Page 60 of Hold
Jake swallowed like a crane forcing down a toad. “Just some friends.”
“Zachary Benedetto?”
Jake looked surprised that she’d heard him with all the bread in his mouth, but Thea had at least a few Mom tricks at her disposal.
“You’re still hanging out with him?” she insisted.
Jake set his jaw and nodded.
“Who’s Zachary Benedetto?” Gabe said.
“He’s notorious, is what he is. More money than Croesus and no attempt to be responsible. I heard he and his lackeys carved up the swings in the playground. Tell me you didn’t say Zachary Benedetto, Jacob.”
“He’s not that bad,” he said, not meeting her eyes.
“Were you with him when he cut through that fence last night? That was him, right?”
“He didn’t cut through the fence.”
Jake was hiding something, but Thea could only deal with one family crisis at a time, and Gabe was it tonight. “We’ll talk about this later,” she promised Jake.
“Can’t wait,” he said and picked up the serving spoon to bring a huge scoop of ziti to his mouth.
“God, Jake!” Thea protested.
“Show your mother a little respect!” Gabriel said. The boys forgot what they were talking about and stared at him.
“Youshow my mother some respect!” Jake yelled. “Jesus Christ!” He said that because he knew Gabe hated it. Then he threw the spoon back into the tray of ziti, splashing blood-red pasta sauce droplets over them all.
“Jake, language,” Thea said.
“What? You’re such a hypocrite, Mom!” Jake was in full flow now, and Thea pictured the violence with which he’d shove himself away from the table and out the door—apparently, to see Zachary “Career Criminal” Benedetto. “You’re the one who got the call from school ’cause Benji saidgoddammitto the cafeteria people!”
Shit. This was not how she wanted the conversation to go. She didn’t want Gabe to see her with any weaknesses. “Yes, thank you, Jake. You can go now.”
Just as she’d imagined, Jake clattered his way out the door, giving Gabe one more triumphant look as he went.
“Is that how he talks to you now?”
“He’s fifteen, Gabe, and no, it usually isn’t. Something upset him more than usual tonight. I wonder what.”
Benji was sitting at his end of the table, eyes wide. Gabe turned to him, eyes twinkling. “You gonna storm out of here as well, son?”
“No, Dad.” Benji’s voice was uncertain, but when Gabe grinned at him, he gained confidence. “Da,” he said, “can I show you my Octopus game?”
“Sure, Ben. If you’ve finished your dinner.”
“I’m done!” He wasn’t, but Thea was too happy to have the minutes to herself to argue.
They disappeared upstairs, and she began to clear the plates and her broken glass. How strange to clear up four plates instead of three. If she squinted, she could imagine that this was normal, that Gabe had come home after a regular day of work, that she’d fought with Jake about some normal teenage thing, and Gabe was now spending his usual piece of quality time with Benji before bed.
But that wasn’t how it was. This washerhouse; these wereherkids; this washerschedule,herlittle piece of life she’d managed to carve out of the wreckage he had left. Gabe didn’t belong here.
Except that Benji thought he did.
Gabe put Benji to bed as well. By that time, the kitchen was cleaner than it had ever been and Thea was on her second glass of wine. Big glasses.
She was sitting in the living room when he came down. “His lights are out, but he wants you to say good night,” he said.