Page 35 of Salvatore

“And he shouldn’t.”

“Sometimes he needs to.” She holds her hand up when I start to interrupt. “Disrespect at this age is different than it is in adulthood. The things we would let go could lead to an altercation between teens. Yesterday, in the cafeteria, another boy subbed out his chair for one Gianno was going to sit in. There was nothing wrong with the chair and Gianno hadn’t yet sat. But it set Gianno off. He had it in his head that the chair already belonged to him. I was on lunch duty and I managed to deescalate the situation. But if I hadn’t, those boys would have gone to blows over an old plastic chair.”

“Okay. I get it. I’ll talk to him.” I wait a breath. “Does he talk about the past?about what happened between our parents?”

“I let him talk about anything that upsets him.”

“But you won’t tell me what.”

She doesn’t blink, even though the sharpness to my tone suggests she needs to spill the details. “I won’t betray Gianno’s trust, or Apollo’s,” she says. “We agreed that I could discuss general concerns if you asked, but never anything specific unless their safety or someone else’s was at risk.”

I want to argue, but I can’t. I know trust doesn’t come easy for my brothers. Hell, for any of us. If they’re talking to Aedry, it’s because they need to, and I won’t take that away from them.

“What about Apollo?”

She shifts through the files on her desk. “He’s improving in all his classes, but his progress is slower. As his confidence in his academics continues to blossom, I’m certain that will change.”

“But how is he doing in counseling? Is he talking to you, opening up?”

“He is,” she answers, carefully.

I lean back, watching her brow crease with concern. “Something wrong?”

This time when she faces me there’s no attitude, her perfect blue eyes warm enough to melt even a guy as cold as me. “He’s deeply affected by his past and struggles more with his decisions.”

“He seems fine to me,” I say, more because I want to believe it’s true.

“He’s not,” she adds, quietly. “Apollo carries a tremendous amount of guilt, and while Gianno is traumatized by what he saw the night of your parents’ death, his guilt is slightly alleviated because, like you, he tried to save your mother.”

Anger clenches my gut, but it’s not directed at Aedry or my brothers. It’s all due to that shit for brains man I used to call my father. “They’ve talked about me?”

She considers her words, her posture relaxing so maybe I will, too. “They talk about everyone who’s impacted them.”

I tilt my chin and try to relax my clenching fists as I remember how Gianno took over our mother’s protection when I left. It wasn’t fair of me to leave them behind?to put all that hell and responsibility on them. But I had to make something of myself for her and for them.

“What are you thinking?” Aedry asks, keeping her tone easy.

“That I want them to be okay,” I admit. “Despite what they’ve been through.”

“I have faith they will be.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.” A small smile arcs her full lips as she glances at the wall clock perched above my head. “Time’s up.”

I furrow my brows when I realize what happened. “Did you just pull that counseling shit on me?” She purses her lips as if trying not to laugh. “Son of bitch,” I groan, causing her to lose it.

I didn’t realize how much I missed that pretty face until then, but there it is. Her humor vanishes the longer I take her in, but that infamous blush returns. She swivels in her seat, giving me her back.

“Have a good weekend,” she says, busying herself at her desk.

She’s trying to dismiss me, but I came here for a reason and I’m not ready to leave. “I’m sorry for how I treated you,” I say, causing her to still. “I didn’t mean it.”

She doesn’t say anything for a long while. I’m working through what else to say when she finally speaks. “You didn’t mean what? To treat me like a monstrous douche or all those asinine things you said?”

Well, shit. This went downhill fast. “I meant what I said about not fucking virgins. That doesn’t mean I meant any disrespect.” She’s not saying anything. I force out more. “The last thing I’d ever do is intentionally hurt a woman.” Dead silence. “There’s nothing wrong with being how you are,” I finally add.

All I said sounded right in my head. That’s sure as hell not how she takes it.

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