I roll my eyes. “Liar.”

  “I should be more understanding when it comes to Dylan. I don’t really know the boy.”

  “He’s thirty-five, Dad. He’s hardly a boy.”

  “That’s another thing. He’s way too old for you.”

  “Dad.” I sigh, holding my head in my hands. “You’re so difficult.”

  “He’s more than a decade older than you.”

  “Do you think I want a young guy who is more interested in playing video games than spending time with me?”

  “No, but I’d prefer someone under the age of thirty-five.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you don’t have to date him.” I smile, giving my dad a playful wink.

  He mutters a slew of curse words under his breath.

  “Honey,” Mom says, coming to sit next to Dad, catching all the vibes between us. “Everything okay?” The question is directed toward me.

  “Perfectly fine, Mom. Just talking to Dad about Dylan.”

  She turns to him, studying his face. “You okay, big guy?”

  “Yeah,” he mutters. “Rosie’s right about Dylan. I’ve been a shithead to a kid who was a victim and treating him like he was his father.”

  My mother’s eyebrows rise because, again, Dad rarely says he’s wrong. “He was always a nice boy to me. His father, on the other hand…”

  “What do you think about their age difference? Doesn’t it bother you?” he asks her.

  I don’t have the heart to tell them that Dylan’s no longer in the picture, preferring to ditch me without a goodbye.

  “You’re older than me,” Mom replies, grabbing my father’s hand. “And we work great.”

  “We’re different.”

  She jerks her head back, brows furrowed. “We are?”

  “Yeah.”

  Mom runs her thumb along the top of Dad’s hand. “We had nothing in common. Absolutely nothing. You were older but not wiser. On paper, we never should’ve worked, but here we are…happy as can be.”

  “We’ve had our issues,” he says.

  “All couples do, Joe. I don’t care who Rosie dates as long as she loves him. Whatever issue you have with the guy, you can give your opinion, and then it’s out of your hands. Don’t you dare drive away our daughter because no one will ever be good enough for your baby in your eyes. You got me?”

  He nods. “Loud and clear.”

  “Your parents like him a lot. I know your mom already had a talk with you about him. She set you straight?”

  “Yes,” he growls.

  She gives his hand a squeeze before releasing it. “Then it’s done. What’s in the past is in the past.”

  “I owe the kid an apology for being an asshole.”

  I giggle. I can’t stop myself from laughing when he calls himself an asshole. It’s what Dylan always calls my father, and in his eyes, he hasn’t been wrong. I’ve never truly disliked anyone, but I’m sure if they treated me shitty for something I didn’t even do, I’d call them an asshole all the time too.

  I somehow stop myself when my father tilts his head, not finding my amusement all that funny. “Dylan’s a lot like you, Daddy,” I say between bursts of laughter.

  “Another reason you shouldn’t be with him.”

  “Joseph,” Mom warns him with a stern look which isn’t all that scary in anyone’s eyes, especially my father’s.

  “What?” he asks.

  She reaches over him, taking his plate off the side table and handing it to him. “Eat your food and let our baby be happy.”

  I smile at my mom, loving her so much. I was blessed to be born into this family with such great and loving parents. I could’ve had the unfortunate luck to become part of a fractured, fucked-up family like Dylan’s.

  “I only want her to be happy. I support her whatever she wants,” he says, finally going back to his lasagna.

  I’d feel the warm fuzzies if Dylan and I had any shot, but he ran away, chipping away at a piece of my heart. We ended before we started, leaving me with only a handful of great memories.

  18

  Dylan

  “The oncologist will call you when the results come in. Should only be a few days,” the woman says as she unties the tourniquet around my arm.

  “Thank you.” I smile, waiting for her to put on the Band-Aid so I can get the hell out of here.

  I don’t have an aversion to needles. My tattoos are a testament to that, but I hate all things medical. I wouldn’t do this shit for anyone else. Going under the knife, even for minor surgery, is not something I think I’d ever do willingly, but if this will save my brother’s life, I’ll put aside my fears.

