Betrayal

Chapter Fourteen: Old wounds

"S-Sidney," My Aunt's sheer shock was enough for me to look at my dad and he had the same expression, "Oh my god," He ran to him wrapping her arms around him tight. 

"Hey mom," He laughed a little hugging her back. 

"Mom?" I said quietly to myself. 

Though it explained the way Sutton reacted. Slamming his glass down and walking aggressively off and Sidney watched in regret.

Sidney made his round hugging everyone and then stopped looking at me, "Sidney...You remember your little cousin Aza right?" 

"Yeah! How could I forget?!" He wrapped his arms around me swinging me in a circle.

I was more interested in who he was and why Suttons reacted that way. So while Sidney was caught off track I made my way to where Sutton stood in the kitchen a whiskey bottle open on the counter, "Sutton?" I asked quietly. 

"What do you want Aza?" 

"You okay?" 

He shook his head, "I thought I was gonna get through this without having to see him. But here he is." 

"Who is he?"

"He was my brother."

Sutton chugged down another swig of whiskey, "What happened?" I finally asked. 

Sutton leaned his back against the counter sighing, "He left me... When I needed him, he left me." 

Sutton bit his lip trying to choke back the tears already streaming down his cheeks, "Hey," I stood on my tiptoes to pull him down into my arms. I could smell the whiskey radiating around him. 

Something about this family and people leaving them when they needed them the most was off-putting. I was genuinely concerned as to what could make them leave everything and everyone they love so quickly. 

"I'm so sorry what happened to you Sutton," I whispered and held his head against my shoulder. 

It wasn't till a few moments later Sutton let go and straightened up wiping his tears. I finally looked behind me where Sidney stood anxiously. 

Sutton's unhappy look wasn't enough for Sidney to turn around as he stepped closer. I moved back letting Sidney pull Sutton into his arms.

Sutton's reaction was to fight back trying to shove him away but Sidney didn't let go and held tight till Sutton finally gave up falling into his arms, "W-Why'd you leave me?" Suttons tears dripped down. 

"I didn't want to... but I had to. I'm so sorry Sutton. I'm sorry," Sidney repeated struggling to hold his tears in. Sutton simply hugged his brother tighter. 

What Sidney had told Sutton was the same thing Kai said to me. He didn't want to give me up but he had to. Which was still a question that I could ask but I wasn't sure I wanted the real answer.

Kai stood in front of the fireplace while my family still talked happily. I caught Kai off guard with a tight hug, "Hey, Z, What going on?"

"Nothing. Just... Wanted a hug." 

Kai laughed a little, "That I can do," He put his hand on the back of my head, and the other still holding his drink. 

I had stayed up later that night reading one of the books off the shelf. The Art of War by Sun Tzu. It was so old it was actually interesting. I looked at the clock and realized our flight back wasn't in a few hours. So I placed the book back on the shelf and quietly went downstairs for water. I hummed MGK's remake of misery business as it played in my earbuds.