Chapter 64: Danny

When Leo and I finally walked up from the gym, I stopped dead in my tracks. There, across the living room, Nate sat with Sofia on his lap, the two of them wrapped up in each other, lost in their own little world. I tugged at Leo’s arm, motioning for him to follow me.

“We should give them some privacy,” I whispered, leading him into the closest room down the hall, which just so happened to be a small storage closet.

Leo’s face is twisted in something close to frustration, and I can tell it’s eating him up. He leans back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “Man, why does Nate get to have all these moments with her? It’s like... he’s always there when she needs someone, and I just... I don’t know,” he trails off, his jaw clenching.

I lean against the doorframe, rubbing the back of my neck. I feel it too—this low hum of jealousy that’s been lurking under the surface since we all agreed to share Sofia. It’s one thing to say it, to know it intellectually, but seeing it? Feeling it? That’s a whole different story.

“You’re not the only one, Leo,” I admit, and my voice comes out more resigned than I mean it to. “But... we can’t hold it against him. You know Nate. He’s been through hell and back, man. After everything that happened with his family... I didn’t think he’d ever open up to anyone again. But now? With Sofia? He’s... different.”

Leo lets out a frustrated sigh, dragging a hand through his hair. “I know, I know. It’s just—” He cuts himself off, the words hanging heavy in the air. “I guess I didn’t expect to feel like this. We all agreed, right? That we’d share her, no jealousy, no drama. But it’s harder than I thought.”

I nod, letting the words sink in. It’s true. We all thought we could handle it, that sharing Sofia would be simple. We all care about her, want her. But seeing Nate with her, seeing how close they’ve gotten? It’s... complicated.

“Look,” I say, pushing off the wall and meeting Leo’s eyes. “Nate... he needs her. Maybe a little more than we do right now. You’ve seen him over the years, how closed off he’s been. How he shut down after everything. We should be happy for him, man. Happy that he’s finally letting someone in.”

Leo’s quiet for a moment, his brows furrowed in thought. “Yeah,” he finally says, his voice softer now. “You’re right. But damn, man, it still stings. I can’t help it.”

I chuckle softly, feeling the weight of his words settle in my chest. “Yeah, me too. But we gotta focus on what’s best for her, and for Nate. We’ll have our moments with her too. Just give it time.”

Leo shakes his head, a small smile creeping onto his lips. “Yeah, time... and maybe a little more patience. I guess I'm also the one who tricked her at school so I'm lucky she's not holding that against me.”

“Exactly,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder. “It’s not a race. She’s got enough love for all of us.”

We stand there for a few moments in silence, the weight of our unspoken thoughts hanging in the air between us. Finally, Leo straightens up, a new resolve in his eyes.

“Alright,” he says. “Let’s head back out before we look like complete creeps hiding in here.”

I laugh, nodding in agreement as we both exit the closet.

As Leo and I walk back into the kitchen, I spot Nate standing at the counter, calmly assembling sandwiches. He doesn’t see us at first, so I take a second to watch him, guilt settling deep in my chest. Here we were, sneaking off to talk about him, letting jealousy twist us up, while he’s here, making us lunch without a second thought.

I exchange a glance with Leo, and I can tell he’s feeling the same. Nate might have his rough edges, but he’s always been steady, dependable. Even when we’re not.

Nate looks up when he hears us, offering a quick nod. “Made sandwiches,” he says simply, pushing two plates across the counter. “Figured you guys might be hungry after working out.”

Leo slides into the chair next to me, and I can see him swallowing the guilt down. “Thanks, man,” he says, his voice a little tight.

I sit down too, staring at the sandwich for a moment before finally picking it up. The guilt gnaws at me, and I almost want to apologize. Hell, I do feel bad. I glance at Nate, who’s already sitting down across from us, taking a bite of his own sandwich like nothing in the world is bothering him.

“Where’s Sofia?” I ask, trying to shake off the awkward tension building inside me.

Nate gestures with his head toward the stairs. “She went upstairs to grab some of her books,” he replies, not missing a beat. “Said she wanted to get some work done on her classes while we’re all busy.”

I take a bite of the sandwich, the taste barely registering. The guilt’s still heavy in the back of my mind. Here’s Nate, making sure we’re fed, taking care of Sofia, and all I’ve been doing is letting jealousy bubble up because he’s been spending more time with her.

After a few more minutes, Nate turns toward us, his face more serious now. "Guys," he starts, his voice low. "Sofia knows we’re hiding something."

I freeze mid-bite, my stomach dropping. “What do you mean?”

He runs a hand through his hair, leaning against the counter like the weight of the world is sitting on his shoulders. "She told me earlier. She knows something’s up, and she said she’ll be there when we’re ready to tell her." He looks at us, his eyes almost pleading. "I don’t like lying to her."

Leo puts down his sandwich, shaking his head. "We’re not exactly lying, Nate. We’re protecting her."

"Yeah, but for how long?" Nate argues, his voice rising a bit. "She deserves to know the truth. It’s her father. She has a right to know what’s going on."

I sigh, leaning back in my chair. “And what are you gonna tell her, huh? That her father nearly killed one of our men yesterday? That he’s actively trying to come after her now? That the deal he had with Moretti fell through because of her, and he wants to make her pay?”

Nate clenches his jaw, his fists tightening at his sides. “She deserves to know.”

"She deserves peace," Leo counters, crossing his arms. "You think telling her all that is going to help? She’s already been through hell. I don’t think dumping all that on her is the right move."

Nate takes a deep breath, frustration clearly building. “You think she’s going to forgive us when she finds out we knew this the whole time?”

Before I can respond, there’s a loud clatter at the top of the stairs—books dropping to the floor.

All three of us turn instantly, our eyes locking on Sofia, standing at the top of the stairs, her mouth open, her eyes wide. She’s heard everything.

"Shit," I mutter under my breath, standing up.

Sofia looks down at us, her hands still clutching the banister like she’s holding on for dear life. "What... what do you mean my father nearly killed someone?"

The room falls into a tense, thick silence. Leo, Nate, and I share a look, knowing there’s no more hiding this.