  “You’re welcome,” she tells me as I get up from the chair.

  I don’t stick around, walking through the crowded waiting room, and head outside. I’m almost to my bike when I hear “Dylan!” being yelled from across the parking lot.

  I look in the direction my name came from and see Grandma and Grandpa Gallo walking my way with their arms hooked together.

  “Hey,” I greet them, tucking my hands in my front pockets as they get closer. “How are you?”

  Mrs. Gallo reaches out and places her hand on my arm. “We’re well, sweetie. How are you?” She looks toward the clinic. “Why are you here? Are you okay?”

  It’s sweet that they care. I’ve never had anyone who gave a shit about me besides my brothers, and even their love was surface level at best.

  “I’m fine,” I reply, relaxing a little bit. Obviously, they aren’t holding what happened with Rosie against me. “I’m having my bone marrow or whatever it is tested.”

  “Who’s sick?” she asks and is genuinely concerned.

  “My brother. It’s why I came back to town. I’m his last hope within the family for a match.”

  “That’s very honorable, son,” Mr. Gallo tells me.

  “I don’t know about honor, but he called and needed me, so I came.”

  “Not everyone would,” he replies.

  That shit’s the truth. My father wouldn’t have if he were alive. He’d let us die before doing anything that wouldn’t benefit himself in some way.

  She shuffles a little closer but doesn’t let go of my arm. “You didn’t come to dinner on Sunday. Rosie said you weren’t feeling well, and then seeing you here…” Her hand tightens on my arm, and I can see the worry on her face.

  “I’m fine, ma’am. I promise. I was busy taking care of my brother,” I lie. “I’m sorry I missed what I can only assume was an amazing meal.”

  “Anytime you’re hungry, stop over for a bite. I always have something on hand, and you will forever be welcome in our home.”

  “Thank you. You’re too kind.”

  “Come with Rosie this weekend,” Mr. Gallo says to me with such a kind smile.

  I rock back on my heels, not sure how to break the news to them. “We’re not seeing each other anymore.”

  Mrs. Gallo’s face instantly loses its lightness. “What? Why?”

  “She didn’t say anything.” Mr. Gallo looks at his wife with his eyebrows pulled down toward the center. “Did she say anything to you?”

  “No,” she whispers. “Not a thing, but I did have a talk with her father about being kind. No one said a word.”

  “It was a decision we made pretty quick.”

  “But why?” she asks again. “You two looked so happy together.”

  “She’s too good for me. Rosie deserves better.”

  Mr. Gallo moves closer, placing his hand on my shoulder. “No man is good enough for any woman, but they make us better. Marie deserved better than me, but it didn’t stop me from pursuing her. I knew I could one day be worthy of her love if given the chance.”

  “Sweetie,” Mrs. Gallo says, both of them still touching me. “It’s not only your decision to make. Did you ask Rosie what she wanted, or did you do the typical male thing and make the decision for both of you?”

  I swallow, hating what I did and how I did it. “I made the decision myself.”

  Mrs. Gallo shakes her head. “Men,” she mutters. “All these years and still not the brightest when it comes to women and love.”

  “Maybe I’d be smarter if I had you two in my life instead of…”

  She shakes her head. “My boys had us in their lives, and they weren’t much smarter. Environment doesn’t always change one’s perception or thought process. This is something you have to work through. And son, just because your father was one way doesn’t mean you’ll be the same.”

  My stomach sinks. “You know about my dad?”

  Mr. Gallo nods. “I met him a few times, and none of the exchanges were kind or cordial. You are not the same man as him.”

  “But what if I am?” I fidget, but he only tightens his hold on my shoulder.

  “The man I see in front of me is kind, caring, and self-aware. You are not what you were born into. Just like I’m not what I was born into. When I was younger, I was a total shithead.”

  “You can say that again,” Mrs. Gallo whispers, giving me a cute little smile.

