Taming Val

by Trevion Burns

  “Why are you speaking in the future tense? You already need me desperately.”

  Val’s eyes fell to her smiling lips as she gave him a hard time, but he couldn’t argue with her. He didn’t even hear the front door when it opened, only realizing it had because that sweet smile had disappeared from her face when she caught eyes with Tony.

  Then, she just looked flat terrified.

  Val squeezed her hand as he met eyes with his father on the other side of the door.

  “Hey Pop.”

  But Tony wasn’t looking at either of them, his eyes were riveted to their joined hands, and they stayed there.

  A long, stony silence passed. Finally, Tony’s green eyes rose to Val’s, and went ablaze. “Come inside,” he demanded, leaving the door without waiting for Val and Zoey to step through.

  They shared a look, and Val squeezed her hand again before they stepped into the house, ready for the massacre.

  Soon, the three of them were sitting at the kitchen table in the quiet house. Having grown used to Sunday dinners there, when all the boys were around and there was constant noise, Zoey was more aware than ever of how massive that house was. How quiet. It was almost creepy.

  “Where’s Bette?” she asked.

  “In the bedroom crying, like she has been since the moment Roman walked out the door, and stopped answering our calls.”

  Val and Zoey’s eyes both went soft with sorrow.

  “I called her yesterday,” Val started. “I told her Rome is fine. I just saw him.”

  “First of all, Rome is not fine. It’s not possible that he’s fine. He’s just been hit with life altering, devastating news that he didn’t ask for. He won’t answer his mother’s calls, he won’t answer my calls. If he’s given you the idea that he’s fine, it’s only because it’s not in his nature to broadcast it when his heart’s been ripped clear out.” Tony’s eyes were filling with tears. “That’s one. Two… even if he were fine, which he’s not, that’s not all this is about. It’s about the fact that our son is out there somewhere, shredded to pieces, and his mother knows that we’re the cause. She knows there’s nothing she can say or do to make his pain stop. That’s not easy for a mother to swallow.” His eyes went back and forth between the two of them. “Thank god she’s not down here for whatever gem the two of you are about to drop on me, or she’d probably drop dead of a heart attack right here on the kitchen floor.” Several moments of silence passed, in respect of all the huge changes that had occurred in that family in just a few short weeks. Tony nodded toward Zoey. “So when did he tell you?”

  Zoey looked at Val, who was sitting across the table from her, and back over to Tony, who was leaning forward at the head of the table, and sputtered. “What do you mean?”

  Tony smiled gently. “When did Val tell you that he loves you?”

  Zoey blinked in shock. “You knew?”

  “Of course I knew. We all knew. I think the only people on the planet who didn’t know were you, Gary, and Bette. And possibly Leo,” he said, with a wave of his hand.

  Zoey and Val met eyes again, conversing without speaking. When Zoey looked back at Tony, her eyes began to water. “Tony, what happened was…” Zoey had to take a moment. “Val discovered that he was going to be infertile in a few years, and I insisted on carrying the child for him. I wanted to help him, and I guess I kind of saw it as a way to secure my place in this family… this family that I love so much, but never felt completely apart of.” She looked back to Val, saw his surprised face, and shrugged. “I had my own selfish reasons for wanting to help him… but on the way we discovered that we love each other. That we have for a long time. Since we were kids, even.” She touched her belly, which was still flat. “Tony, I’m pregnant, and I’m not just going to carry the baby. We’re engaged, and we’re starting this family together. And I know that I just bulldozed you with a whole lot of information, but we hope you’ll support us.” She was already on the verge of falling apart at the idea of Tony doing anything but. Perhaps he’d be too angry at them, too disgusted, that he’d be unable to support them. He’d ax them from his life for good.

  At the sight of a kind smile immediately pushing his lips, she understood what an idiot she’d been for thinking the worst of Tony.

  “You’re really pregnant?” he asked, softly.

  Zoey took his hand on top of the table, nodding. “Yeah. We’ve been trying for a while now, and the first few times were a bust. But this one’s a fighter…” she patted her belly. “This is the one. This is the little asshole.”

  Tony had to cringe. “Don’t call the baby an asshole, Zo,” he said, looking at Val.

  Val just shook his head in a very don’t get me started fashion.

  “So… you’re not mad, Tony?” she asked. “You’re not going to disown us? We were so afraid you’d think it was weird, or disgusting, or wrong… since we were raised in the same house for years.”

  “No, I’m not mad, Bit. I’m not mad, because I know Val would lay down in front of a bus for you, if that’s what it came to.”

  She looked to Val, and couldn’t help but smile when she caught him hanging his head low. Bashful definitely suited him, and she found her body wanting him, even then.

  “There’s nobody on this planet that will protect you the way he will, or that loves you the way he does.”

  “How long have you known about this?” Val suddenly demanded, holding his hands apart. He looked like he was suddenly primed for battle.

  Tony looked to Val. “Hey, tough guy, guess what? You’re my son. You came from me. I know you better than I know myself. You might be a millionaire CEO, but you’re no actor. I saw the way you were around her, the way you changed around her. I’ve always seen it. What happens to you, when she’s in your presence, doesn’t happen to men who aren’t in love.” He looked to Zoey. “Same goes for you, Bit.”

  “Do you know how long I fought to move on from her? How hard? Do you know how many years I wasted? Now you’re telling me I would’ve had your blessing all along?”

  “You wouldn’t have had my blessing while you were living under my roof, hell no.” Tony suddenly looked back and forth between the two of them. “Did you two…? Under my roof…?”

