Care For Me ✔️

F I F T Y - T W O

"Carter, sit down." Zac voiced, causing Carter to turn to him with a raised eyebrow. "Please." Carter huffed lightly, but made his way back to his chair.

"Leo wasn't being rude to any of you." Grey stated, Zac nodding in agreement. "He—"

"How would you class him ignoring us as not being rude?" Ezra cut in, receiving a glare from each of the Lombardi brothers.

"Maybe if you let him speak you'd fucking know, idiota." Kaden scoffed, why did he need to have some many cousins.

"What the fuck did you just call me." Ezra glared, clenching his fists as he raised from his chair.

"Ezra! Sit down." Francesco scolded him, glaring at his grandson. He'd stayed silent during the full exchange with Leo and his other grandchildren. Since they arrived yesterday, he'd been keeping a close eye on his youngest grandson, noticing the absent look in his eyes, dead being the only word to describe the pale blue irises. He knew they'd been kept unaware of something, and he was more than eager to find out what.

Ezra exhaled audibly, his nostrils flaring in the process as he sat back down in his seat. Keeping the cold glare on his face; a glare directed to Kaden, who had no trouble but to return his own.

Francesco turned to his oldest grandson. "Zac, what the hell is going on." He asked, leaning back in his chair, observing the fierce protectiveness in each of James son's eyes, which was only making him more interested.

Zac felt somewhat nervous for his next words; he didn't want to betray Leo. He hadn't told any of them about Leo's diagnosis, he hadn't seen them in over a year and it hadn't felt like a discussion to have over the phone. But, regardless of Leo's mental health, how dare they? How dare they have the audacity to come in here and judge him. Belittle him in front of everyone, and how dare he let them.

  He failed him.

Zac sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and pointer finger. Here goes nothing.

"Leo isn't like us, ment—"

"We know that." Ryder snorted, cutting Zac off, Damon and Ezra letting out hums of agreement.

"Will you shut the fuck up." Ander growled at his older cousin.

"Ander seriously? You're listening to this shit? They're just going to stick up for Leo because he's the baby." Ryder laughed.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Zac voice cut through the childish bickering. His azure eyes turning a near shade of indigo, and if you looked close enough, it wouldn't be hard to see the fire burning within them; he was livid.

Everyone in the room flinched at the volume, the triplets shrinking in their seats as the refused eye contact with their eldest cousin.

"I'm going to start again, and I swear to god! If any of you dare to interrupt me, you'll be fucking sorry. Got it?" Everyone bar his brothers and grandparents nodded at Zac, the fear evident in their eyes.

"As I was saying, Leo isn't like us, mentally." He paused, seeing the confused looks on his family members faces. "Leo was diagnosed with clinical depression a few weeks ago, though he's more than likely been battling it for years."