  “If I hadn’t met this beauty, only God knows where I’d be right now.”

  “Jail,” she adds, giving me a playful wink. “Definitely jail with your brother.”

  “She isn’t wrong,” he says, nodding a few times. “I was on my way there, growing up on the streets of Chicago back in the day. But then I met her, and everything changed.”

  “Sweetie,” Mrs. Gallo says to me and waits until I look at her before she continues. “Your father ruined your childhood. Don’t let him steal your future too.”

  I thought I’d left him behind when I left this town, seeing his face in my side mirrors. But I have been carrying around what he did and how he made me feel, letting it fuck with my head ever since. I’m not him. I have a temper, but every person does, and the only time I use my fists is to protect myself or those around me. I have been a good man, at least better than most, which is more than I can say about my old man.

  I cover her hand with my own. “Thank you.”

  “For what?” she asks.

  “For your kindness and wisdom. Your family has no idea how lucky they are to have you both in their lives.”

  “Yes, they do,” Mr. Gallo says, smiling. “I make sure to remind them often.”

  “Salvatore.”

  “Come on, Marie. Let’s go. We’re already late, and this place is always ridiculously overcrowded. I think Dylan has some thinking to do about what he wants and how he’s going to get it.”

  “Promise me you’ll be at this Sunday’s family dinner,” she asks before she moves away.

  “If Rosie will allow me, I’ll be there, ma’am.”

  “Grandma,” she corrects me and finally releases her grip on my arm, “And if I know my Rosie, you’ll be there.”

  I rub the back of my neck, not as sure as she is. I have some major groveling to do. “I will do my best, but it’s her decision.”

  “It’s always their decision. Remember that, and life will be so much easier,” Mr. Gallo says, leading his wife toward the front entrance to the clinic.

  I stand there, watching the two of them as they walk arm in arm, looking very much in love even after so many years together. I wish I’d had that in my life, someone to show me a healthy and loving relationship. I had nothing to go on, but I am thankful for the words they spoke to me. Besides Rosie, they are the only people in this small town who seem to care about what happened to me in the past and are concerned about my future.

  Before I can climb on my bike, my phone rings and my brother Finn’s name flashes on the screen. I’m tempted to ignore him because he’s a dick, but something makes me answer.

  “Dylan, Ian’s being rushed to County. I found him on the floor in his bathroom. Meet us there,” he says, speaking so fast I barely comprehend what he’s saying.

  “Fuck. On my way,” I tell him before disconnecting the call, jamming the phone in my back pocket, and heading straight for the hospital.

  I rush into the emergency room, parking my bike illegally because I don’t give a shit, and find my brothers in the waiting room.

  “Any news?” I ask as soon as they spot me.

  Finn shakes his head before going back to pacing across the small space.

  Quinn, another one who isn’t a fan of mine, gives me a hard glare from across the room and grunts like, somehow, this is my fault.

  “They said they’d be out as soon as they know anything,” Sean says, but he doesn’t look at me when he speaks.

  “This is bullshit,” Callum, the brother most like my father with his nuclear temper, grinds out. “They should tell us something.”

  “Maybe if you’d gone to medical school instead of spending your life at the bottom of a bottle of tequila, you’d be a little more helpful,” Quinn tells him.

  “Fuck off,” Callum snaps.

  “Has this ever happened before?” I ask, clueless at everything that’s been happening the last seventeen years.

  “You’d know if you’d been around,” Finn is quick to reply, throwing the guilt of my absence right in my face.

  I deserve it. I left them all behind, but they could’ve gotten out too. And after I left, no one reached out to me to make a new life for themselves. They were right where they wanted to be, and I was where I needed to be to keep my sanity.

  “Don’t be a dick,” Quinn tells him, pointing a finger at my brother. “You’ve always been jealous he left, but that doesn’t mean you can keep holding a grudge because you were too much of a pussy to follow in his footsteps.” Quinn shifts his gaze my way and sighs. “It’s happened one other time. It’s how they found the cancer in the first place, but since then, he seemed to be doing as well as he could be with poison still inside his body.”

