Page 19 of Tragic Empire
“Stupid question, sorry. Jade’s been in and out of the room, checking on you all day. My brothers and I have been taking shifts in the hall, making sure nothing is wrong. My turn just started.”
His explanation makes me feel tender and warm. “You have?”
“Of course,” Remo replies assuredly. “Jade probably would have stayed in there all day with you if not for the twins. Cesar tried to cling to her to be carried in a few different times, but she knew he’d wake you up in a second flat with all his screeching.”
My mouth quivers, like it’s trying to form a smile but can’t quite figure out the mechanics to make it happen.
“Oh,” Remo blurts abruptly. “I almost forgot.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a pink smart phone and extends the device. “Apollo found your phone. It was crushed and unsalvageable, but I found your data and transferred everything to this. It should be the same make and model. It’s charged too.”
My hand shakes as I move to accept the thoughtful gift. The screen flashes on at my touch, and my heart beats painfully hard. Cole’s smiling face with my lips attached to his cheek stares at me in picture form. Remo even got my original lock screen correct.
The time also catches my eye; it’s almost seven in the evening.
“Thank you,” I husk, watching the image fade back to black. “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble for me.”
“It was easy, I didn’t mind,” he replies softly.
“Still.”
I can’t stop staring at the offering, wondering what I could have possibly done to deserve it. Remo and I have hardly spoken before. But I guess this is just how the Moretti men are. Jade has told me time and time again how kind her brothers act toward her, and I always believed her. Though, being on the receiving end of her family’s thoughtfulness feels entirely different than hearing about it.
Remo’s voice stirs me out of my musing. “Jade is downstairs if you’re looking for her. She’s been waiting to see you.”
“Right,” I mutter, stashing the new phone into my sweatpants pocket. I look down the hall toward the stairs and frown. My brain still feels foggy, and I’m not certain that I won’t lose my way trying to navigate the Moretti Mansion. I’ve strolled these halls many times, and still I’m unsure.
“I’ll walk with you,” Remo suggests, sensing my hesitation.
Closing his computer, he stands up, reminding me just how tall all of the Moretti siblings tend to be. Jade is the only one shorter than me, a trait I’m sure she must have inherited from her mother.
Awkwardly shifting a step ahead of me, Remo leads the way and we walk together in silence. Descending the grand staircase, I breathe easier as the sounds of my friend and her children grace my ears. It feels safe, absorbing the sense of normalcy—a reminder thateverythinghas not fallen apart. There’s still good in the world, even while I’m smothered under the weight of foggy grief and anguish.
Following the muffled sounds and voices, Remo leads me to one of the main sitting rooms. Cozy sofas surround a large flatscreen television that plays relaxing music, several bodies occupying space on the various couches and chairs, while others lounge on the soft carpet.
My gaze locks on my beautiful friend first. Jade is blowing raspberries on Cesar’s bare tummy, eliciting the most precious giggles from the small boy. Dmitri is watching her too, sitting in a large leather chair while holding their daughter who looks sleepy but content. The father-daughter pair are observing mother and son with happy gazes.
Matteo, on the other hand, is sprawled out on one of the sofas, missing a shirt as he typically tends to be. He’s absently scrolling on his phone when he notices us enter.
Narrowing his eyes at Remo, he releases his phone to throw his hands up in exasperation. “Bro, Ijustleft. What’d you do to wake her up?”
Jade’s head whips around at Matteo’s question, and her smile radiates warmth right to me. Scooping Cesar up from the floor, she secures her son on her hip and begins maneuvering around the room in our direction.
“I didn’t do shit,” Remo grumbles, lifting a finger to his younger brother.
“He didn’t,” I confirm just as Jade makes it to us. She doesn’t hesitate to pull me into a hug, her soft and sweet-smelling hair brushing into my face. I exhale, carefully returning the gesture while trying not to squeeze Cesar. The little guy giggles and wiggles on her hip, reaching forward to try and grab my shirt.
“You slept for ages,” she tells me, pulling back. “You must be starving. Do you want to try and eat?”
Cesar’s eyes go wide at the word eat and he swings his head to look at his mother’s chest. Before I can answer the question, he buries his face in Jade’s cleavage, trying to latch through her shirt.
Face going red with embarrassment, Jade laughs and pulls him back. “Not you, you greedy little beast. You already ate.”
“He’s smart,” I comment, watching them fondly. “Knowing what the word means.”
“It’s one of his trigger words,” she admits sheepishly. “E A T for food, and B E D for sleep, but that one wakes him right up. I’ll never understand his aversion to getting some shut eye. It’s like he thinks he’s going to miss something incredible if he actually takes a nap.”
“It’s hilarious when he’s too tired to fight it,” Matteo pipes up, chuckling. “He can hardly keep his eyes open but he refuses to lie down.”
