“Am I who they say I am?”
“Yes. Without a doubt,” he said, moving his hand to link our pinkies together. “I may not keep up with everything that goes on this family, but that part I was here for. Lisa stole one of your old toothbrushes, along with a few strands of your hair, and gave it to Ace about a year ago. It was when she was positive of your identity. They tested that before trying to approach you. When Zevon brought you here,” he paused to swallow, “Collin drew blood to test again. You are their Scarlett.”
“I don’t want to go back there,” I whispered. “I…Zevon’s drugs is what made Alan do what he did that weekend.”
“No one will let you go back there. Ever.”
“Caesar…” I trailed off as tears clogged my voice.
“Is a dick. He wouldn’t let you go back. Even if you wanted to, he’d never allow it. He’s upset, and that makes him hold anything he can over your head. It’s who he is, and I’m sure he has to be beating himself up over his loss of control.”
“But they all hate me,” I said, pulling my legs up and wrapping one arm loosely around them. I didn’t want to move the hand holding his pinky. He made me feel grounded. And right now, I needed that more than anything else.
“Quite the opposite,” he said. “I don’t think Ace has ever cared about anyone as much as you, and that’s saying a lot.”
“Who is he to you?”
“Ace?” At my nod, he went on. “He adopted me after he was the one to find my parents both dead, laying in their drying blood. Dad killed my mom for standing in front of me, and then he took his own life, right there before my eyes. That man wasn’t worth calling a father, but whatever. Ace has given me a life that I never would have had, and I probably wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for him. I have issues from what I went through, but I’m dealing, like you will learn to deal with your shit in time.”
“Why doesn’t anyone like you?” The words came out without my say so.
“I’m different,” he shrugged. “I haven’t made too many good choices, and Ace has had to clean up after me more than I’d ever like to admit. I’ve gotten into trouble that I should have known better than to ever dab into. I haven’t been that bad the last couple of years. Peyton and Zevon just can’t let my mistakes go. And with you, it’s worse. They don’t want metaintingyou.”
“I’ve already been tainted,” I whispered, leaning my head against the wall.
“I bet you’ll find your place in this family in time.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“Then you don’t have to. I don’t fit in with this family, but they are my family. They will have my back, no matter what dumb shit I end up doing. Same with me. I’ll have their back if the time ever comes for it.”
“Except for the girl who you say you hate,” Peyton said as he glared at our hands. I should have jumped, moved away—anything instead of staying there and not moving. Dominic seemed to not want to move either.
“I never said I hated her. Only said I hated the situation.”
“Same thing,” Peyton said, turning his glare to the man. “And I thought you said you wouldn’t talk to her.”
“Not the way you all want me to,” he replied.
“You know, I’m right here, right?” I asked.
“Yes,” they both said at the same time.
“Then what do you want?” I asked, tilting my head up.
“To let you know Collin is on his way up. To talk,” Peyton answered. “And you,” he pointed to Dominic, “keep your hands off my sister.”
“I’m not in her room,” he countered. “We’re trying this thing called friendship.”
“You don’t do friends. You only do fuck buddies, last I heard.”
“Perfect,” Dominic said, a grin lighting up his face. “Wanna be mine?”
“My god, Dom!” Peyton hissed, rubbing a hand down his face.
I couldn’t help but let a small giggle out. It was funny to see Peyton worked up, and I wasn’t sure why. At my giggle, both men turned to look at me like I’d lost my head.
Eh. Maybe I had.