  “The family of Ian Walsh,” a woman in scrubs says as soon as she enters the waiting room.

  All of us turn to her and stand. “We’re his brothers.”

  Her eyes widen for a moment as she takes in the motley crew. “He’s awake and talking now. We have him on fluids. His vitals are good, but we’re running some blood tests and sending him for a scan soon to determine if there’s a more serious issue.”

  “You’re aware of his cancer, right?” Quinn asks.

  “Yes, sir. We’re aware. As soon as he’s back from the scan, you can see him, but only one at a time. When we know more, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

  “Thank you, Nurse,” Quinn tells her, looking relieved.

  “Dr. Baker,” she corrects him, and he rocks back like he’s been kicked in the gut.

  “Sorry. Thank you, Doctor.”

  She gives him a nod and does another sweep of us. “Any other questions or concerns before I get back to him?”

  “Can we take him home today?” Finn asks because he’s a dumbass.

  “It’s highly doubtful. We’ll probably keep him overnight for observation, especially with his cancer diagnosis, but we’ll know more in a couple hours when we get some of the test results back.”

  “Thank you for the update, ma’am,” I tell her with a dip of my chin.

  She doesn’t stick around to have more dumb shit hurled at her by my brothers.

  “Well,” Callum says, collapsing into a chair and kicking back. “I’m off today. I can stick around.”

  “I’ll stay too,” I offer.

  “You don’t have to,” Quinn tells me. “It’s not like you’ve been around before.”

  I point to the bandage on my arm. “I went for my blood test this morning. If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t. I have as much right to be here as any of you. If you want to be pissed at someone, be pissed at yourself that you stayed as long as you did. I offered to take each and every one of you with me, but you made your choices just like I made mine.”

  Quinn and Finn grumble under their breath, calling me more than a few names.

  Sean, the quietest of my brothers, stares at the bandage on my arm like it holds the secrets of the universe. “So, we’ll know in a few days if you’re a match or not. If you’re not…”

  “I will be,” I promise him, but I have no clue. “What are the odds that none of us are a match? They said twenty-five percent chance any of us would be a match to him, and since none of you are, I have to be. I just have to be.”

  I take a seat across from my brothers, preferring not to sit next to them, and think about all the things I could’ve done differently. The list is short. Sticking around would’ve landed me in a bad place, probably prison or knocking up someone and repeating the pattern my father set.

  The only regret I have is the disconnect I have with my brothers. After seeing Rosie with her family, I want a little sliver of that for myself. We should be closer than we are. Only time will heal the wounds our father inflicted and we let widen through time and distance. And for that to happen, I’d need to stick around.

  I now have two reasons to stay in this small-ass town. Rosie Gallo and my family. If I can win her back, grovel at her feet and beg for forgiveness, the rest will come over time. Without her, I don’t know if I can stay here, seeing her beautiful face everywhere, reminding me of what I could’ve had if I’d had the smarts to realize I wasn’t my old man.

  “Well, you can do what you need to do to help him and then go back to wherever you’ve been,” Finn says. “No need to stick around.”

  “I’m not leaving,” I tell him and all of them. “I’m back, and I’m not leaving. We have shit to straighten out. Shit the old man robbed us of, and I’m not going anywhere until we figure out how to do that.”

  “We’ll see,” Quinn adds. “Sometimes it’s easier to run than stick it out.”

  I turn to him with a curled lip. “Do you want a medal for being a martyr and staying with the asshole? You think you’re better than me because you took his abuse year after year, waiting for the fucker to die?”

  Quinn growls and crosses his arms, stewing in his own self-loathing and pure hatred for me.

  Sean leans forward, resting his arms on his legs. “Time hasn’t healed some wounds, Dylan. But we’re thankful you’re here, even if you only came back for Ian.”

  “I came for Ian, but I’m staying for the rest of you.”