Damaged 2 (16 page)

When
Mr. Ferro sits down and spies Sean, he's surprised, but when he glances at
Peter, he's stunned. His shocked features instantly morph into a huge smile.
Mr. Ferro rises, steps away from Boobie Barbie, and rounds the table. Just as
Peter stands up, Mr. Ferro gives him a bear hug similar to the one Jon gave
earlier. "Pete! It's so good to see you!"

His
dad shoots out more questions than Jon. Peter doesn't actually answer any of
them. Instead he just smiles and nods. When his father glances at me, Peter
takes that as his cue for the introduction.

"Dad,
this is Sidney Colleli." Peter sweeps his hand in my direction. Sean completely
ignores the introduction and keeps tapping away at the screen on his phone. He
took it out as soon as he sat down. I glance at Jon quickly and get a
flirtatious nod, complete with charming smile.

Mr.
Ferro has an impressed look on his face. "So you're the woman who brought my
son back to the land of the living?" He says it like I did something
miraculous, like Peter was six feet under. Everyone is looking at me, Sean
included.

Was
Peter really that far gone? He didn't seem like it when I met him. I knew he
was hurting, but the shock on everyone's faces to see Peter here and happy
isn't lost on me. "He's a good man."

Sean
sounds bored, like my words will make him fall over and go comatose. "Of course
he is. He's a Ferro."

"And
you!" Mr. Ferro gives Sean a severe look. "You missed your mother's birthday
and every major holiday in between."

"My
apologies," Sean replies, sounding completely apathetic. "I've been working."
Sean is wearing a black sweater that looks to be made of silk and a pair of
dark jeans. There are boots on his feet, and his hair is messier than usual.
It's a strong contrast between the suit he wore last night.

His
father is obviously irritated with Sean. He's about to say something when
another voice cuts him off.

"Well,
well. Both my prodigal sons have returned." An older woman with golden hair
appears. It's cut short and tapered to her head in a fashionable style. The
cold depths of her eyes make her appear soulless. There's no light on her face.
Maybe she adopted Jonathan, because he's still smirking at the mistress like he
plans on hitting on her after lunch.

Mrs.
Ferro walks over to Peter slowly, assessing him. A cornflower-blue suit makes
her appear regal and utterly proper.

Mr.
Ferro's voice is civil, but there's a lot of tension, as if there are decades
of unspoken words and worries. "Constance."

Mrs.
Ferro inclines her head, but that's all. She walks past Peter without a second
look and takes the seat at the head of the table. Mr. Ferro sits sandwiched
between his wife and his arm candy. Every single one of them acts like this is
totally normal. My mother would have stabbed my dad with the salad fork if he
cheated on her, never mind flaunting some bombshell and bringing her to lunch
at our house. What the hell? I glance at Sean, but even he fails to comment on
it. Oh my God, if this is normal, no wonder they're so messed up. The tension
is so thick that it's choking me.

Mrs.
Ferro looks up at me after placing her napkin on her lap. "Who are you?"

I
glance at Peter. His mother is a scary woman. Her question sounds more like an
invitation to leave. "I'm Peter's girlfriend." I can say that, right? It sounds
stupid, but I suppose it's true.

Peter
introduces me and is uncharacteristically quiet. His mother looks down her nose
from across the table. "I suppose you're here to plead with me, then."

I
glance at Peter and then Sean. Jon is smiling like everything is terribly
exciting. I shake my head and correct her. "No, I'm not. Actually we're on our
way to see my mother."

"Oh,
so you're visiting other people's mothers, just not your own?" Her words are
tack-sharp. Peter doesn't look up at her. God, no wonder why both Sean and
Peter ran fast and far. The woman is horrible. She's an emotional black hole
and anyone sitting next to her will be sucked dry. I glance at Mr. Ferro,
wondering if that's why he's tethered to the hot chick.

I
can't leave it alone. I know I should—Peter's mom has every right to be upset
that her son ran off—but it's not like that. "My mother's dying, Mrs. Ferro.
Peter wouldn't let me make the drive alone."

