Care For Me ✔️

E I G H T Y - S I X

THIRD PERSON POV

Zac's mind was on overdrive as he drove home from the lake with a silent Grey. Leo's words wouldn't stop replaying over and over in his mind, that, plus Zac couldn't rid of the image of Leo's pain filled blue eyes. He knew he'd fucked up, he knew he'd let his brother down.

You made me feel unwanted.

Those words cut Zac like a knife, how the fuck hadn't he noticed how much Leo's mental health had been declining? How hadn't he noticed how he'd been letting him down?

Zac never meant to neglect Leo or to spend less time with him. Truthfully, Zac had his own secrets, secrets he hadn't shared with any of his siblings — including Grey. Those same secrets took up a lot of Zac's time; each time he'd told his siblings that he was working late or meeting with other lawyers — he'd bent the truth. Yes, he did met with other lawyers... just not for the reasons his siblings would expect.

Zac thought he was handling it, he thought he could solve this problem without having to burden another — Zac was wrong. With all the time he was spending trying to make the issue go away — he'd unintentionally failed Leo in the process.

Ever since Leo's panic attack— Zac felt like a failure of a brother and yet he'd kept making the same mistakes...

Zac wanted to spend time with Leo, he enjoyed the younger boys company, he craved it. He had no excuse for how he'd acted on the twins birthday, nor did he have an excuse for the other times he'd let Leo down recently. Zac wasn't going to make one up, he was in the wrong, he'd fucked up... end of story.

The one thing Zac did have an excuse for was his recent absence... but Zac wouldn't share that reason with Leo, not unless he absolutely had no choice but too.

As Zac pulled into to the driveway of their home, he turned to Grey, gulping harshly, he needed to tell someone. Zac needed to share his troubles... he'd asked Leo to be open, it only made sense for Zac to do the same.

Don't be a hypocrite.

"I need to tell you something. Something I should've told you weeks ago."

Grey frowned as he locked eyes with his older brother, "What's wrong?"

"I... I got served."

"Like... court papers? I don't understand."

"Court papers... custody papers to be exact."

"What?" Grey shrieked, "What do you mean custody papers? From who?"

"Adamo... he wants custody."

Grey stared at Zac with panicked eyes, "Z... custody of who?"

Zac's eyes welled with tears, taking a shaky breath, he said, "Leo... he wants custody of Leo."

"I... what? He can't... Zac, please tell me he won't be able to take him?" Grey all but begged.

Adamo lived in Italy... Grey couldn't imagine a life without Leo, he also knew that Leo wouldn't be able to cope in the custody of their uncle. Adamo was a cruel man, he didn't understand Leo's depression — Grey himself struggled, but he would never use Leo's illness against him. Adamo on the other hand— he would break Leo.