Boundaries I have never cared about, but which matter so much to my father.
“Hey guys.”I nod.
Dex and Rio are laughing about something.Enzo blinks at me.I think that was his greeting.I can’t tell with that guy.Matteo looks his usual nonchalant self.Like he really doesn’t want to be here.
“What the hell is this?”Jett mutters under his breath.
“You tell me brother,” Dex replies.“Thought we’d have a few months without this torture.Guess I was wrong.”
Matteo yawns.“I’m hungry.”
“Food will follow soon enough,” Enzo assures him.
Dad walks in, looking uncharacteristically soft.I find it unsettling, because he seems weak and vulnerable, something alien to him.I worry that he’s not taking his doctors’ advice too well.Seeing me, he walks over, and my gut hardens.I hate being singled out and I feel uneasy that he’s always nicer to me than he is to the others.
“Jesus.”Dex groans in a low whisper.
“Thank you for coming,” Dad says.
“Are we going to have food tonight, or is this just drinks?”Matteo asks, lifting his beer bottle to his lips.
“It’s been a while since we had a Knight family dinner thatallof us were at.”Dad pointedly looks at Jett, Dex and Rio.Dex scratches the back of his neck.Rio looks at the floor, and Jett holds my father’s gaze.
“You weren’t well.We didn’t want you to exert yourself,” he says, voice cold as ice.
“I’m feeling a lot better now, thanks for asking,” Dad quips, looking around at us all one by one.He lifts his glass.“A toast,” he announces.
My stomach hollows out.We raise our glasses.
“What are we toasting?”Dex asks.
“How about we congratulate Zach for acquiring a new jewel?”
Oh, shit.I didn’t want this news coming out in this way to the rest of the gang.
Dad smiles at me.“I know you didn’t want to make a fuss, but this is newsworthy.”
I want to crawl out of my skin and disappear because I wasn’t ready for this.Jett and Dex exchange looks.They’re both glaring at me.What the fuck did you go and do?
“Tell us more about this new jewel.”Dex prompts, his eyes glinting mischievously.
Dad nods.“He’s acquired a majority stake in Stella.”
“Tell me you’re joking,” Jett growls.
Dex’s eyes widen.“Are you seriously chasing your long—”
Rio thumps him on the shoulder just in time.“Just be happy for the dude.”
I haven’t mentioned Maya to my father, obviously, and he doesn’t know that not only have I seen her again, but that she happens to work for Stella.
“Give the guy a chance, would you?”Enzo remarks, casually.“Let him breathe.”
Rio scoffs.It’s like he senses chaos is about to be unleashed while Matteo plays with his wrist bracelets.These guys never willingly want to be here, and now I’m starting to wish I could be someplace else, too.
“Zach actually came to see me for advice a couple of weeks ago,” Dad says.
Fuck.He’s going to tell them everything.Beads of sweat start up along my neckline.I hate it when he does this.The way he pits us against each other.The way he divides and conquers.That’s why he has us coming to these meals.That’s why we live in separate apartments when we could all live together.That’s why the Italian Knights didn’t come to live on the Knight Estate back when we first found out about their existence.
