U want to talk? I know it’s complicated with ur dad.
Me
Thanks, but I think I need to talk to Rome first.
Milena
OK. I’m here if u need anything, girl. You know that. Luv u.
Me
Love u too <3<3<3
I’ve barely hit the send button when my phone lights up.
Roman.
“Hi,” I say quietly.
He exhales. “You read the news?”
“I did.”
There’s a moment or two of silence.
“I guess you’re athisfucking place?”
“His name is Vaughn,” I say quietly.
“Yeah,” he grunts sourly.
“Roman, is it really so awful that I grew up? That I found someone who?—”
“Whowhat, Eves?” he snaps.
“Oh, come on!” I hurl back. “I don’t remember giving you anything but love and support when you were coming to terms with who you were and trying to find the courage to tell me you were in love with a man!”
My brother barks out a cold laugh. “You arenotseriously equating me coming out with you deciding to jump into your villain era by shacking up with a fucking lunatic.”
My jaw tightens. “That’snotwhat I’m talking about. I’m talking about siblings having each other’s back. Also, that is really fucking unfair.”
He snorts. “For fuck’s sake, evenValthinks his brother is a sociopath.”
“Do you know why I started talking to Vaughn in the first place?“ I snap. “Because I knew you didn’t want to have anything to do with helping Dad. So I went to him instead.”
He exhales in a slow stream “Jesus, Evie. I don’t know what it’s going to take for me to impress upon you how much?—”
“You hate him?” I snap. “No, Rome, I think you’ve made that abundantly clear.”
My brother exhales.
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. I don’t hate him,” he says flatly. “I don’t care enough to bring hate into the conversation where Dad is concerned. I wish you could appreciate that.”
I shake my head. “I just…I wanted to believe there was good in him, you know? I mean he’sus. If he’s rotten to the core, what does that say about you and me?”
Roman nods, exhaling. “And that’s why you went to Vaughn and the Syndicate.”
“Sort of,” I mumble. “I tried a bunch of other places first, but no one wanted to touch helping him with a ten-foot pole.”