Mrs.
Ferro stands. Without an explanation, she leaves the table and doesn't look
back. Peter tells me that he'll be right back and follows after her.

Sean
smirks. "Bravo. You pissed her off in less than five minutes. I don't think
I've made her leave a room that quickly. And to think, I wasted all that time
coming up with snarky remarks for number forty-seven down there. Apparently we
just needed you."

"She
said it like we're taking a joy ride to Atlantic City. There are other things
going on." My throat is tight. I'm not explaining myself to him. "Excuse me." I
get up and walk away from the table. I turn down a hallway and keep walking and
have no idea where I'm going.

Footfalls
race up behind me. Jonathan appears, breathing a little too hard as if he ran
after me. "You saved my ass back there. She's been wanting to chew me out since
I got home. Hey, are you okay?"

I
nod, even though I'm not. By tonight, I'll be home arguing with my own mother.
"I'm fine."

"Come
on. Peter's this way." Jon explains how lunch probably looked really weird
since his father brought his mistress. "He does it to piss Mom off, but the
woman never reacts. It's like she's dead inside. Dad on the other hand needs a
plaything. I'm not making excuses for him. I mean, if a guy gets married he
should deal with it. That's why I'm never saying any vows like that." He
physically shudders as if marriage were a fate worse than death. "It gets extra
interesting around the holidays. I try to steer clear of this place, but I'm
sure you heard since my actions precede me—I'm the reckless son." He looks over
at me and grins. "Actually, I'm not reckless at all, but none of them can tell
because they're all dead inside. I know you met Sean—case in point. The guy's a
vampire, sucking out souls from California to New York Island." He grins and
sings the last few words.

"I
think vampires suck blood."

"Same
difference. He's heartless and cold, plus the song makes him sound like a
hippie vampire, which is amusing. There's some juxtaposition going on there."
He's trying to make me smile, but my guts have already twisted into knots.

I
offer a nervous smile as we turn down another corridor. "So your
parents—they're not divorced?"

"The
D word, no. Mom hasn't wanted one. She just tolerates whatever shit my dad
pulls and doesn't say anything. Dad has more money if he stays with Mom. As
long as the mistress doesn't care, things are pretty quiet. With Sean and Pete
gone, there's not much to do around here."

"Stop
spilling family business to a stranger, Jon." Sean is walking swiftly toward
us.

"Sean,
stop being an asshole. You've seen the way Pete looks at her—"

"I
have. Go finish lunch." Sean stares down his brother, until Jon shakes his head
and turns away.

I
watch Jon walk down the hallway. His gait is so similar to Peter's, but
different as well. Sean calls after him. "I heard what you did, by the way.
I'll speak with you later."

Jon
turns around with a huge smile on his face. "It's not open for discussion, bro.
It's a done deal." Jon laughs and hurries off before Sean can say anything
else.

His
steely gaze cuts over to me. "I have what Peter needed. There's no point in
lingering. Let's get going."

I
wonder what they needed, but I don't ask. I just nod and walk with him to the
front of the building. When we step outside, the turkey is waiting for me,
perched on the bottom of the railing. My car has been pulled around and is in
the center of the driveway.

"Are
you throwing me out?"

Sean
laughs lightly. "No, I'm making it easier for you to leave. There's a
difference."

"No,
there isn't, and you're an asshole."

"It's
a matter of perspective. Get going. Peter and I will be along shortly."

He
wants me to leave without Peter? Sean opens the driver's side door. The turkey
jumps into the backseat and settles into his regular position. "Yeah, I'm not
leaving without him."

Sean
looks agitated. "Perhaps I could persuade you?"

"What
the hell does that mean?"

"It
means I can give you anything you could possibly want to drive away right now
and never come back. Name your price." Sean's voice is utterly detached. He
reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a checkbook. I say nothing. Sean
scribbles something and rips out the check, handing it to me.