  Zoey’s eyes went big. “No,” she stumbled. “No! Of course not. It’s really, really new.” She looked to Val shyly once more.

  “I lived in agony for ten years, Pop, because I didn’t think I could ever have her. Do you realize that? I couldn’t have gotten a phone call? A text? A damn email? ‘Hey Son, just letting you know I won’t lose my shit if you go for it with Zoey’. Anything!” Val cried.

  “It was my job to raise you and put food in your mouth, not to get all tangled up in your emotional love life. Besides, when something is meant to be.” He squeezed Zoey’s hand, which he still held on top of the table. “It’ll always find a way to be.”

  Zoey and Val met eyes over the table, both thinking that truer words had never been spoken.

  “Amen,” Val said, his eyes growing hungry in hers.

  Zoey bit her lip against her smile. “Amen.” A frown suddenly crossed her face, followed by a roll of her eyes as she patted her stomach. She stood from her chair. “Sorry guys, the little asshole calls.”

  Tony and Val threw her a look.

  Holding her hands up in surrender, she scoffed. “Sorry, the little angel is currently doing a tap-dance clear across my bladder so… bathroom.”

  “Zoey, you’ve been pregnant for a week. It’s not even a real fetus, yet. How could it possibly be tap-dancing across your bladder?”

  Zoey squinted an eye at Val. “How do you know all that? Who are you?” she accused, dramatically, before making her way to the bathroom with a smile.

  Tony and Val watched her leave the room, and once she was gone, Val hung his head again, his smile disappearing, knowing what was coming.

  “What the hell are you thinking?” Tony seethed.

  Val kept his head down. “I really do love h
er, Pop. I tried to stay away from her, but I couldn’t do it anymore. I love her so much.”

  “I know you do, Son. Like I said, it’s never been much of a secret. But—“

  Val lifted his head, unable to hear the rest. “She’ll never find out, Pop, and I’ll never leave her.”

  “Good,” Tony said, his green eyes wide. “I’m sure I don’t have to explain to you what the repercussions would be if she ever found out the truth.”

  “She won’t.” Val’s eyes met his. “I promise you that.”

  Tony could only nod, relenting because he could hear her rustling around in the other room. “We’re not done talking about this,” he grumbled, just as Zoey came back into the room. “Hey, Bit.” He smiled gingerly, placing a hand on her arm when she came to a stop next to his seat. “Since you’re here, why don’t you whip me up some of your delicious lasagna?”

  Zoey threw him a look before her eyes flew to Val, who’d become preoccupied counting the crystals on the dining room chandelier.

  “Hey guys? I know you hate my lasagna, okay? I’ve known it for a while now. In fact, I’ve been purposely inundating you all with lasagna for the past few weeks, just to see how long you would continue on bullshitting me about it. The jig is up.”

  Val and Tony looked at each other, then at Zoey, then back at each other, before they both began talking over one another.

  “Well I just don’t have any idea what you’re talking about—”

  “I’ve always loved your lasagna—”

  “You must have me mixed up with Leo—”

  “Gary always hated it—”

  “Maybe Roman—”

  “I love it,” they both beamed, simultaneously, looking up at her with big eyes that made them look like a couple of cartoon deer.

  Zoey shook her head while looking off blankly. She hadn’t forgotten that, just a few weeks ago, Val had been turning up his nose at her lasagna right to her face. Now he was just as bad as the rest of them.

  “Fine, you’ve done this to yourselves. I tried to give you an out, but since you insist on continuing to bullshit me, I’m going to make sure I bring my delicious lasagna to every family gathering we have for the rest of our lives, starting today.”

  As she made her way into the kitchen, she looked over her shoulder and caught the somber looks on their faces. They proceeded to get into a quiet argument about her lasagna, blaming each other. She smiled, realizing there was no place she’d rather be than in this kitchen with the two men she loved the most, arguing over their hatred of her signature dish, and their inability to tell her because they loved her so much.

  She breathed in deep as her heart swelled and, involuntarily, her hand went to her belly. She was surrounded by people she loved, with love growing inside her.

  She wasn’t sure how life could get any better.

  Epilogue

  “Will someone please get the door?” Angie called, from where she was laying on her stomach in bed, engrossed in her latest read, How to Rule the World: A Handbook for the Aspiring Dictator. When another knock rang out, louder this time, she cursed her lazy ass roommates before climbing out of bed, and making her way into the hall with the book clutched to her side.

  She threw open the door and came face to face with Roman Romanovsky. Her mouth dropped open, but words refused to come out.

  Angie stared at him in complete awe. He wore all black, but his mere presence still lit up that dark, dingy Washington Heights hallway like he’d been beamed down from heaven itself. Right then, it hit her. She worshipped him.

  “Hi, Angie.”

  Angie sputtered. He said her name. Again.

  Roman’s eyes immediately went to his feet, staring at his shoes for an inordinate amount of time before looking back up. Something changed in his blue eyes as they searched her green ones, which were wide with what looked to be a mixture of terror and pure shock. He swallowed softly as his eyebrows knitted together. “I know you don’t know me very well, and I apologize for showing up like this, but… I need to find someone. Someone I have no idea how to find. Someone whose name I don’t even know.”

  Angie tried to speak. She couldn’t.

  Roman took another deep, trembling breath. “Zoey said you could help me.”

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  Also by Trevion:

  Stereo

  Lila's Thunder

  Dead or Alive