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“That’s the second time you’ve said that.”
So he’d heard me the first time. “I meant it both times.”
Theo
Placing the blanket over her, I turned off the bedside lamp. I headed out of my bedroom as the front door to my penthouse opened and Arty came in, still holding his motorcycle helmet.
“When I gave you the access code, I didn’t me for you to come over whenever you felt like it,” I told him, rolling up my sleeves.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he snapped at me. “Why in the hell would you say those things to Mom?”
“Don’t yell. Felicity is sleeping—”
“Who gives a fuck about Felicity—”
“I do, and if you can’t get over that, it’s best you leave now,” I replied. “What is wrong with you? Why are your eyes—Arty, you better not be on that shit again.”
“You’re worried about me?” He laughed, shaking his head. All of him looked like he was shaking. He was pale and sweaty. “Don’t fucking worry about me! Worry about yourself! You’re the one who’s dating an insane chick. Like certifiably insane. I’m talking about the Mom you know, the woman who raised you for over twenty years! You’re her golden boy, right? Then why did you bring her to tears yesterday when you ripped her and Dad a new one?”
“Arty, I’m not doing this with you. Not when you’re like this. When you need help—”
“I’m fine. I just want to understand how you met a woman who came to a party looking for a sugar daddy, who turned out to be crazy, and then decided she was the most important thing to you? Screw your family. This girl, yeah, she’s the one? Mom was worried—”
“Lorelai was worried about her image! The Darcy image, the same thing she has been worried about since the day I came into this family. What do you want me to do? Go back and apologize for telling her the truth? I don’t care—”
“You should! Who the hell are you right now? I get it. All your life you’ve been the brooding, silent, suffering Theodore. You’re pissed at Mom for looking down at people when you do the same goddamn thing to her and all her friends for being rich.”
“It is not the same,” I snapped, closing the gap between us. “It’s not the money that bothers me, it’s the contempt she and you and everyone else seems to have toward people who aren’t in the same tax bracket. If you call her crazy or insane one more time, I will knock your teeth in.”
“Screw you, Theo. If you don’t want to be part of this family, fine. Just remember pity isn’t love.”
“Funny, the last person you were in love with was Violet, wasn’t it?” I said, and his eyes widened. “You think I didn’t know?”
He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes at me. “I don’t know what you think you know, but you’re wrong. If only you were as dedicated to her as you are to Felicity. She just wasn’t damaged enough for you, was that it? Or aren’t you using Felicity as penance for the fact you weren’t with your mother as she died?”
“Get. Out,” I hissed through my teeth.
“You disgust me. You’re not even a man and you’re insane—”
Like I’d promised, I pulled my fist back smashed it into his nose. He stumbled back, gripping the bridge of his nose before wiping the blood from it.
“I warned you, didn’t I?”
“You son of a bitch!” he muttered then charged at me. He got one good punch at the side of my face right next to my eye, sending us both backward over the couch. Flipping us over, struggling on the surface of the couch, we landed back on the glass. However, I didn’t care. I pinned him to the ground and he struggled, grabbing my arm as I held on to his throat.
“When have you ever been able to beat me, Arty? Huh?”
“Theo! Let him go,” Felicity yelled, running up behind me and pulling on my arm. “Look at his face! He’s turning blue!”
Urgh! Getting got up off him, I put as much space between us as possible. “Get out or I’ll throw you out, Arty.”
Felicity tried to help him up, but he smacked her hands away. I was tempted to go back and smash his head off. Felicity took a step back, blocking my path.
“This is all your fault.” He sneered at her, snatching his helmet on the way out.
“It’s always someone’s fault, Arty, never yours!” I yelled. The door slammed. Running my hands through my hair, I took a deep breath. Damn him! Reaching into my pocket, I took out my phone. “Nolan, my brother just left. He’s impaired—yes, thank you.”
“Your hand is bleeding.”
