I stared at him, teetering on the edge of being pissed and feeling hurt. Inexplicably, I burst out laughing. “Fine, alright, I’m a fucking weirdo.”
He looked startled and grinned. “Sorry, that was kind of a dick thing to say. I guess I do have anger problems...or being a dick problems.”
“I’m Levi,” I said, hesitantly reaching my hand out.
“Oh shit, you’re right,” he snorted, taking my hand. “Dom.”
“Just Dom?”
“Well, I guess my name is Dominic, but only teachers call me that, and Aunt Marty when she’s really upset with me.”
“Just the name, not the middle name? I’m in deep shit if my mom uses my middle name.”
“Eh, she used it when she found out I beat that kid’s ass. But when I told her the jerk was rubbing mashed potatoes in people’s hair, and I told him to cut it out, well...she let me off easy. Wasn’t too nice to Principal Weiner, though. I think he’s scared of her.”
“Is she that scary?”
“Only when she’s mad,” Dom said with a laugh and looked at me. “Wanna get into some trouble?”
“Uhh...maybe?”
“What’s your last class?”
I wrinkled my nose. “History.”
“Aw shit, I kinda like history classes. Math is hell, though. That’s my last one. wanna skip?”
A hand touched my shoulder, and I tensed, glancing up to find the server looking me in the eye, her forehead wrinkled, and softness in her eyes. Whatever innocence she had left wasn’t long for this world if she kept working for The Family, and the concern in her eyes as she stared down at me hurt my chest in a way that was impossible to put into words.
“Are you sure you don’t want another drink?” she asked softly when she saw I had returned to reality, and her heavy frown eased.
“Actually, another would do me good, I think,” I said, looking around. While I’d been lost in thought, some people were beginning to leave. I didn’t remember hearing any permission to leave, which meant I had been well and truly lost.
Getting lost in your memories? That’s not like you... well, not like you nowadays,my mother reminded me, and I fought the urge to wince.Maybe you should have stuck to remembering him more often. Maybe then you wouldn’t be in this position.
No one can promise that, I grumbled internally. Dom was never going to save me, just like I couldn’t save you.
There was no saving me, dear heart. My fate was outside everyone’s hands, but I guess you could argue for the cheap bastard running the diner. Frank always was a prick. But...your fate was avoidable.
Was it?
You’ve always made sure you don’t lie to yourself, don’t start now just because it’s convenient. Everything you’ve done has been one choice after another. You can’t even blame Augustine for what happened. I can say a lot about that man,but I know he didn’t trick you into this. And Dom wanted to pull you away from it with every bit of strength he had.
Didn’t work out, did it?
Don’t try that shit on me, Levi Leo Leinas. You didn’t let him help you. And now here you are, worrying about what comes next and trying to figure out what’s going on in your father’s head.
Unable to help myself, I glanced toward Augustine, who was speaking in a low voice with Eliza. Still, the way his eyes flicked to me, lingering before sliding away, told me he had noticed my lapse of attention. Not good. It had been a long time since I’d last got so lost in my own thoughts and memories that I lost track of what was going on around me. At least, it had been a long time since I had done it around other people, and even longer since I had been stupid enough to do it in full view of Augustine, who didn’t miss a damn thing.
“Somewhere between a single and a double, please,” I told her softly as I settled back into my seat.
She bowed her head again and retreated with a small, nervous smile as she headed out of sight. I peered around the room to keep tabs on what was going on. If anyone else had noticed that I’d mentally checked out, they didn’t show it. Half of them were heading out, a few glancing at me as they left.
When my drink came, I gave her another smile and slipped her a couple of twenties. And despite the urge to down the contents of the glass, I took a sip. Pulling out my phone, I glanced at the notifications again and answered a few of the waiting texts. Most of it was just confirming what someone needed to do and when; others were basic business that didn’t require more brain cells than it took to make a cup of coffee.
All the while, I kept my ears trained to the conversations around me, ferreting out any potential problems I might run into in the future. Most wouldn’t have those conversationswithin hearing distance of me, of course, but it didn’t hurt to make sure. Primarily, the conversations focused on how William Senior had fallen, making his son very popular.
Not that his popularity was doing him any favors. In fact, he looked like he was fighting the urge to collapse. When speculation and debate erupted in the small group he was surrounded by, he lapsed into silence and drifted away from the conversation. Mentally, anyway, as any time he tried to get away, someone caught him and roped him back in.
