“Does that bother you?”
Dom considered it as he slathered a thick layer of Nutella over his own pancake. “If it was anyone else? Yeah, probably. You don’t count though.”
“I don’t?”
“Nah.” He shrugged. “The way I see it, you’re an extension of me. If he couldn’t be there for me, I’m just happy he was there for you.”
I cut my pancake into small bites, buying myself time to consider what I said next. “The two of you are more alike than you realise.”
“We are?”
To anyone else, it might have seemed like Dom didn’t give a shit about the answer. He was methodically munching his way through his pancake. But I knew he cared. It was in the way he was keeping his gaze down. The fist his right hand had formed.
Dominic cared. He cared, and he hated that he did.
“You are. Both of you like to make sneaky plans because you think you know best. Did I tell you he booked and paid for my first driving lesson?”
Dom’s head snapped up at that, his brows rising. “He did?”
“Yup.” I laughed softly at the memory. “I didn’t learnuntil I was twenty. Got some weird hang-up in my head about it. Kept making excuses about not being able to afford it, but in reality, I was just scared.”
“And Frank knew that?”
“He guessed. Probably thanks to how much I bitched about having to take the bus or train everywhere. I came home for summer at the end of my second year and he informed me that he’d hired an instructor who’d be by in an hour.”
Dom’s lips twitched. “How did that go down?”
“Like a lead balloon. By the time I’d finished yelling at him for interfering, the bloke was knocking on the door for my lesson. And you know what Frank did?”
“What?”
“He cocked his head to the side, exactly like you would, and said, ‘So what’s it gonna be, kid? You going to stand here and bitch at me some more? Or are you going to stop wasting time and just get on with it?’”
Dom’s laughter was rich and warm. “Oh my god. He played you like a fiddle. I can just picture your face. There’s no way you would’ve backed down from that.”
“Exactly.” I smiled wistfully. “The Walker men know just how to push my buttons. Another way you’re alike.”
“I’m glad he was there for you. That you were there for each other.”
“Well it wasn’t like my own dad was there.” I scowled. “Don’t get me wrong, he didn’t put me through anything like your dad did with you. Just ghosted one day.”
“Neglect is just as bad,” Dom said, putting his fork down. “Looking back now, I can see how disconnected he was. It wasn’t just from Max. It was all of you.”
I nodded curtly. “Yeah. It hurt when him and Mum divorced, but it was for the best.”
“I know he hasn’t bothered to keep in touch with Max…I’m assuming he didn’t with you either.”
“Nope.” I traced lines through the syrup using my fork. “Didn’t even RSVP to the wedding.”
“Fuck,” Dom sighed. “As much as I don’t want to talk about that happening, I’m sorry, Shadow. No parent should willingly miss their child’s wedding.”
“It’s okay.” I shrugged. “Honestly. I have Mum and Xander. Frank’s there too, where it matters.”
Dom rolled his shoulders. “Wish you’d stop telling me shit like that.”
“You don’t like that I’ve had people here for me?”
He scoffed. “Fuck off. You know that’s not what I mean. As much as I hate that I wasn’t one of them, I’m glad you had people in your corner.”