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Big, greedy hands dipped down to squeeze my ass cheeks in promise, and a giggle flew from my lips. I only nodded firmly, and I glanced over at Kelly to find her watching us with a serene smile. Of all of us, she was the most mellow, but it didn’t take long for Marissa to come hopping over, red-faced with merriment. Against my chest, Anthony stiffened, and I held my breath as my sister took a huge breath before flinging her arms around us to cry with laughter.
“I cannot believe you did that! I thought you were gonna punch him in the face! Oh, oh my God, I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it!” Sputtering through heavy pauses of mirth, Marissa held my shoulder in one tight grip and Anthony’s in another, and I felt his chest shutter in relief. “This is the best. I love drama.”
“I apologize, Marissa, if I had any inkling at all that he’d just barge in—” Waving Anthony off, Marissa leaned back on her low heels to grin brightly at him, and I stepped out of his arms to smooth the front of my dress.
“No, no! You’re fine. Believe me, this is nothing new. Every year, something happens. Last year, H and Mom got into a fist fight, and the year before that, Tracy’s water broke, and the year before that, H and I spent the day in the hospital with my husband when he broke his big toe kicking a soccer ball.” Nudging Anthony with her elbow, Marissa tossed him a wink as she leaned in to continue in a lower voice. “I’m glad you didn’t punch him, though. You did good. It’s all about learning to deal with triggers, right.”
“Yeah… thanks, Marissa.” Patting her lightly on the shoulder, Anthony radiated discomfort, and my sister only nodded before walking off back to the cabana by the pool. The atmosphere lightened considerably as the seconds ticked by, and he spent that moment looking around at the utter disinterest of the party before turning to me. “Is Antonya okay? What did Tracy say?”
“She’s asleep—the kids are watching a movie… Anthony, it wasn’t going to affect her, anyway. It’s okay.” Anthony’s worry was adorable, and he nodded curtly as apprehension swirled in his eyes. “Really, it’s not a big deal. If your father showed up, that means the P.I. isn’t involved anymore. He can harass and make a scene anywhere he wants, but things have changed in the past decade, you know. He might be wealthy, but he’s a legacy. You said it yourself—no one has dealt with him since you took over because he always made you go in his place. You’re the one with influence. You can screw him over with just a few phone calls.”
“I didn’t think of it like that.” Anthony’s confession caused affection to stick to my ribs like tar, and I lifted myself onto the toes of my low heels to kiss his lips. Once again, his hands wrapped around my waist, and he squeezed lightly before sighing into my mouth. “You’re so good to me, babe.”
“I am, aren’t I?” Faux arrogance laced my tone, and I leaned back to take a deep breath as Anthony bared his straight, clean teeth at me. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
Taking Anthony’s hand in mine, I led him across the yard to the cabana where my sisters were chatting up a few of their friends. Relief flooded my chest at the relaxed air that filled my lungs, and, suddenly, I was feeling much better about this party. Anthony wasn’t like an animal at a zoo to be ogled and fawned over, and any intention of doing that had been wiped clean by what had just happened.
The unexpected windfall of confrontation was immediately apparent, and Kelly’s boyfriend’s cousin stuck out his hand for a shake without any strings attached. Standing off to the side a bit, I watched through narrowed eyes as Anthony shook the offered palm, and Tyler grinned as he introduced himself.
“You’re not worried that Anthony’s father will try to take your job?” Coming up next to me, Marissa posed her concerns lightly, but I shook my head. Only a few feet away, Anthony and Tyler engaged in a conversation about cars, and I reached to rub the back of my neck underneath my hair before opening my mouth.
“One problem at a time… I’d like to think that George will vouch for me. It’s not like anyone cares about one grumpy, old man with a grudge… but I’ll think about it when the time comes.” Creeping worry slithered into the deep crevices of my brain, and I took a hard breath and held it in an attempt to air out my skull. “Why did you tell him Mom and I got into a fist fight? She didn’t actually manage to hit me, and she left when I shoved my potato salad in her face.”
“Who cares about the details? You know, Hailey, it’s not a bad thing to fudge the truth a little in a situation like that. Anthony needed the boost of knowing worse had happened.
Besides, if you didn’t shove your plate in her face, she would’ve gotten at least one hit on you, and that’s close enough to a fist fight for me. Since we’re on the subject, when are you going to tell him about Dad?”
Furrowing my brows deeply, I clenched my jaw tight in an effort not to frown that failed miserably.
“I will… he asked about it on the way here…” Low and rough, my declaration only earned me a sharp look, and Marissa scoffed harshly. Crossing my arms under my bust, I stiffened at the ache that shot across my ribs and down my back, but it only added to the darkening clouds that hung over my head.
“You should’ve told him already, H. Look at what just happened. Anthony looked ready to literally kill his dad… in fact, he never doesn’t look like that when the old man is brought up. It’s not healthy, and he needs help. I get it… you and him won’t make the mistakes our parents made, but that doesn’t mean it won’t eat him up.”
“I know that, Marissa.” My irritated snap pulled a hot sigh from my lungs, and I glanced around to make sure Anthony hadn’t heard me. An easy-going smile graced his face, and he seemed fully immersed in his conversation that I’d lost track of. “I know that, and—more importantly—he knows that. Just give him some time. A lot of stuff is happening, but he’s not neglecting himself yet.”
My sisters didn’t know that Anthony had gone to therapy successfully the past ten months, and I wasn’t going to tell them. It wasn’t any of their business—it wasn’t even my story to tell. True, Anthony hadn’t talked about resuming therapy, but that was going to change with today’s upsetting event. He’d handled the sudden appearance of his father much better than I could’ve ever hoped, but he must’ve realized it wasn’t an isolated incident.
“If you say so… him and Tyler seem to be hitting it off real well.” Marissa’s observation only drew my attention
to another of Anthony’s problems, and my frown finally broke through.
Anthony had no friends. Being lonely was just as traumatic as being in an abusive relationship, whether paternal, platonic, or romantic. Marissa had been adamant that he come to this party for largely that reason.
He’s got a girlfriend, a kid, and a nice home life.
Now, he just needs a social life.
It was hard to remember just how often Anthony was tethered to my apartment and the immediate, surrounding areas. Thinking hard-on it, I couldn’t even find a single instance in which he did something fun. His life revolved around Antonya, and he was neck-deep in his own revelation.
Just because your life revolves around Antonya doesn’t mean it consists only of her.
The irony sent chills down my spine, but hope blossomed in my chest when Anthony’s deep, low laughter tickled my ears.
“Yeah… they’d get along well, I think.” Nodding absently at Marissa’s thoughtful words, I shook my head to clear my thoughts and focus on the here and now.
Chapter 26
Anthony
