Tele wiped his sweating palms down his thighs. “No, well, not me exactly. Well, I mean–– She didn’t come to see me. She was there for work, and we just––”
“You just what?” The temperature in Raph’s voice dropped to freezing, and the tone sharp enough to pierce armor.
Tele’s lips began to quiver. He looked to Neo, the peacemaker, for reassurance, but found only disappointment. He rubbed at the impulsive itch at the side of his mouth.
“You just what, Tele?”
Tele’s silence infuriated Raph as the worst went through his mind. He surged to his feet as betrayal, hot and unrelenting, rushed through his veins. “Is it you?” he snarled, glaring down at Tele. “Have you been fucking her?”
Tele flinched and stared up into his brother’s face. The pain he saw behind Raph’s rage cut through him like splinters. “No! God, no Raph, I swear we haven’t.”
“Then what?”
“What?”
“What do you mean what? What the fuck happened in Denver, that’s what!” Raph barked, memories of Helena’s conversation on his roof creating fresh breaks in his heart.
I’m in love with someone else.
The words rang like sirens in his ears. Filled with a profound sense of betrayal deeper than he’d ever felt before, he paced in front of the fire. He wanted to rip a hole through something.
“I swear to god, Tele, if you don’t tell me what hap––”
“We just talked!” Tele spread his hands. “And––”
“And what!”
“Rapheus, let him speak,” Neo said, just as anxious to hear what possible explanation Tele could have for seeing Raph’s ex-girlfriend behind his back.
“And we just talked, and––”
“Yeah.” Raph snapped. “You said that part already. What exactly did you talk about?”
“Raph, just let him––”
“Jesus, man, I don’t know what you want me to tell you.” Tele’s voice was more defensive than he wished it to be, but god, the fury pouring out of Raph was threatening to cause another panic attack.
“How about the truth!” Raph felt he deserved at least that from someone he’d shared a womb with––shared everything with. He had lied for Tele, fought his battles, stood by his side, covered for him, time and again with their mom. His brother’s mischievous nature had always endeared people to him. But it seemed now that trickery, and not charm, was his motive. “Tell me the goddamn truth, Telepheus, or a swear to you we are DONE!”
“The truth is I’m in love with her!” It wasn’t supposed to come out like that. Those words were too precious to be used like a weapon against Raph. But his threat had triggered something bone-deep in Tele, and fear that he might follow through on his promise had pulled the confession from him.
Raph halted in front of Tele. “What did you just say?”
“Dear god…” Neo shook his head with disbelief. “Tele, you cannot be serious.”
“But I am.” Tele stared at Neo, his eyes begging, pleading, desperate for someone to understand him, to see the turmoil in his heart, too. “We are…” He turned his gaze to Raph. “Raph, I’m so sorry. Please believe me… I never meant for anything to happen. She was in Denver for a deal and we got lunch, I took her out to a planned site, and––”
The rest never came.
Raph’s fist connected with his brother’s mouth before he even realized he’d pulled his punch, the satisfying crack echoing across the patio.
Tele’s head snapped back, blood blooming on his lips. “What the fuck, Raph…”
For a moment, as he watched his sweet-natured brother dap his swollen lip with the back of his hand, shock and fear in his eyes, Raph regretted the blow. But then those words, I’m in love with someone else, blinded him with bitter rage.
Neo jumped to his feet and positioned himself between his brothers, but before he could get a hold on Raph, he threw himself at Tele, knocking him out of the chair and onto the lawn. The Adirondack chair fell on top of them, the heavy wood striking the back of Raph’s head, but the pain was nothing compared to the agony in his heart.
“Raph!” Neo shouted, his voice a high frantic plea.
