Care For Me ✔️

S E V E N T Y - N I N E

Zac and Grey shared a nervous look with each other, both unsure of how to break the news to the siblings that it was all their fathers doing.

"Yeah," Zac breathed, "we know who."

"Well?" Came Aaron's impatient response, "who the fuck is hurting him!?"

"I need you both to sit down, please." Grey told Aaron and Sofia, his eyes filled with sympathy as he stared at the two.

Aaron went to argue, until Sofia's soft voice cut in, "sit down, Aaron, please."

"Rafe told Lily who was harming him." Zac began hesitantly, "it's not someone from school, it's closer to home than that."

"What the fuck does that mean? Why are you speaking in riddles!?" Aaron fumed, "just fucking tell us!"

Aaron wasn't trying to be rude, he held a lot of respect for Callan's family. He was just worried for his brother, this leading to his short fuse. He had to know who was responsible for this, and when he did, he'd make them pay.

"Your dad," Grey blurted, "your dad is the one abusing him."

"What?!" Sofia gasped, "no, dad... he wouldn't do that, he would never do that!" She all but yelled.

"Sof," Callan approached his girlfriend, wrapping his arms tightly around her as she sobbed into his chest. "I've got you," he whispered, stroking her fiery curls.

"Sofia's right," Aaron agreed, nodding his head repeatedly, "dad would never hurt Beck. He's never hurt either of us... so why would he hurt him?"

"What reason would Rafe have to lie?" Grey harshly said.

Grey wasn't going to let them make the boy out as a liar. He'd seen the pain in Rafe's eyes, the same pain he'd previously seen in that of Lily's. After all, our eyes are the key to all our secrets, all our truths. Rafe's eyes proved just that.

"He... I... there must have been some miscommunication." Sofia mumbled, "Lily must've misunderstood."

Aaron rapidly nodded his head, clearly agreeing with his sister. That's all it was, this couldn't be the truth... it couldn't. He needed to speak with his brother, he needed to know exactly what had been said.

"Where's my brother?" Aaron asked, his eyes darting between the eldest two Lombardi brothers.

"Probably in Lily's room." Zac replied, "she wanted to give him a heads up that she'd told me. And, that I'd be telling the two of you."

"Get him here, please." Sofia pleaded softly, her voice sounding somewhat strained.

"Of course." Zac pulled his phone from the pocket of his jeans, quickly pulling up Lily's contact.

Zac— Could you and Rafe come to my office, please, bambina.

Lily— Okay.

"They'll be here in a few minutes."

Aaron nodded at Zac, unable to form the words to respond. His dad couldn't have hurt Rafe, could he? Aaron didn't know what to believe, or who. Being an older brother comes with responsibility, but so did being a son.