Teenage Baby

Chapter 27

Chapter 27:

Daddy hadn't let Lou argue. He'd quickly taken Aaron to the playroom to play with Leo whilst they talked.

  And now both men were down in the living room, with eyes that stared at each other far from contently and air that hung around them thickly, almost like even this lifeless thing dreaded the conversation ahead.

"Lou, seriously now," Daddy said. "Do you notice how Aaron loves you more than any of us?"

Lou sighed, his eyes sweeping across the floor before slowly gliding up to catch his brother's. "No. I don't. He loves us all. End of it."

"You seriously don't notice how he chooses you over me most of the time?"

So what? Lou thought. "I said no."

"Well, then, let me list the times he chose you."

"Why are we even talking about this? Please, just stop this nonsen—"

  "Remember when we were taking the picture? I wanted to hold him, but he didn't let go of you. He wanted you to put the sunscreen for him. In the pool, I told him to swim, but he didn't want to. Two minutes later, he agrees to go in with you. When he wanted to go the backyard, he ignored all of us and asked you to take him. Now, I asked him who he wants to stay with, and he chose you. Don't even try to convince me that you didn't notice all of that!"

  Lou was silent for a moment. He scratched the back of his neck. "Okay, so maybe he's a little more comfortable with me than with you. It doesn't mean that he hates you. Where's the problem if he just likes me a little more?"

  "Where's the problem?" Daddy parroted, his voice spilling with such an incredulous edge and disbelieving undertone that it reached out to contort his face accordingly—his brows slanted, nose scrunched. He shook his head then chuckled dryly, an intimidating low sound that barely managed to rumble past the anger welling in his chest. "I'll tell you where the problem is. He's not supposed to be comfortable with you more than me. He's your nephew, not your son. He's my baby. Mine!"

  "Excuse me?" Lou didn't even believe what Daddy had said for a second. He stared at him for a full minute, but a part of him was hurt by it just as much as shocked. "So if he's my nephew he shouldn't be comfortable with me? That's bullshit."

"No. He should be, he can. But not more than he is with me. He should like me more!"

  It all settled in Lou's brain properly now. He narrowed his eyes. His own brother was fighting him just because Aaron was more comfortable with him. "What the hell am I supposed to do if the kid just likes me more?" Lou said. "Don't be an idiot, you know kids sometimes just prefer someone over the other. You can't control that."

  "Yes you can control that, Lou." The way Daddy talked was calm, at least calmer than he'd sounded just a few seconds ago—an abrupt change that was quick to turn again. Lou sensed the explosion inside his brother; something blew up, and it blew along the buckles around his anger. Something ignited in his eyes. So Lou braced himself for whatever Daddy was about to say; he knew it wouldn't exactly be pleasant. "You can stop trying to take him away from me. I see the way you smile every time he chooses you. You're happy about this. You're happy that he's comfortable with you more and you want it that way!"

  "Taking him away from you?" Lou's lips pulled into a disgusted straight line. His eyes found the ceiling, his chest slowly deflating in a harsh attempt to remain calm. Slowly, his eyelids dropped, and his fist clenched—the scratchy ropes he'd put around his own anger slowly failing. Loosening.

Lou's eyes that altered between amber and brown depending on the light now shone exceptionally dark regardless of the sunshine that streamed into the room through the window. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm your brother, if you remember that. Your brother," he finally said. "I'm not a jerk. I can't believe you'd even think I'd do that to you. I wouldn't take Aaron away from you. And I'm not trying to make him hate you or like me. All I'm doing is trying to make him as relaxed as possible. And yes, I'm very happy he's comfortable with me. If you want him to be like that with you too, work for it!"