(Brother Series - Book One)
Asher Bernardi; A teenage boy dealing with the trauma of transferring from one foster home to another after he was given up at the fine age of two years old, each home is worst than the last, what happens when his curren...
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~ Salvatore Blake Bernardi ~
I kept Asher at arms length when he first arrived, claiming it was out of fear that I would lose him again.
Thinking back on that idiotic ideology, I'm failing to see the logic in it.
If or when you do lose them you end up spiraling down an endless pit of self blame. Wondering if things would have turned out so different if you had just been around more.
The truth is I don't think it was ever the fear of losing the one you once held close to you.
I think it's more so the fear of losing ourselves while they are gone.
I always thought it would have been easier if I didn't get close with him again.
I always thought it would be better for the both of us if I kept up the 'I don't care' act.
I was wrong.
I also never thought I would say that — not in a million years.
I don't actually remember much of my early childhood, it appears to be one large blur. One thing I do know is the fact I have always struggled to admit my own flaws and mistakes.
Bruce Lee once said 'mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them'.
I'm not sure how factual that statement is but I just hope it's true in this case.
Even if it's the case of forgiving and not forgetting, I can live with that.
"We should know where he is by now what the fuck is taking so long!" Rocco shouts as he paces back and forth from the family room to the foyer and back again.
"You need to relax."
"Mattia, I know for a damn fact you didn't tell me to relax."
"Oh but I did, this pacing isn't helping anyone."
"Oh but eating triple brownie fudge ice cream is?"
"It's comfort food."
"I can leave and come back." A voice said from the doorway causing all of our heads to turn.
Asher was standing in the doorway holding a cup of what I assume is tea, almost like nothing happened.
I mean his lip is split and his left eye is bruised and a bit swollen but other than that he was fine. What caught us even more off guard was when Alessandro rushed to him, swooping him up into his arms and holding onto him as tight as humanly possible.
Alessandro isn't the most affectionate, especially with everyone watching.
"You scared the shit out of me." He mumbled into the smaller boy's hoodie.
"Sandro.. you're hurting me." Asher whimpered
"Shit I'm sorry. Where were you? How did you get back? Who hurt you?" Aless continues to shoot off every question under the sun.
"Uh... I don't really know, it was some old building in the middle of nowhere though, I don't actually know much though... The only face I ever saw was a kid from my school, everyone else had their face covered. He said something about his dad wanting revenge on ours and he called me em... my birth name." Asher attempts to explain.
"Who brought you home?"
"Oh uh... I don't know, he never gave me his name and his face was also covered but it was one of the other people in the gang I think, I didn't think he was right that they were keeping me there and snuck me out... I used the opportunity to get him to buy me tea on the way back"
"That's my boy. Let's have Dario check you over and make sure it's nothing too serious and then we can all take the rest of the day off and watch some movies as a family, how does that sound?"
"Okay."
I have to say, it's weird to hear cold and heartless Alessandro act almost father-like.
**
"Asher?" I spoke up once everyone left the room.
"Mmmm yeah?"
"Are you okay?"
"I think so." He replies while looking up at me from the couch.
"Thank you for the little card by the way, I didn't get a chance to say that yet."
"I know it was stupid I just-"
"I thought it was cute." I interrupt.
"Really?" His eyes practically started glowing at the praise.
"Yes, nobody has done something like that for me before. To repay you, how about you and I have that tea that you mentioned?"
