Contagious lies

18 | Bloodstained

Marco Revello

The disgust in her eyes every time our eyes met left me devastated. She made sure to keep her distance. Each time I entered a room Ezhil made sure to leave in a hurry. She wouldn't address me nor waste her time on me. This entire situation was already hard to deal with only for my brothers to make it harder on my end.

Massimo sat in front of me with curiosity swimming in his eyes. Arms crossed as he glared at me, irritated. "Why did you lie?"

His question lingered through the air cutting right through my heart. Why did I?

"Is this about Leon or Ezhil?" I questioned him despite knowing exactly what this was about.

"Don't start."

I chuckled softly. "We met at a company dinner. Revealing to her who I was seemed so unimportant. I was convinced I'll never see her again. I don't know why I kept the truth from her. Being Marco around her didn't seem possible. The more I got to know her the more I understood that Marco is not...deserving of her." I explained as I grabbed my pack of cigarettes, falling back into old habits. "And for Leon, well our father has caused us enough pain. I thought that not acknowledging him might make everything easier on my part."

Massimo sighed as he closed his eyes briefly. Arthur was silent, unsure of what to say. His face is void from any expressions.

"Why wouldn't you be deserving of her?" Arthur asked curiously and took me by surprise. From everything I just shared I expected him to be more interested in our half brother.

"You know me. I'm too violent, I'm inconsiderate. I don't help others if isn't for my own benefit. Those are things I am or rather have to be. Yet when I'm with her, when I'm Alvize those thoughts and feelings disappear. When I'm with her I feel as if I'm allowed to lower my guard." I spoke as I lit my cigarette on. Inhaled it and blew the spoke right out. "She remind me of who I could have been."

"You can still make it right." Massimo argues, his attempt of comforting me was amusing, we both know that's impossible.

"I don't want to bring her deeper into our world." I told him.

Arthur laughed softly. "It's already too late for that."

A loud knock on the door made us all look at the brown wooden door. "Come in." I say knowing well who it was.

Leon stood there with his arms crossed. Uninterested and clearly here by force. Massimo stood up, stretched his hand out for him to shake. There was a hint of hesitation. Leon shook Massimo's hand.

"I wish we had met under different circumstances." Massimo said gently, with the same tone he spoke in when Arthur was involved.

It was evident that he was upset, perhaps even angry. I have kept him hidden from my brothers thinking I was doing everyone a favor when in reality it only benefited me. All he wanted was a family after his mother passed away and I took advantage of that.

"I planned on inviting you over so you can meet my wife and daughter but it seems like that will have to wait." Massimo spoke as he glanced over at Leon. He simply nodded his head and offered him a smile.

"I should probably head back to Brenda." Leon informed us, looking around the room to avoid eye contact.

"Sure." Massimo replied and we watched how he closed the door behind him.

Silence filled the room again. Eager to speak yet the words get stuck inside our throats. Glint of curiosity swimming in their eyes.

"You should have told me Marco. As soon as you knew about him, you should have told me." The tenderness in his voice was long gone. I have been waiting to embrace his anger, wondering when it will eventually show.