Logan waits until they get back from the restaurant before turning on Roman. "I suppose you think it was funny, to embarrass me like that?" It's been a while since they've seen him this angry.
"It was my idea to order the lobster," says Kendall quickly. "I dared him. It's my fault."
"Now you've got your brother covering up for you. You're a disgrace!" Logan is raging. "I should take a belt to you. That's what my uncle would do." Logan rarely mentions his uncle, and bringing him up can't mean anything good.
"I'm sorry," Roman mutters. He hadn't even enjoyed the lobster, didn't like to think of it being boiled alive.
"Wait here." The three kids exchange looks as Logan storms into the next room, and returns holding one of his slippers. He grabs Roman and sits down, laying him across his lap. Roman doesn't quite understand what's happening until he feels Logan whack him across the back of his legs with the slipper. It's surprisingly painful, and he feels tears sting his eyes.
"Dad, stop!" Kendall tries to intervene but Logan shoves him away. Whack — whack — Logan keeps on hitting until Roman's legs are as red as the lobster. He lets out a sob of pain and humiliation.
"Daddy, please!" Shiv, who had been smirking upon seeing that Roman was in trouble, is now sobbing, trying to shield Roman from the blows. At seeing his favourite child cry, Logan finally stops and lets Roman go. Kendall grabs Roman by the hand.
"Go to bed!" Logan roars at them. Kendall leads Roman to his room, Shiv trailing behind them.
Kendall helps Roman change into his pyjamas, then goes to get changed himself. While Kendall is in the bathroom, Shiv crawls into Roman's bed with him. It's usually Kendall who joins Roman in his bed after a night like this. Logan doesn't like Roman sharing a bed with his sister — are you some kind of pervert? — but tonight Shiv curls up to her twin defiantly.
Kendall returns and gets into bed with the two of them. They lie in silence for a few minutes.
"Sorry, dude," says Kendall, suddenly sounding older than 14. "I should have stopped him."
"It was my fault. I ordered the most expensive item on the menu."
"That's no reason to hit you."
"It was only a slipper, not like he went and got a machete."
They all laugh at that image and drift off to sleep eventually.
The next morning Logan is in a good mood, ruffling Roman's hair and calling him a little scamp. He's always like this the day after losing his temper, affectionate and calm. It makes Roman wish that his dad would hit him more often, so he could have this affection after.
The tops of his legs are still red, but nobody mentions that.