“Interesting,” is his reply.
That could mean a hundred different things, and my nervousness regarding the whole therapy thing goes up another notch, or five.
“How’s Marcus doing?” Sandro asks, offering a distraction to my swirling emotions.
Carter and Keegan exchange a look. “Better than he was, but…he has a long way to go,” Keegan offers carefully. “I hope to go visit once someone gets a n-a-p in.”
“Let me know? Please? I know I don’t have a right to ask, but…”
“He loves you, and would want you reassured,” Keegan replies. “I’ll keep you updated—but only with what he allows me to share.”
There’s a stiffness to Keegan’s tone, but he’s trying, for Marcus, and I can respect that. It’s what I’m doing for Lio.
Before anything else can be said, the last person I want to see walks into the kitchen. The air feels as if it’s been knocked out of my lungs when I see Cristian. His dark eyes zero in on me first, then Keegan, Carter, and Cole. There’s a pained expression on his face when he looks at Dad, and some part of me that still cares pangs with the depth of his sorrow.
“We should go and put this one down,” Carter says. “Thanks again for watching him.”
“Don’t leave on my account,” Cristian tells them, in a tone I’ve never heard before.
“We’re not,” Keegan replies curtly, as if the very idea of Cristian factoring into any of their decisions is insulting.
It shouldn’t make me smile, but I like Keegan, and I admire how he takes care of his family. It helps to show that my dad will be safe with him—even if I haven’t had the chance to give him and Marcus the shovel talk.
With Keegan, Carter, and Cole gone, a tense, awkward silence descends on the kitchen.
“Roman, may I speak with you?” Cristian asks.
“I need to pack the cookies up,” I respond.
Sandro jumps in. “I can do it.”
I glare at him, but he seems unfazed, reaching for one of the containers I ordered specifically for cookies. I sigh internally before looking at Cristian, a mixture of hope and sadness on his face. Both expressions are something I’m not used to seeing from him.
“Fine. Thanks, Sandro.” Untying my apron, I hang it on a hook on the far wall of the kitchen, then gesture for Cristian to lead the way.
He and Sandro exchange a look, and I…feel somewhat relieved that Cristian has someone in his corner, even if I don’t trust the two of them togetheratall.
“We can go to the sitting room?” Cristian asks carefully. “Or my bedroom?”
“The family sitting room is fine,” I answer, making sure to be very specific. I'm hoping Leandro is being a nosy bastard right now so he can tune in. I almost want to text him to make sure, but I’m not disrespectful, so I don’t throw my distrust in Cristian’s face.
The walk from the kitchen to the family room is… Tense is too mild of a word. We take our seats on opposite couches and just…stare at each other for a long moment, before I sigh.
“Thank you for apologizing to Ignacio. Did you mean it?”
“Yes,” he answers immediately. “I did. I…I won’t lie and say it wasn’t hard, Roman. It’s still hard. Do I regret the choice? No. At the time, I was doing what I thought was right. I was defending you, as any good father would. But how far I took it…that wasn’t planned. I didn’t go in with the hopes of killing him. A stab wound? Sure. He had to know I was serious, but killing him? That was never my intention. I am sorry, Figlio Mio. More sorry than you’ll ever know.”
There’s pain in his eyes, a deep burning regret and sorrow that knocks the breath from my lungs for a moment.
“Thank you for apologizing, and meaning it.”
“You really love him, don’t you?”
I nod, a lump in my throat. “I love him more than I ever thought possible, outside of Tennant, Hollis, and Jude. We just…we fit together. He sees my broken parts and doesn’t try to fix them. He loves me, every flawed inch of me. That’s more thanI could ask for from someone who recently lost their first love. That he’s willing to open his heart again? To me of all people? Yeah, Dad, I love him.”
Cristian lets out a shuddering breath. “Dad… You haven’t been calling me that.”
“You haven’t earned it,” I say in a hard voice. “What you did to Carter? I don’t know if I can forgive you as readily as I do for almost killing my love.”
