Page 82 of Unraveled

Izzy cringed as Bridgette sent her a withering look, staring just long enough to make her point before looking back at her friends.

“And while they’ve found a way to lean on each other now to get over the pain, what’s going to happen as they go off to school? Everything is going to change, and Izzy will just end up feeling stuck while Tucker will be wishing he could be off with every other girl that walks past like he used to. Maybe he even will.That’swhy I refuse to give my blessing.”

I’d never seen Tucker so disgusted, and his jaw set with his glare. “I wouldneverdo that to your daughter.”

“For now, maybe,” Bridgette shot back. “It's just a matter of time before you take advantage of her like you did last summer.”

Tucker reeled, looking like he’d been slapped, and Chuck flew forward. “Now, wait just a minute.”

“Stop!” Aunt Helen cried as she jumped between them. “This isn’t helping anything! You’re going to say things you regret! You’ve already said too much.”

“Helen, don’t,” Uncle Stef warned.

She looked back at him. “I have to. Don’t you see where this is going? I have to interfere.”

“And whyyou?” I growled, the words ripping from my throat before I could stop them. Aunt Helen startled as all eyes shot to me, but I wasn’t done. All the anger and resentment that had been festering in me since Greece was suddenly bubbling to the surface. At the thought thatsheshould be trusted to fix anything. “Why shouldyoube the one to interfere? You just ruin the lives ofeveryonewhen you do. What good isyouradvice?”

“Wh– What are you talking about?”

I ignored her confusion, fuming with something close to hatred as I glared. “I’m talking about what happened back in Greece all those years ago. What you did that caused my father and uncle to leave and lose all contact with their parents. Whatever it was that made them have toleave their bloody countryand tear my mum away from her parents.”

Aunt Helen paled and looked desperately back at my uncle and dad as the three of them exchanged wary looks. All restraint I’d held for months was unraveling before me, and I couldn’t stop it, everything in me fuming.

“Son, I really don’t think you could have a full understanding of what happened back then and still be able to place the blame on your aunt.”

My face twisted in disdain. “I know enough to know that ifshehad never come into your lives, then you and Uncle Stef would never have lost contact with your parents. You never would have had to leave Greece. Mum never would have been in that accident because we wouldn’t have been in London, andInever would have been forced to endure thisgut-wrenchingpain. These past five completelymiserable,shit-filled months of my life would never have happened. Butno… Aunt Helen had to step in and muck up every bloody person’s life in our family that she touched.”

I looked at my aunt, every bit of malice I felt for her displayed on my face. “I hate you for it.”

Her face crumpled, and Uncle Stef pulled her into his arms, shooting me a look of distaste. Jet shot forward, but Tucker blocked him while Annie pulled on his arm, holding him back.

“Enough!” Dad’s voice was just enough to pull me back from the fury. “I know you’re hurting, Nicolas. What Enzo and Anna did to you was dreadful, but it does not excuse this reprehensible behavior.”

I shot him a wounded look at the reference. For exposing what I’d only shared with Izzy so far here in the states, but he shut me down.

“You lost your right to discretion when you decided to attack your aunt over things you know nothing about. Anna cheated on you with your best friend. It cut you deep. So deep that I worry if I’ll ever get my son back, but if you think you have to blame someone to get past that,then you’re looking the wrong way.Imoved our family away from Greece because of a job offer. Ichoseto leave. I was not forced to.”

I stared, dumbstruck. Not sure how to process. It twisted everything.

I looked over at my uncle and crying aunt, wanting to be mad at her.Needingto be mad at her.

Gathering the vestiges of my anger, I said, “I know what I heard when we were in Greece. All the coded conversations in Greek? My dad might have been the one that moved us away, butyoudid do something back then. You still damaged our family.”

“You know Greek?” Uncle Stef looked from me to my dad.

“I know enough. I started learning it after my mum died.”After Enzo helped me scrape the pieces of my humanity back together.Funny how he was the one that had shattered them into permanent disrepair now.

“Nic, sweetie.” Aunt Helen lifted her head from my uncle’s shoulder.

“Don’t call me that,” I growled.

She swallowed and tried again. “Alright.Nic. What do you think Idid?”

“No one ever gave a clear answer. But I wish I knew. I wish I could make sense of it and finally understand how and why our family was torn apart.”

“Some things are better left alone,” Uncle Stefano interjected.

“No, Stef. I think I should explain.”

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