I
unfold the check and blink twice at the number. Holy fuck, that's a lot of
money. I could buy an island with this check and every little thing I could
possibly want. All I have to do is get in the car and drive away. It's what
Sean wants. I take the check and smile at him. I slip into the front seat of my
car, and I'm sure Sean thinks I'm going to leave when I start the car.

"Good
girl," Sean says, like he's pleased with me. God, he's such an arrogant prick.
He steps up to the car to shut the door, but my foot is still hanging out. The
lighter finally pops. I take it and step out of the car.

"Here's
what I think of your offer." I touch the lighter to the corner of the check. I
hoped it would catch fire and burn, but the thing barely makes the paper smoke.
I press the lighter to the paper over and over again, but it doesn't burst into
flames. It just makes little circles all over the check.

"Very
cute. Go ahead and decorate the other side too so they match. The bank won't
care."

The
damn thing won't catch. I make an annoyed sound in the back of my throat and
throw the lighter on the ground. Ripping the check into a million pieces I hiss
horrible things at Sean and then throw the bits of paper in his face. "You
don't own me. I can do whatever I want and I want Peter, so deal with it."

Sean
flicks a piece of paper off his sweater but doesn't react. "I already wired the
money into your account. The check was a showpiece. Get in your car and drive
away."

I
stare at him in shock. He can't do that! Can he? "What's wrong with you? Don't
you want Peter to be happy?"

"Yes,
I do, very much so. Based on everything he's told me, you have your own shit to
deal with, and I don't want him to be any part of it. The best thing you can do
for my brother is to get in your car, leave, and never look back.

"No
matter what his last name is, Pete will always be a Ferro. He'll always have
more shit than he can handle, and he really can't carry more. I'm telling you
things that you already know. If money doesn't appeal to you, then maybe you
shouldn't think about yourself at all.

"What's
best for Peter? Dragging him with you is making him regress. He shouldn't be
here. This place is toxic; our whole fucked-up family is poison. Peter knows
that, but he came back for you—he's done everything for you, and you've led him
straight into hell."

Sean's
words are clipped. He delivers them with more passion than I would have thought
possible. There's no doubt in my head that Sean is protecting his brother, that
he knows better than anyone what kind of personal demons lurk at this house, in
this place.

I
want to say that I didn't know, that I'm not selfish, but I am. I slip into the
car and let Sean close the door. The window is down. Sean leans in, saying,
"You're doing the right thing."

I
can't look at him. Gripping the wheel tightly, I hiss, "Take the money out of
my account. If you leave a single penny, I'll come back and shove it up your
ass."

Sean's
lips twitch like he wants to smile. "Very well. By the time you're home, the
funds will be gone."

Gone.
The word rings in my ears. Peter will be gone as well. No doubt Sean will tell
him something that will keep him from looking for me. I pull away slowly with
my heart in my mouth. I had no idea what Peter went through, and bringing him
back up here was the worst thing I could have done.

CHAPTER
23

I
pull up to my childhood home after dark. It looks just the way I remember it—a
big grassy lawn and gardens overflowing with flowers. I thought I'd have a
house like this one day. Now I don't know what I'll have.

My
phone has been silent since I left the Ferro mansion. I thought Peter would
call me. I thought he'd come after me. I can't stand the thought of not seeing
him again. I wonder what Sean told him and can't help but wonder where he is
now and what he's doing.

I
turn off the engine and open the door. Me and the turkey walk up the center
sidewalk to the house. I ring the bell. I don't live here anymore. This isn't
my home, and these people are strangers to me. My father opens the door wearing
his normal nighttime garb—jeans and an old T-shirt. He has a bag of chips in
one hand. He doesn't really look up until I speak.

"Hey,
Dad."

Recognition
shoots across his face at the same time he glances up. He stares at me like I'm
a ghost. "Sidney." Dad doesn't say anything else. I can tell that there's a
battle going on inside his mind. He's happy to see me but betrayed that I left.
Awkwardness consumes me. I know leaving was the right thing to do, but still—I
feel sorry that I caused them pain.

"Sam
told me Mom's sick." He nods and opens the door to let me in.

"Yeah,
she is. Things have been rough. She's been asking for you."