I crossed my arms and couldn’t believe what Caio was choosing to be upset about. All I did was protect him from bumping his head on the countertop by covering the edge with my hand.

“Matteo, you don’t need to do things like that for me.”

“Again. All I did was cover the edge of the countertop, so you didn’t bump your head. If you want to hit your head off the counter, come closer, and I’ll do it for you.” I hissed. 

I grabbed his coffee on the table when I sat down and drank it. 

“That was mine.”

“I don’t care. Salty ass man.”

“You are doing things that are not—---” He paused. 

“Are not what, Caio? Finish your sentence.”

“You are doing things that I don’t like, Matteo. You watch me far too closely, you do things like you did in the kitchen. You hover around me.”

“Is that it? Is there anything else you have a problem with?”

“Look, I know you have a crush—--” I set his cup down on the table, and started walking away. “Matteo. I wasn’t done.”

“I’m done listening. You don’t like me, or my feelings towards you. I got it Caio. Trust me.” I said, heading for the door. 

“Where are you going?”

“To hang out with Alessio and Lev until my mother gets here.”

“Matteo, seriously, I’m not asking to—-”

“I said, I fucking got it, Caio. You don’t like my feelings. Hell, you probably find them just as fucking disgusting as my mother does, and I am trying to respect that. Next time, I will let you just smash your fucking head on the counter.” I slammed the door on my way out of Caio’s wing. 

I stood outside in the hall, realizing I forgot my shoe again. Opening the door with my phone. I could hear Caio yelling at someone. It was in Italian, but it wasn’t my business, so I just grabbed my shoe and bolted. 

Alessio let me in the first time I knocked. Inside, I could hear Lev speaking. 

“Caio please, I don’t understand Italian.” Lev groaned. 

Alessio looked at me and the shoe in my hand. 

“Caio is a little upset.”

“Yes. I know.” Alessio said. 

“We got into about stupid shit.”

“Mm, I figured.”

“Why did he call Lev?”

“I refused to pick up. I figured with mom coming, emotions would be a little high.”

“I kept Caio from smashing his head off the counter, and instead of a thank you, he got mad about it, and so I offered to do it for him.”

“Do what, Matteo?”

“Help him smash his head off the counter.” 

“Caio, Again, I don’t speak Italian and I can’t help you when I can’t understand you.” Lev said. 

Alessio and I sat at the table and Lev pulled the phone away from his ear, and Caio’s angry English yelling was loud enough that Alessio and I could hear it. 

“You really pissed him off this time. Matteo.” Alessio said. 

“Ok, so I might have also said that I knew he didn’t like my feelings towards him, and that he was probably just as disgusted with them as mom was, and I was trying to respect that. But like, he was yelling at me over protecting his head. Alessio, I can’t help it.”

“Caio, are you still there?” Lev asked. “Caio?”

“Did you hang up on you?” Alessio asked.

“Yes, I believe so.”

“Caio does that when he is frustrated and with the language barrier. I’m not surprised.” I said. 

“Matteo.”

“What, I know some things.”

“Some things? That is Caio’s behaviour.”

“Yes, I know a few of Caio’s behaviours. I spent three years watching him as a teenager.”

“Oh, yeah?” Alessio said. 

“Yeah. His coffee is two sugars, one cream. It’s been that way as long as I’ve known him. When he is frustrated, he makes a certain groan. He doesn’t drink because he thinks it’s pointless. He only drinks tea if coffee isn’t an option, and it has to be black, with one sugar.”

“Matteo. God. Did you always watch—---”

Caio opened the door to Alessio and Lev’s. He didn’t even take his shoes off as he tried to walk into the house. Alessio was quick to bitch. 

“Take your fucking dirty shoes off, and we can speak in my office. Caio.”

He stepped back and took them off. He was pissed. As he walked by me, he lowered his voice and spoke. 

“Don’t tell me how I feel.”

As soon as Alessio closed the door behind them, Lev sighed. He looked at me. 

“Sorry. I didn’t expect him to call.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve had worse from Alessio.”

“Really?”

“Yes, things with us were not all rainbows and sunshine. Your brother has a wicked temper, and he lets it fly sometimes.”

“I really am trying to be respectful of Caio and his feelings.”

“Maybe, for the time being, ignore Caio. I know you’re staying there, and Alessio has him watching you, but do your best to ignore him.”

“Maybe. That might just be for the best.”

