I nod and accept what he’s saying. Dominic does too.
“What do you need us to do?” I ask.
“Well. With this new plan in the works it would be good if you guys could come over for the day, just for the meeting. I need you to be my eyes and ears.”
That’s doable. I think it would be okay to leave the island for the day and come back the following day.
“I think that would be okay. Dominic what about you?” I ask.
“Yes,” he answers but he’s not looking at me. He’s looking at Massimo. “It might be a good idea too, since I can get some of the gadgets I’ll need.”
“Great. Okay. I’ll need you both at D’Agostinos by two.”
“We’ll fly out first thing,” I say.
“Perfect. See you then guys.” He nods his head and looks at both of us.
The look he gives me though holds worry for Dominic. He can see too that Dominic was different.
The call cuts and Massimo’s image disappears from my view. Dominic gets up ready to leave and I watch him really wondering if he’s gonna just leave like that.
I wait for him to walk out before I follow and gear myself up for another argument when I call after him.
At least he stops at the base of the stairs and looks back at me.
“What? What do you want?” he asks.
“Dominic, is this how we’re really going to be? What the hell happened the other night?”
“You tell me brother.”
“You pulled your gun on me,” I point out.
“You pulled yours on me too.”
“You fucking know why I did.” No way am I going to stand here and allow him to make me feel guilty when he must remember it was he who reached for his gun first, not me. There’s no way in fuck I’d think to do a thing like that if I wasn’t protecting myself first. That’s the only way. “This isn’t us. It’s not you and me. We’re not the brothers who do this.”
“Stop it, fucking stop it. Don’t act like you’re there for me. Don’t,” he says shaking his head. I’m shocked to hear this because as far as I’m concerned I was there. I’ve always been there for him whenever he needed me.
“What are you talking about?”
“Tristan… I have too much shit on my head to argue with you now. I can’t do it. Right now I have to do the things I’m needed for and make miracles happen. No one will have a hopes chance in hell if I don’t come up with a solution.”
“Yeah, you’re right about that. We don’t have a chance without you. But finding out what’s up your ass is more important to me now than anything else. What’s going on Dominic, what do you mean I wasn’t there for you?”
He grits his teeth, looks at me long and hard then presses his lips together .
“Look I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Give me something, you can’t tell me that and just expect me to accept it and not do shit about it. I want to be there for you,” I insist. “Dominic please tell me you know that.”
“Yeah… I know. Look, don’t worry about me. There’s too much to worry about to waste time on me.”
“Dominic, you heard what I said. I mean it. It’s important to me to hear what’s going on with you.”
“No. Nothing is going on with me.” Is all he says and I think of what else I can say to him.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him. I owe him that if he thinks I’ve wronged him. Maybe I have and I don’t know. “All I can say is I’m sorry. Please… tell me how I can help you. I saw you take something the other night. You wouldn’t have acted the way you did if it wasn’t true and you would have been able to trust me.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not taking anything,” he answers and we both know it for a lie.
“Dominic, I saw you. Was it drugs?”
“No. Now stop.” His tone tells me not to push.
I don’t push back because I don’t want to upset him.
I stare back at him and he turns away from me, proceeding up the stairs.
That conversation was fruitless. Nothing came of it except knowing he thinks I haven’t supported him.
When I think of what he could mean I think of everything that’s happened. It’s been too much for him and we’ve had to