“I, uh, haven’t seen him since…” Matt shrugged a shoulder, his hand running up and down Gina’s arm to comfort her. “He just needs some more time.”
“I saw him,” Kit said, looking back at them.
The hell?
“I ran into him grabbing a coffee at Beanie’s the other day.”
Odd that he hadn’t thought to mention it until now. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I would’ve, asshole, but I haven’t seen you.” Kit’s eyebrows drew together, and he made a face, his right nostril lifting along with his upper lip. “You’ve been… uh… occupied.”
“What did he say?” Gina wanted to know.
He did too.
“Nothing much,” Kit said in a tone that almost sounded evasive. “He didn’t mention you or Matt at all.”
“He’s still mad then.” She leaned back, her gaze wandering to her phone, and opened up TikTok. “Not that he has any right to be.”
“Doesn’t he?” Sloan glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “C’mon now, Trouble, try to look at this from Tony’s perspective. I bet you’d throw a hissy fit if he started dating one of your little friends seemingly out of the blue—especially someone he’s known since she was in pigtails.”
“He’s married, Sloan.” Taking their bandmate’s case in point literally, Kit waved his hand through the air and dismissed it. “So that would never happen.”
“No shit.”
“You must not know him as well as you think you do.” Gina smirked and put her phone back in her purse. “Tony’s done a lot worse.”
The last thing Matt wanted was to come between Gina and her brother, but something else was going on here. Something personal and private she hadn’t shared with him yet. What the fuck could Tony have done to turn her so adamantly against him when once she worshipped the ground he walked on? Matt pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. Whatever it was, he hoped it wouldn’t fuck up a decades-long friendship. Of course, not realizing this, and in defense of their friend, Sloan went Team Tony on her.
“I remember the guy who hurried home after school for a ridiculous tea party with you and your stupid dolls instead of hanging out with his friends. You know, the same guy who taught you how to ride a bike after you begged him to take off the training wheels and patched up your bloody knee when you fell?” Sloan relaxed his grip on the steering wheel, and with a subtle shake of his head, a broken laugh rose from his throat. “Yeah, I know that guy.”
Gina blanched for a moment, but quickly recovered because she was far from done.
“Jesus Christ, I was what? Five?” She leaned in through the space between the two front seats, her finger wagging at Sloan a mile a minute. “My parents were always working, Nick had football after school, and Nonna’s hands were already full with Luca, so who else was I supposed to go to?”
“Right.” He tipped his chin up at her. “You know, I used to think it was weird. How he practically raised you. Tony always put you and your brothers first, but I’m an only child, so what the fuck do I know? But I know this, his world revolved around his precious baby sister, so yeah, I think he has a right to care.”
“Maybe when I was little, but…” With a sad shake of her head, she moved back into her seat. “… when Tony got married, everything changed.”
“He has a wife and kids of his own to take care of. That’s to be expected, no?” Kit asked.
“Sure, but that’s not what I’m talking about.” Gina crossed her arms, her gaze meeting Sloan’s in the mirror. “Did you know Tony’s wife was Teo’s girlfriend first?”
Shit.
“I wasn’t aware of that, no.”
“That’s right, you weren’t around then, touring the world, and becoming a rock star.” It was Gina’s turn to shake her head and laugh. “Teo and Lina were together for four years—practically engaged, for chrissakes. Long story short? Tony got Lina pregnant, so he married her instead, while Teo was told to just deal with it. Tell me, how are you supposed to get over something like that?”
No one answered.
Then, Kit softly murmured, “You don’t.”
Gina squeezed Kit’s hand, and he let her.
“I don’t think I can ever forgive Tony for what he’s done to our family. So, no, Sloan, he doesn’t get to play the caring brother anymore when he’s already proven that he isn’t.”
She stared at the text on her phone.
