Page 51 of Severed Heart
“I have not mastered my English,” I snap defensively, biting the rest of the truth away as Dom impatiently snatches the phone and powers it on.
“What is a text?” I ask.
“You’re killing me,” Dominic sighs. “Tobias was just as clueless not that long ago. Text means you can send a message to someone instead of calling.”
“Oh,” I say, swallowing before putting the phone aside to sort my army.
“What, Tatie?You canread English. You used to read to me.”
I blink at him in surprise. “You remember this?”
This confuses him. “You don’t?”
“I don’t remember which books. I can learn to text later.”
“Right.” He pauses at my side and, to my surprise, takes a seat at the table next to me. Pulling out his phone, I watch carefully as he programs each number in, adding Tyler’s number last. I avert my eyes as he does this, knowing our new mentor relationship both puzzles and aggravates him.
“It would be good if you joined our games, Dominic. You have much to—”
“You don’t even know what a fucking text is,” he states, slapping the phone on the table. “What in the hell could I possibly have to learn from you?”
“You’re right. You have too much arrogance, and I doubt you could win,” I clip out, eyeing my bottle but refusing to sip more.
My lash-out seems to satisfy him, earning me a menacing smile.
“Yeah, thought so. I’m not buying thisnew youbullshit.”
“I never claimednew me. I’m only trying—” I shake my head, knowing he will never understand, never try to understand.
“To what?” he prompts.
“There is little point talking to you. You will only criticize me.”
“Yeah, well, you’re borrowing my friends, so let them listen to your drivel.”
“Not drivel. I’m helping Tyler with tactics he will need. That you all will need. Ezekiel did not balk at me as you do, and I can see Sean and Tyler’s potential and appreciate it in a way you—”
“Don’t even fucking go there preaching to me about my fucking friends.”
“I don’t presume to—”
“Save it.” He stands, “I get enough lectures from Tobias.”
“For good reason, Dom, your anger—”
“Myanger?” He scoffs, an indication that he deems me a hypocrite.
“Fine,” I say, exhaling as I drop the subject seconds before he slams his bedroom door.
Standing, I unscrew my bottle, taking a long drink before swatting my soldiers to the floor.
* * *
Tyler
privit I laern to tetx to mess to yuo.
“The fuck?” I chuckle, reading Delphine’s text as Mom snores lightly in her recliner. Her comatose noise rivaling Jim Carrey as he stutters out “the-the-the-the Grinch!” to Cindy Lou on the screen feet away.
