My Brother Left Me With the Man He Told Me to Stay Away From, and Then Didn't Come Back novel · Chapter 14 of 24

Chapter 14: What It Cost

The kafeneio opened at seven, and by ten past seven the back room was empty.

Nobody had told the owner to clear it.

He brought us coffee and two plates of eggs and a basket of bread, set them down at the far end of the long table, and went back to his kitchen without a word.

I sat with my back to the photograph of Aristides.

Laz sat across from me with his hands on the cloth.

He had not slept either.

"I'm going to say a thing," I said.

"I want you to let me finish."

"All right."

"For five days you knew my brother had run.

"You knew it on the morning after the cottage, and you drove me to work.

"You ate your grandmother's eggs with me, and you lay down next to me.

"I told you my brother's name in the dark, and you held me, and you knew."

He didn't look away.

I had expected him to.

"I know what you did it for," I said.

"I heard you in the truck.

"I believe it, which is the worst part.

"You wanted me to have one more week of thinking he was safe, and you wanted to fix it before I knew it was broken."

"Yes."

"I'm not angry that you wanted to protect me.

"I'm angry that you decided what I could carry."

He took that without moving.

"I'm twenty-three," I said.

"I clean teeth.

"I'm not made of glass.

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