My brother gives me a cold look. “Will you cut him some slack? He’strying, Vaughn.”
“He's an addict.”
He shoots me a venomous glare. “People can change.”
I shake my head. “No, they can't.”
Shit.
Roman is in recovery for alcohol abuse. Six months sober.
“That…came out wrong,” I grunt. “Sorry.”
Val shakes his head and looks away.
“What I meant to say,” I sigh, “was that I don’t give a shit if he’s over his addiction. What I give a shit about it thehellhe put us through.”
Again, Val doesn’t know thehalfof it, and never will. Because I love him, even if he and the happiness he's found with Roman annoy the fuck out of me.
“He actually wants to talk about that, if you’ll let him,” Val says. “We’ve had some really good talks, just the two of?—”
“I don’t think you should do that.”
His jaw clenches. “Duly noted.”
I drum my fingers on the tablecloth and then glance at the time again.
“By the way,” I say, “it’s come to my attention that your phone isn’t always as secure as it should be.”
Val grins. “You worried about the nudes I send to Roman leaking?”
I roll my eyes. “Some of the conversations we have over text have strict guidelines?—“
“Relax, James Bond,” Val sighs. “I'm not an idiot. I delete anything incriminating. Also, hello, I’m in a relationship with someone like you?”
No, you’re not.
Just then, Val stands, grins, and walks past me.
Fuck me.
I turn, my face a mask as I watch Morgan embrace Val warmly, both of them grinning like they’re old buddies.
Val has really warmed to Morgan’s “sober life, settling old debts” routine.
I haven’t. And I fuckingwon’t.
I know Val had his own horrors to deal with later in life, in the foster system. But my horrors came knocking much earlier, and this motherfucker wasn’t there to protect me, his own son, his own flesh and fucking blood, from them.
I actually knew Morgan had lived. I knew he'd been playing outOld Man and the Seafantasies in the Alaskan tundra for more than a decade.
But when Val and I first reconnected I told him Morgan had died with our mom becauseI wanted to protect my brother.
Morgan and Val finally pull apart and clap each other on the shoulder. Before I know what’s happening, Morgan spins, rushes me, and throws his arms around me in a bear hug I didn’t ask for and sure asshitdon’t want.
I stand there, arms stiff at my side and my nerves screaming before I manage to pull back.
Outwardly, I smile coldly.
