Chapter 41 Something Different About Her
Roman
There's something different about her.
That’s all I’ve been able to think about since Elena Legan showed up at my house this morning. I haven’t seen her in a year. In some ways, she still looks the same, but she’s different. I can feel it. I don’t know why.
I’ve done pretty well over the past year. I haven’t thought about her much. The first few weeks after she left, she dominated my thoughts, but over time, it became easier not to think about her.
Unfortunately, her reappearance has reignited those thoughts. And now, for the past hour, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her.
Michael notices. He squints at me.
“What’s going on, Roman?”
I shake my head.
“Nothing. Keep talking to me about the arms shipments.” He doesn't, opting instead to close his tablet and stand up.
"You ignored half my assignment. I'm tired, and so are you. It's time to stop," he states.
I raise an eyebrow.
"I tell you when to stop."
He makes a face.
"No ratings right now. I'm tired as hell and hungry. We've been discussing this all day. And frankly, I think we need a third opinion. Tony is useless.”
He is. Unfortunately, Tony's abilities are more suited to the realm of murder and violence than to the more practical aspects of our business. Sales and finances don't interest him.
After briefly considering Michael’s words, I get to my feet and follow him down to the kitchen. I’m pretty sure none of us will be surprised to see Tony there with a sandwich in his hand. The guy is almost always eating something.
“How was the meeting?” he mumbles around a mouthful of ham.
“Disgusting, man,” Michael groans. “Swallow before you talk.”
Tony rolls his eyes.
“You’re not my mother, Mikey.”
“Thank God for that,” Michael says.
I smile and walk over to the fridge to see if there are any leftovers. It's well past dinner time, but I hope Mom left something for us.
"I'm already heating some mac and cheese for you both," Tony says, gesturing at them.
I nod, waiting for it to be done. Once it is, Tony helps us distribute the food. The three of us work quietly as a unit, careful not to make too much noise, considering most of the family is asleep.
"My sister moved out," Tony announces as soon as we finish eating.
Then he goes on to explain Elena's strange actions. I shrug when he's finished. "She's always been prone to doing strange things," I muttered.
"Of course, but she's been acting suspiciously. Her moving to England, her coming back, everything is suspicious. She hardly called home when she was there. I was ready to get on a plane to visit her, but Dad convinced me not to. He said he wanted to give her space, and I respected that. Now she's back home, and he's giving her even more space? It doesn't make any sense." Tony was curious.
"I'm sure your dad has his reasons," I said.
“Yes, or he's going soft. Forget it, he's always been soft with her. In his eyes, she can do no wrong.” He sighs.
I look at him, wondering where his resentment lies. When I look at Michael, he's watching Tony, too. I look at him.
"Anything else you want to add?" I ask.
Michael shakes his head. "He's right. Something's wrong with the girls. Kiara hasn't told me, but they're moving to England, and back is weird.”
I don’t say that I agree with them completely. But if the girls had any problems, I’m sure they would come to us. Elena is part of my family, and so is Kiara. No matter what differences we have, I would help them without hesitation.
“Your sister can take care of herself,” I tell Tony. “Despite what you think, she’s not a little child. She’s mature, even if she doesn’t act like it sometimes. She’s strong, too.”
“I know,” Tony says, running a hand through his hair. “I just worry. All the time. After Mom left, I had to take care of her. Dad does everything he can, but sometimes it seems like he's afraid to push her away, as he did with Mom. He lets her do whatever she wants. Elena takes advantage of that.”
Tony has carried the weight of holding his family together since he was fifteen. His mother left, and his father suddenly became a shell of himself, absent when they needed him. Tony took charge of Elena.
She was stubborn and difficult as hell, but he did everything he could to make sure she was okay. My best friend is a better person than anyone gives him credit for.
“Just relax, okay, Tony? They’ll talk to us about whatever’s bothering them whenever they want. Don’t push it. And don’t be a bull,” Michael warns.
I chuckle.
“I’m not a bull,” Tony says, clearly hurt.
“But you exist. Whenever you set your mind to something, you charge. You have tunnel vision. Like a bulldozer.”
He sulks.
“You guys are no fun.”
We spend the next hour talking about everything and nothing. The biggest thing I’ve always been grateful for is my relationship with my brothers. I spent the first half of my life before I met Tony isolated from everything and everyone.
I was incapable of forming genuine relationships. I’ve always had Michael, but our connection didn’t flourish until Tony completed us. They helped me see that it’s possible to open your heart without feeling weak. And I did, or at least I tried.
And yet there is one secret I keep from my brothers. One that weighs heavily on my mind. And part of me worries that our bond won't survive if it gets out.
Tony will probably never forgive me. If there's one thing he's good at, it's holding a grudge.
The Legans all had different reactions to Tony and Elena's mother's rejection. Salvador was more heartbroken; it was obvious he missed his wife. Elena was heartbroken at first. Then she started to feel anger, but eventually her emotions led to sadness.
Like her father, she misses her mother too. She wants her. Tony's only known anger is over his mother's abandonment. He refuses to forgive her and decides to let her go. He mentions her from time to time, but it's clear he hasn't done it and doesn't plan to.
The man barely controls his emotions, but anger is his closest friend. That's how I know he won't forgive me. I want to keep it a secret. But what I did to Elena... things like that always find a way out.
Especially now that she's back.