes you? Hell, you and Nuri are at the top of the list. He never wants to burden you, so he turns down any kind gestures and makes it seem like he’s not interested. I don’t blame you, it’s not your fault you didn’t notice since he’s such a good actor. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let you continue living in that bubble where you believe receiving all of him and giving nothing back is a fair tradeoff. It isn’t and it never was.”
“Oh? And you’re going to give him all of you, is that right?” She was clearly angered by his words, but she kept her composure, proving through that one act alone that Nate really had influenced her upbringing. There was a fierceness to her gaze, her challenging look so similar to her brothers; it actually softened a part of Kaz.
Somewhat, in any case.
If nothing else, it served to remind him how important this person was to his pretty racer. And how, no matter how right he currently was in his scolding, Nate wouldn’t be pleased to discover he’d spoken to his sister this harshly.
The big kicker was Kaz didn’t care about that, for appearance's sake. He didn’t want to keep a good standing in Neve’s eyes simply so he could use her to make Nate like him. He actually wanted to please her brother. Didn’t want to pack on and make things harder for him when they didn’t need to be.
Was that…selfless of him?
Or was there some other hidden goal even he was yet aware of?
Either way, it was out of character enough that Kaz was forced to pause and take a moment to evaluate his own emotions and thoughts.
Something that Neve took as hesitation.
“If you’re not serious about him—” she began, only to be swiftly shut down.
“Yes,” he stated, the truth of that washing through him, almost like it was always there. Like he just hadn’t seen it until now. “Yes, actually, I do intend to give him all of me.” He was going to give Nate everything. Everything he could. And not just to ensure that meant he could keep his pretty racer until the end of time, no. He was going to do it because it also meant making Nate happy.
He pictured that smile Nate had given him the other night, the real one. Kaz wanted more of that in the world.
“How can I believe you?” Neve asked.
“Just wait and see,” he told her, stepping out from the booth. “I’m going to prove it.”
“Where are you going?”
“To check on your brother,” he replied. “You didn’t notice just now, but he’s having a mild panic attack.”
She shot to her feet. “What? He doesn’t—”
“He does,” he corrected. “And unless you plan on barging into the men’s bathroom and embarrassing him, you’ll sit back down.”
“There’s no need to get rude,” Verga said, but then rested a hand on Neve’s elbow.
She eased back down into her seat, eyes trailing over Kaz’s shoulder toward the hallway that led to the bathroom before shooting back to his. “Make sure he’s all right.”
“I don’t need you to tell me that.” He didn’t need anyone to.
Kazimir Ambrose took care of what was his.
And Nate Narek?
Nate had somehow become the most important thing in his life.
“However.” There was something she could tell him, though. “What doeshahzimean?”
Her eyes widened. “Did Nate call you that?”
