Chapter 204

Chapter 204
AUTHOR'S POV

Later that night, Emilio found Don Luca in his study pouring whiskey.

"We need to talk about Angelo." Emilio said and Don Luca nodded.

"He's shutting down completely. The only time I see any emotion from him is when he asks about his mother, and even that's getting rarer."

Don Luca poured two glasses and handed one to Emilio. "What do you suggest?"

"I don't know. But whatever we're doing isn't working." Emilio took a long drink. "He calls me temporary dad when we're alone. Says it like it's automatic now, like he's forgotten there was ever anything else. But there's no warmth in it. No affection. Just habit."

"Does he talk to you about Allegra?"

"Sometimes. He asks if I've heard anything. I tell him what I know, which is nothing. The facility won't give me information since I'm not family."

"I'll make sure you're added to the approved list."

"Appreciated."

They sat in silence, ice clinking in their glasses.

At school the next day, Angelo moved through the halls and other students stepped aside to let him pass. Nobody met his eyes. Nobody spoke to him unless absolutely necessary.

During lunch, he sat alone under his usual tree with a textbook open. Adore appeared, her lunch tray trembling slightly in her hands.

"Can I sit with you?" She asked with uncertainty.

Angelo’s eyes narrowed on her, there she was standing in front of him and looking so damn beautiful, she is growing up to be a very sexy lady…too bad, he can't have anything to do with her. "I'm studying."

He replied swiftly.

"You're always studying." She sat anyway, uninvited.

Angelo kept his eyes on his book, his heart pounding wildly. She always has that effect on him whenever she is near.

He kept staring unseeing at the pages and hadn’t turn it in five minutes.

"I miss talking to you." She said shyly.

"We're talking now." His voice came out gruff and he wished she would just go away and leave him alone.

"No, we're not. You're reading and I'm bothering you."

He said nothing. His fingers tightened on the edges of the book.

"Do you remember when you used to walk me to class? When you give me piggy back?

"That was a long time ago and you are no longer a baby that I will be giving you piggy back”.

Adore picked at her food, tearing her sandwich into small pieces without eating any. "What happened to you, Angelo?"

She asked softly, so softly that she almost didn't catch it.

He finally looked at her. His eyes were flat and empty. "I grew up and I am wiser now”.

"Growing up doesn't mean you have to stop caring about people."

"I don't know what you're talking about”.

He stood, gathered his things, and walked away leaving Adore who sat there with her shoulders shaking and tears dripping onto her untouched lunch.

That afternoon, a boy in Angelo's class made a comment about Adore. Something crude that made the other boys laugh. Angelo heard it from across the room. He waited until after school and found the boy in the parking lot.

Well, the boy ended up in the hospital with a broken jaw and three cracked ribs. Angelo walked away without a scratch.

Don Luca was called again. This time the principal's face was red, his voice sharp.

"He's defending his sister." Don Luca's voice was hard.

"Use words, not violence."

Don Luca’s eyes narrowed on the principal,

"Words don't stop boys from making disgusting comments about a girl."

The principal adjusted his glasses with shaking hands. "Nevertheless, if this happens again, we'll have no choice but to expel him."

“You won't dare! Except you want to end up like those boys,” Don Luca snarled and the principal paled.

“Don Luca…”.

“I'll hear no more about the matter”.

In the car, Don Luca tries to talk to Angelo

"I understand that you were defending your sister but there are consequences to your actions."

"I don't care about the consequences." Angelo said firmly, his face set in a determined line.

"You should. Violence isn't always the answer."

Angelo turned to look at him directly for the first time in weeks. "You taught me that violence is often the only answer. That respect is earned through strength. That protecting what matters requires being willing to hurt those who threaten it."

Don Luca had no response because Angelo was right. He had taught him all of those things. His hands tightened on the wheel until his knuckles went white.

"It's good to see that you at least care about her."

"She's family. Family gets protected."

"Then why won't you talk to her? Or to Adonis, they are your siblings and you can get along with them”.

Angelo looked away, back out the window. "I do talk to them…especially to Adore."

"You give her one-word answers and walk away. That's not talking."

"It's all I have to give."

That night, Adore knocked on Angelo's door with another drawing. He opened it and she held it out with both hands, like an offering. This one showed all of them together, smiling, holding hands.

"I made this for you. It's us, the whole family."

Angelo took it and stared at it. His throat moved as he swallowed. Then he handed it back.

"I'm not part of your family."

"Yes you are. You live here. You're with us every day."

"I'm an employee who happens to live here. That's all I've ever been."

Adore's face crumpled. The drawing fell from her hands as she turned and ran down the hall, her sobs echoing off the walls.

Angelo watched her go. Then he bent down, picked up the drawing, and closed his door. He walked to his desk and pulled open the locked drawer. Inside was the first drawing she'd ever given him.

He placed the new drawing beside it. Stared at both until his vision blurred and his chest felt too tight to breathe. Then he carefully put them back and locked the drawer.

Some things were too painful to keep looking at. But too precious to throw away.

He sat on his bed and pressed his palms against his eyes until he saw stars. His chest heaved once, twice, fighting against something trying to break free. But nothing came out. No tears. No sound.