Caio left just as angry as he came in. Alessio came and sat back down, turning to me. He groaned. “I got under his skin as a teenager and young adult, but fuck, Matteo, you got under his skin, muscle, bone, and soul.”

“Lev suggested that I ignore Caio. Frankly, I’m just going to do that.”

When our mother arrived, she took her shoes off and greeted Alessio and Lev. Sitting down at the table. 

“I left your brother with Lukas and your father. He wanted to see them. I figured it was best. More so with everything.” She said. She turned in the chair and looked at me. 

“Are you well, Matteo?”

I turned to look at her. “For the most part.” 

“What happened to your foot?”

“I did—-”

“Alessio and I were horsing around when I first got back and he stepped on my foot. No big deal.” I said, lying through my teeth. Not really wanting her to know that Alessio and I fought on the front lawn like idiots.

“You were in Italy the whole time?”

“Yes. I went to college, worked, and handled some family stuff there.”

“You couldn’t call, or text and tell someone.” She said, her voice cracking. 

“No. I couldn’t.”

“That’s bullshit Matteo.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” I muttered. 

“Look at me, Matteo. Do you have any idea how much I worried about you, and if you are alright? You sent your brother texts a few times in the last three years, but you couldn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t want to talk to you.”

“You’re still on about the shit from three years ago? Are you kidding?”

“Mom. Stop.” Alessio interjected.

“No. He has been holding a grudge over a childish—--”

“Mom, you told him how he felt was disgusting, and you tried to invalidate his feelings.” Alessio said, and she turned to look at him, her face saying everything that she didn’t. 

“Alessio. I only said those things because I was—--”

“Don’t tell that to me. Tell that to Matteo. He is the one you hurt with your words.”

“Let me get this straight. You want me to tell Matteo that the words I said were because I was mad, and then what? You want me to apologize for something that happened over three years ago?”

“That might be a start. Don’t you think so?”

She crossed her arms. And glared at Alessio. 

“Fine.” She hissed. 

She turned to me and spoke. “I’m sorry that I need to apologize about something that happened three years ago that I said when I was angry with you. Are you going to apologize for taking off and—--”

“I’m done. Forget it. You don’t change.”

“What do you want me to say, Matteo? That I’m sorry I find your feelings for Caio disgusting? He is a grown man twice your age.”

“I wanted you to be understanding!”

“Understanding of what! A fucking crush you had when you were a pre-teen!”

“Newsflash! I am still in love with Caio, and I’m not a fucking pre-teen anymore.”

She shut her mouth and turned to look at Alessio. Alessio looked at me before he sighed. 

“Matteo is still in love with Caio. So, you will have to try to be more understanding here.”

“Caio won’t reciprocate your feelings.” She said. 

“I am well aware of that. He is still in love with you.”

“Then why fucking bother, Matteo?”

“You act like this is something I can just fuck away, newsflash. I tried that in Italy. It didn’t fucking work!”

“You used protection, right?” Alessio said, only to be reprimanded by his lover. 

“Yes, I used protection. I’m not stupid.” I hissed. 

“I still think you will find someone else and all this will be just bullshit from your pre-teen years that you didn’t let go of.” She said, confident about that. 

“And if he doesn’t, mom, what then? Will you eat your words?” Alessio snapped, losing his cool. 

“It’s just bullshit. We all had childhood crushes. We got over them. Your brother will get over this one too.” She snapped right back. “And he is twice Matteo’s age!”

“What’s your point Lev and I are—---”

“You are married now. It’s not my business.” She yelled. 

“You knew I was sleeping with Caleb and he was twice my age. Don’t act like this very something hasn’t happened before.” Alessio said. 

“Matteo is a different matter altogether, Alessio. Caio is—--”

“Caio is what?” Alessio snapped. 

“Caio is a dear friend and I won’t have Matteo ruin this, or Caio, if he decides that it’s just a crush on him.”

“You don’t have to worry about me ruining any friendship you have with Caio. The moron is helplessly in love with you, and would worship the ground you walked on if you let him.” I said, getting up from the table. 

“Matteo, where are you going?” Alessio said. 

“To go lay down. I’m done with today and this week as a whole.” I muttered, as I left my shoe on the rack by the door and just headed out. I used my phone to get into Caio’s. He was at the table, working on something. 

“You’re back early. Were you not having—---”

“Please leave me alone. I just want to sleep.” I said. Heading to the bedroom and closing the door. I crawled into the bed and pulled the covers over my head.