Page 58 of Privilege

Diego loved his sister like nobody knew. A lot like the way he loved Renzo, too. It was sweet, in a child-like kind of way.

Right now, though, they couldn’t interrupt Rose’s time. They were lucky enough to get an invitation to the event to see their sister’s work hanging on the gallery walls, but they weren’t supposed to drag Rose away from the people who had come in to judge the different pieces of art. At least, not until she was finished with her hour of being the speaker on the floor.

That hour was almost up, but she still had a minute or so to go.

“Did you see that abstract painting of hers in the far room?” Lucia asked.

Renzo glanced over at her, but found she was staring in the direction she spoke about. “I did see it.”

“It was amazing, Ren.”

“Yeah, Rose has always been pretty talented when you give her something to color on.”

Her head snapped around, and she gave him a look. “Come on, this is a bit more than just coloring on paper.”

He chuckled, and shrugged. “She’s always going to be the little sister I used to steal crayons and paper for, so she could draw something pretty just to tape it up on whatever wall we could find, you know?”

Lucia quieted then, and nodded. Renzo hadn’t really realized how easily he offered that information about his life, and his sister, but it was out there now. It wasn’t like he could take it back, or anything.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to, either.

“She must be so grateful for all of this,” Lucia noted, peering around the gallery.

“She stopped saying thank you a few months back.”

Lucia cocked a brow.

Renzo shrugged. “To be fair, I told her that if she didn’t stop thanking me, I was going to stop bringing her money.”

That wasn’t a lie, either.

Lucia let out a sigh. “That’s awful, Ren.”

“What’s awful is her thinking she doesn’t deserve this, Lucia. Or that the only reason she’s here is because I pay her lodging and other expenses. Truth is, she’s here because she deserves to be here, and she worked hard to get noticed. She got the scholarship—I just made it work.”

And he didn’t want to be thanked for that because if he didn’t do it for Rose, who would? Certainly not their mother who, half of the time, didn’t even live in their reality. And it certainly wouldn’t be their useless, deadbeat of a father.

Fuck up might be a better term.

Nonetheless, it was still true. Neither of their parents had ever shown even an ounce of interest, appreciation, or otherwise for Rose’s accomplishments. In fact, their mother had the audacity to ask Renzo if he could pay three thousand a month for Rose, then why couldn’t he spot her money every once in a while, too.

As for their father?

Shit, Rose was attending the private school for a good year before that asshole even knew about it. Total fuck up.

“Rose!”

Diego’s shout brought Renzo back from his bitter thoughts quickly enough. Which was fine with him because he didn’t want or need to be spending any more emotional energy on his deadbeat parents than he already did on a daily fucking basis.

He found his sister coming their way with a wide smile, and all he felt in that moment was pride. Rose looked like she was on top of the word with her hair done in soft waves, her face made up in neutral tones of makeup, and a pretty dress that made her look slightly older than her seventeen years.

Like she’d won the fucking lottery.

Maybe she had.

“Look at you,” Renzo said.

Rose was already kneeling down to hug Diego, but just as quickly, she picked up their little brother and stood to face Renzo. “What about the way I look?”