Pain stabs into me. I’m about to hurt someone I love with a brutal truth.
“None of them was a match,” I say quietly. “I mean, tough luck, because itreallyseems like Morgan’s entire impetus for having a second family after he’d fucked the first one up was that he needed one. But then, lightning strikes, and Morgan spotsyourfucking photo inNew YorkMagazine. So he cleans himself up, comes to the big city, reaches out to his long-lost?—”
“Whatmatch,” Val snaps. “Vaughn, what thefuckare you talking about?!”
“He wants your fucking kidney, Val.”
My brother freezes. His jaw drops open a little, and his Adam's apple bobs heavily as he blinks.
“The fuck did you just?—”
“Morgan’s got acute organ failure from his decades of heavy drug use,” I say gently. “He’s about to lose both kidneys and have to go on dialysis for whatever life he’s got left. No transplant listin theworldis going to give a former heroin addict a fucking kidney.” My mouth tightens. “Val, I’m very fucking sorry,” I grit through clenched teeth. “But Morgan’s only been cultivating a relationship with you because your kidney is near-perfect for a transplant. Remember that DNA test you took together? It wasn't a DNA test. It was to see if you were a match.”
“Jesus,” Roman says quietly, his face paling as he sits back in his chair. He turns to my brother and reaches out to plant a hand on his shoulder. “Val,” he says quietly. “Baby, I’m right here?—”
“Fuck,” Val rasps. He looks away, blinking and shaking his head. “Fuck,” he growls louder. He stands abruptly from the table, shoving his fingers through his hair and pacing the floor before he abruptly sits again.
“Okay,” he nods. “Okay, fine. Fuck it. I wish he’d just fucking said something, but if he needs a kidney?—”
“Val.”
“No, fuck this,” he snarls. “And fuckyoufor making him such a fucking villain!”
“Val,” I growl.
“Seriously.Fuck YOU, man,” he seethes. “You can hate the guy, but trying to get between him and a fucking life-saving transplant is fucking diabolical?—”
“Goddamn, Val,” I hiss. “Will you listen?—”
“He’s ourfather!!”
“Val—”
“And if myfatherneeds a goddamn kidney, he’s going to get a fucking?—”
“He’s not your fucking father!”
The look on my brother’s face when that flies out of my mouth almost kills me. It’s like I’ve just stabbed him in the heart. His whole face crumples.
My own chest tightens as I clear my throat. “I’m sorry,” I grit out quietly. “I thought about not telling you, because I knew it would hurt?—”
“How long.” Val’s eyes are pure poison as they pierce mine. “How fucking long have you known.”
Evelina’s hand slides across the table on my other side and squeezes mine.
“Years, Val,” I say quietly. “I’ve known for years.”
He stares at me, blinking slowly. “You’ve known he wasn’t our father for?—”
“Oh, he'smyfather,” I murmur. “But not yours.”
Val exhales slowly, his eyes glazing over as he drops back in his chair.
“Wow,” he breathes. “Just fuckin’wow.”
Roman’s face crumples. “Val?—”
“I need a cigarette,” my brother mutters.
