Page 123 of Vicious Behaviors

“Is that your only concern? That your beauty sleep may somehow be affected?” Stella quips back.

“When did I become the villain in my children’s story?” we hear Selene utter, hurt. “First Jude, now you. Tell me where I failed my children so that when they look at me, all they see is an enemy?”

“When you decided that you knew what was best for us,” Stella shouts back just as forcefully. “You talk about what a hellish experience you had growing up with our grandfather.How he dictated every important milestone to his will. How you felt confined to a life you had no control over. Well, guess what,Mammà?You’re doing the same thing to us! Can’t you see that?”

“Do not compare me to the Butcher, Stella! I am your mother!”

“From where I’m standing, you two look pretty similar to me.”

“I’m trying to protect you!”

“I don’t need protection! I can take care of myself!”

“Yes,” Selene says, deflated after a long pause. “Out of all my children, you were the only one who never needed me. Not even when you were a child. Why should you start now?”

All three of us hold our breath as the door swings open. Selene emerges, too distraught to even notice us, and walks briskly away, vanishing down the corridor in an instant. Peering from the doorway, we catch sight of Stella, collapsed to her knees, her face buried in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

I’ve never seen Stella like this. She’s always radiated confidence and pure defiance. To see her so frail—so vulnerable—it’s heartbreaking.

Marcello starts walking toward her, but Annamaria catches his arm, stopping him in the meantime.

“Let me talk to Stella. I got this, Mar.”

That’s all she says before slipping into the room and closing the door behind her.

“Thanks for helping me bring him home,” I say to Mina, as Jude hauls Marcello inside, one arm steadying his waist while Marcello leans heavily on his brother’s shoulder.

“It’s quite alright, luv. Jude has carried his fair share of pissed, drunk blokes home after a wild night.”

“That’s because Rolo and Remus don’t know when to tap out at the pub. They think the last bell is a call to get even more shitfaced. Marcello’s different. My brother never drinks. Never,” Jude explains, still sounding worried about how Marcello ended up in this shape.

I bite back the truth, not wanting to be the one to admit that watching Stella in that state had pushed Marcello to drink harder than he already had tonight. Something tells me that neither Stella nor Marcello would appreciate such news traveling to their other siblings. Neither would Selene, I’m sure.

“If that’s true, then it’s no wonder he’s spark out. Poor lad’s a proper lightweight,” Mina teases, softening her husband’s concern. “A bit of shut-eye and he’ll be back to his dreary self by morning.”

“Whatever,” Jude grumbles. “Where is his bedroom, Izzie? I need to lay him down.”

“In the living room. Just up ahead to the right,” I reply.

“You two are sleeping in the living room? Marcello bought all of this,” Mina gestures at the grand ceilings, confused, “and couldn’t find change for a proper bed?”

“It’s, uh… a thing… we like to do sometimes. Camp out,” I try to explain, feeling my cheeks heat up under her stare.

“Is that a kink?” she asks, genuinely curious. “Maybe you can explain it to me one day. The husband and I like to dabble in all sorts of games, too.”

“That’s enough talk about our sex life, wife.” Jude huffs out as he continues to stagger toward the living room with the dead weight of his brother on his shoulder.

“Jude’s just a little testy tonight, luv. Don’t mind him,” Mina whispers, thinking her husband can’t hear her.

“Why is he… testy?”

Is that even a word?

“He’s still sore that Marcello gave him the silent treatment tonight. Though I intend to have a lengthy conversation with your boyfriend in the morning about it. You wouldn’t by chance know why Marcello is angry at my Jude all of a sudden, would you?”

I shake my head. “He’s only told me great things about his brother. In fact, whenever we talked about Jude, I got the feeling that Marcello idolized him.”

“Ah, I see.” Mina frowns. “That’s the problem of putting the people we love on a pedestal. It hurts even worse when we realize they are just as flawed and human as we are.”