Page 41 of Jonathon, After All

“I might visit Kentucky while I’m here,” he mused and Leo frowned at him.

“If you wish, but please be careful.”

That earned an eye-roll from Theo. “I’m always careful. Who’s going to look after Teo and Eli von Blödsinn, and rescue you when you’re in over your head?”

“When was I in over my head?” Leo challenged with an indignant sniff.

Theo chuckled and nodded. “It doesn’t happen often, but when you blow it—usually by being an uptight robot—you blow it big.”

“This is true,” Leo conceded quietly, looking to see if Markus was hovering. “I worry so much about making everyone—Sabine and the Foundation, in particular—happy. But I still feel like I’m failing with Elio and the Foundation will never like me.”

“Why do you worry so much?” Theo asked, and gave Leo’s leg a swat. “You will kill yourself trying to be perfect, and it will never be worth it as far as the Foundation is concerned. It is a business and if it somehow went bankrupt tomorrow or we were deemed too much of a liability, we would be cast aside without any hesitation. It’s happened before,” he added pointedly.

“I know, but I didn’t want anyone to think I was pathetic or obsessed, even though I definitely was.”

“That doesn’t sound like you,” Theo argued and Leo’s face twisted.

“I was a completely besotted asshole. I never saw Sabine coming and it took me ten years to realize she’d stabbed me in the back.

He was deeply ashamed when he took stock and saw how easy it had been for her to pluck at his insecurities and play on his worst fears. She went to work almost immediately, right after Leo had settled Jonathon’s fears and they came up with their plan to move everyone to Vienna.

For a handful of hours, Leo had been ecstatic. He had imagined long walks around Vienna and London with Jonathon—the two of them arm-in-arm and heads together as they wandered the cities together. And Leo could see himself in a stylish townhouse in London, welcoming Jonathon home and pampering him after a day of studying and creating masterpieces.

A happy little life had begun to take shape in Leo’s imagination and it had all seemed possible until he informed Sabine of his intentions. He had waited until they were alone the next morning to tell her about his additions to the ceremony’s guest list.

She had been waiting as well and had her counterstrike ready:

“I beg your pardon,” she had said weakly. “I’m sure I didn’t hear you suggest that your…” she cleared her throat loudly. “What if it gets out that you’ve invited your…sex pet and his loud-mouthed aunt to your assumption?”

“It isn’t like that,” Leo had argued, even though it was pretty close. “You can find a reason to invite them. We can all pretend to be indifferent for a few hours.”

“But there’s already talk, dearest,” Sabine said, her tone urgent.

“Who’s talking?” he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, daring her to speak her mind. “Is it anyone who matters or are you simply using them for cover?”

She pulled a face and made a bored sound. “You know I don’t care and only want what’s best for you. I’m merely concerned that once the details start trickling out of this castle it will get back to the Foundation.” Sabine gave him a pointed look. “Is that how you mean to begin?”

“I fail to see the scandal here,” Leo countered, his impatience rising. “His age is…”

“Concerning?” she suggested.

“A minor concern,” he said firmly. “His family connections?—”

“Do you mean the bombastic, obtuse aunt, the philandering, embezzling father, or his alcoholic mother? Also a greedy philanderess.”

“His family connections may be unfortunate,” Leo continued with a warning glare. “But he is a brilliant young man and an incredibly talented artist. There might be…talk, there always is, but it will run its course and people will see what I see in him.”

Sabine’s lashes fluttered and her lips pursed and parted as she fumbled for a moment. She finally gave herself a shake and smiled. “Very well! I’ll let the Foundation know and we can begin making arrangements.” She turned, hurrying to her notepad. “Do you have any preference in venues?”

“Venues?” Leo frowned. “Venues for what?”

“Your wedding, dearest! It will be a bombshell, but I’m certain we can find a way to package this as a modern Austrian fairy tale,” she said dramatically, the hand with the pen sweeping through the air.

“Slow down. He just turned twenty and he’s still attending university.”

She snorted as she scribbled. “I wish him luck with that.”

“What are you talking about? Jonathon and I aren’t ready to marry and make this official. He’s not ready for that.”

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