NINETEEN
THE SONG OF BEING A SON
ALEX
Maybe if Ihadn’t turned the volume all the way up, I would’ve heard him earlier. But when Dany stood in the doorway, glaring at us, the blood froze in my veins, making it pointless to wonder if this could have been prevented.
Downstairs, a suitcase rattled across the floor.
“Oh, thank God,” Laura yelled through the house.
I got up. I didn’t need to be good at math to put two and two together. What he saw—and heard—left little room for interpretation.
Dany let out a bloodcurdling grumble and stomped back downstairs.
“What is it?” Laura asked.
“I knew something was off,” Dany replied, his voice ice-cold.
Their footsteps moved farther away.
My head snapped to Sebastian, who was still sitting on the floor, frozen like me. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. His jaw clenched. We shared a glance, but before I could say anything, he jumped up and rushed downstairs.
I hurried after him, banging my shoulder against the doorframe along the way, but that didn’t slow me down. I caughta glimpse of Seb’s shadow turning the corner as I reached the stairs.
“Dad,” he yelled. “What are you doing here?”
“What amIdoing here?” Dany shot back. “This is my house. If it rains so much during my vacation that I can’t go anywhere, then I have the fucking right to come back whenever I want. What areyoudoing? That’s the real question.”
For a moment, my own breathing took over. I rushed into the kitchen and found the three of them standing there, staring at each other, all of them so shocked that none of them could speak.
All three pairs of eyes snapped to me, each more confused than the last.
“Alex?” Dany said in a voice almost an octave lower than usual. “What’s going on?”
“He’s got nothing to do with it,” Sebastian bellowed, drawing his parents’ attention back to him.
“To do with what?” Laura asked.
“You don’t need to lie to us.” Dany’s arm shot forward, stopping just short of Sebastian’s face, his index finger pointing at him like an ice pick. His voice rose. “You didn’t come here to study. Don’t you dare deny it.”
“Let’s keep our voices down.” Laura raised her arm in front of Dany. “I’m sure there’s an easy explanation for what we heard.”
“For the love of—” Sebastian sighed. “There’s nothing to explain. I did study, but I still have time off to recharge however I want.” He walked around the kitchen island and leaned against the countertop farthest from his dad.
Dany glared at me, then walked to the table and sat down. I stayed right in the doorway, feeling like I would get burned if I stepped any closer. Laura and Dany looked at each other, worry overshadowing their faces.
“Okay, it’s been all fun and games until now,” Dany said emphatically. “But this is bullshit,Devin.”
Hearing the name he didn’t like being called, Sebastian closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again as he crossed his arms in front of him. He kept his voice low but sharp. “Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it’s bullshit.”
Dany slammed his hand on the table. “You donotcome into my home and lie to me like this, exploiting my hospitality. Doesn’t matter whether you’re part of this family or not.”
My chest clenched. His words were clearly meant for both of us. At this point, it didn’t matter how well Dany and I had gotten along in the past. If he wanted me out of the house, I would have to leave. Sebastian, on the other hand, would always be their son.
That was why I didn’t want to lie to anyone. Once trust was broken, it was almost impossible to rebuild. The only way forward was the truth.
“Just tell them,” I said quietly, drawing their attention to me.
