Let Me Stay

“It is a text message on Brynn’s phone. I thought it was mine since we both have hot pink cases. I picked it up and read it. You know how we all use the same passcode for obvious reasons,” she says. There is nothing obvious to me about it, but I guess I will come back to that later. What could possibly be on Brynn’s phone to warrant this kind of reaction?

“Jesus, Bella, out with it. What does it say?” Fawn asks.

“I do not think that is really necessary,” Brynn says, running from her place by my side, to try and grab her phone away from her sister. Immediately, I think it is from another man. Something she would not want me to know about, but I quickly disregard that. Bella plays keep-away from Brynn.

“‘I warned you. You should have never come back. Watch what happens now’,” Bella says anyway. “What the fuck does it mean, Brynn?” I clench my fists at my sides. She is still being threatened, and she still hasn’t told me.

“Is this why you left?” Brando shouts, looking directly at Brynn. I follow his gaze and see her face fall. I can see the walls she’s built up start to crumble under the scrutiny of her oldest brother. I want to go to her, but something inside of me tells me that she needs to handle this her own way.

“Yes, of course. He threatened Bella. I had no choice.” Brynn’s voice is so small. Her normally loud, cheerful voice sounds crushed right now.

“There is always a choice. We could have handled it family-style,” he says cryptically, causing me to smirk. He glances at me and back at Brynn. She subtly shakes her head no, and he visibly calms down. I should just say something now.

“Enough. Give the phone to Bartolo, and he will take care of it,” Fabrizio says, coming back into the room dressed in what looks like a crushed velvet, jogging suit, similar to that of Big Pussy on The Sopranos. Brando is similarly dressed. If I wasn’t so pissed off, I’d find the stereotypicalness of it all hilarious. Bella hands the phone over to Bartolo, who puts it in his shirt pocket.

“I am going to need my phone. I applied for a job,” she says to her brother.

“I will get you a cloned phone after dinner. Just phone calls will come through though. I will get all the texts, so please no sexting, you two,” he says, pointing to us, causing everyone to laugh, except Fabrizio, effectively lightening the mood.

“No sexts ever,” Fabrizio says seriously.

“I, uh, would never do that,” she says, stuttering.

“Don’t worry, sorellina. I will delete everything before Dad gets a good look at it,” he says, laughing. Shit. The ones we sent while I was working weren’t that bad, were they? But then I remember the pictures she sent me. Damn, those pictures would sustain me for life, but I do not want anyone else seeing those.

“Let me see that phone for a second,” I say without thinking, quickly reaching over and pulling it out of his pocket, which causes even more laughter. Once I am satisfied everything X-rated is off the phone, I stick it back in his pocket.

We finally have dinner, and nothing else is spoken about the threats, but I intend to have a word with Brynn about it. Before we leave, I get a chance to have a private word with Fabrizio, who leads me to his office.

“Why aren’t you scared of me?” he asks, pouring us each a drink.

“No, thank you. I have to drive Brynn tonight,” I say, declining the scotch. He nods.

“Good man,” he says, pouring the other drink into his own glass. “Now answer my

question.”

“Do I have anything to be scared of, sir?” I ask.

“Call me Fabrizio, Brendan, and no, you don’t. Not yet. Hurt my daughter in any fucking

way, and you should be very fucking afraid,” he says, swallowing the expensive scotch like it’s a shot of cheap vodka.

“I have no intention of ever hurting her, Fabrizio. I love her. I want to marry your

daughter.” His eyes widen.

“How long have you known Brynn?”

“Three weeks,” I reply.

“So, you know how stubborn she can be? How impossible, especially before she’s had

coffee?”

“I am aware of how much she hates mornings, among other things, but that doesn’t

matter to me. I love her and I need her in my life. But I won’t ask her to be mine without your

blessing,” I tell him.

“Then you have it, Brendan. Her mother will be pleased. She’s afraid her sons won’t give

her grandchildren.”

“My mother thinks I won’t either.”

“That’s the thing about mothers. They want babies all around them for as long as

possible,” he says, clapping me on the back. “Welcome to the family. Come back and talk to me after you talk to Brynn. You’ll know when the time is right.”