SALVAGE PRIDE

24

“Now, Luisa!” he yells, pointing at the door beside him.

Zeno is scaring me. I glance beside me at Nevio, who looks confused as well. There’s an apology in his eyes, but he doesn’t argue with his brother. All I can do is tuck my chin and slink from the room, hoping his bad mood passes quickly.

I want to cry as I walk through the spring grass on the way home, but I don’t. Instead, I veer from the worn path and walk down to the lake. I need to be alone. I spend at least an hour skipping rocks along the smooth surface of the water, wondering what I did to upset Zeno. Whenever I think of how he glared at me, my chest feels hollow, and I want to curl into a ball.

Midmorning the next day, I walk to Hardwick and slip in through the kitchen door like I always do, making sure to tell Cecelia good morning. I’m equal parts nervous and hopeful about seeing Zeno. Even when Nevio makes Z really mad, it only ever lasts a day. I have convinced myself that whatever got into him will have passed, and we’ll all hang out today like usual.

I find the boys together in the main family room, watching TV. “Hey, guys. Can I watch with you?” My gaze darts warily back and forth between them.

Nevio turns to smile at me briefly. “Sure. The Scorpion King is on.”

Zeno doesn’t tell me to leave or acknowledge my presence at all, for that matter, so I find a spot on the large sectional away from him and turn to the screen. Not even five minutes later, Z pushes off the sofa and storms from the room.

“He still upset?” I ask Nevio.

“Yeah, he’s been extra quiet. No idea why, but I wouldn’t worry about it. He can be moody like that.”

I wish it were that easy. I can tell in my gut that Z is upset with me, and I want to fix it. Zeno’s anger feels so much worse than when Gia or Grace get mad at me. Maybe because he’s older and cooler. I don’t know. I just want to make it better.

We continue watching the movie for almost an hour before I can’t stand it any longer. I have to go find Z and apologize. Nevio doesn’t take his eyes from the movie as I slip from the room. The house is quiet, especially once I’m upstairs away from the sounds of the TV. The silent hallways at Hardwick are always a little creepy, but I’m more scared of Zeno staying mad at me than anything.

When I get to his room, the door is shut. I knock softly, not wanting to bother him but knowing I have to do something so that we can be friends again.

“What?” Z barks from inside.

“It’s Isa. Can I come in?”

I stand in the huge hallway while a nearby grandfather clock ticks away the seconds. Could Z

be so mad that he’d never talk to me again? I wait long enough until I begin to give up and am about to leave when the door creaks open.

Zeno stands tall above me. Taller than I remember him being, though I see him all the time. His anger makes him look enormous and a little scary. “This isn’t going to work anymore, Luisa. I’m not interested in hanging out with the housekeeper’s daughter. Plus, you’re a kid, and I’m a teenager. That’s the way it is, so you need to get over it.” His voice reminds me of a dog’s warning growl. There’s no hint of teasing on his face or in his words.

Zeno is telling me he’s done being my friend.

I blink back tears and push past the ache in my chest. “But … what about this summer—bike rides, and hide-and-seek, and climbing trees, and…”

“That’s not my problem. Maybe Nevio will play with you.” Zero emotion. In fact, the more upset I become, the angrier he gets. Too angry for me to argue with him.

He’s cutting me from his life the way Daddy trims weeds from our garden, and I can’t do anything about it.

I turn and walk toward the stairs, speeding my stride with each step I take. By the time I make it outside, sadness leaks from my eyes in heavy droplets. I walk home, each step heavier than the last. It takes me a full half hour to make the short walk. By the time I reach our front door, I want to crawl under my bed and cry for days.

Z NEVER FORGETS HIS ANGER, no matter how many times I try to reach out. One week later.

One month.

One year.

I’ve lost my friend forever, and though I don’t cry about it anymore, the loss of his friendship is like a broken bone that won’t heal. Reminders of him are everywhere, stirring up a dull ache when I let myself remember how much fun we used to have. Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened if I’d simply played Halo with them instead of fussing. But it’s pointless to think about because I did fuss, and nothing has been the same since.

“MIND IF I JOIN YOU?” GIA POKES HER HEAD OUT THE DOOR TO WHERE I’M SITTING ON THE BACK porch.

“Not at all. In fact, there’s something I wanted to tell you about.”

“How intriguing. I’m all ears.” She sits on the bench next to me with her knees angled toward me.

“I was talking with Nevio after the funeral today, and he implied that somehow Zeno was responsible for him being sent to boarding school. Do you know anything about that?” I’d been thinking about what he’d said all afternoon and about Zeno’s comments as well.

“No, but I wasn’t ever as close to them as you were. Zeno had already graduated and moved out when Nevio went away. How could he have been responsible?”

“I’m not sure. I could have sworn I was told he left because of grades, but he said it had nothing to do with that. He didn’t say anything more, and I wasn’t going to push him while we were standing at his father’s graveside.”