Oh Brother (Completed)

Are You Too Proud

Sam and Nix fell silently into step beside me five minutes after leaving the house.

Neither of them said a word until I slowed to a stop to look between the two best friends. I couldn't help but stare at Nix, as his expression was so guarded I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He'd been an open book since I walked through the front door at the beginning of summer.

"You need to go back in and talk to him." Nix said quietly, avoiding my eyes. "I know you don't want to, that it's probably the last thing he want to do right now, but I can promise you that you'll regret it if you don't."

I readied myself to respond, but Sam jumped in before I could get a word in. "He's right, Ari. I. . . I think he'll help clear a lot of things up for you. About you. About us. About Mom."

"He filled your guys' heads full of lies about Mom!" My voice rose as I pointed my figure accusingly at Sam. "He made you all believe she was some sort of monster!"

Even the most beautiful people can harbor a demon within them. Damien's words ricocheted around in my head, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides. I'd considered that maybe my mother had been different to the boys then she was to me, but there was no way she was this evil villain they had all made her out to be. She wouldn't have been able to hurt a fly, let alone beat her own children.

"Fae." Nix reached out and caressed my cheek. "There's so much left up in the air for you right now, and as much as you hate that, your dad can fill in those gaps."

I touched my hand on top of Nix's, feeling my tears finally break the surface and fall from my lashes on to his fingers. He pulled me into his warm, familiar embrace, then kissed my forehead and looked to Sam a few feet away, leaning against the railing of the stairs that led down to the beach.

"I'm going to go tell your dad you guys will be right in." With a quick slap on Sam's shoulder, Nix took off up the sand and back to the front porch.

I lingered for a second before walking over to Sam and leaning down beside him. "I don't want to talk to him, Sam."

"I know." He whispered, eyes still trained on the water. "But Nix is right. There's a lot that you don't know, Ari. Dad can help you fill in all those blanks."

"He's a liar." I swiped my hand across my nose. "And a manipulator."

Sam straightened himself so he was looking down at me, his glasses slipping down his nose. "Says who? Mom? You know as well as I do that there are two sides to every story."

I retreated back into myself hearing the words. He was right, as much as I hated to admit it. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of notebook paper, lips curving upright into a smile.

"I think this might cheer you up. I wasn't going to show anyone until I finished it." He handed the paper over with a slight hesitation when I pinched it between my fingers and scanned the page. It was four stanza's, all in the same beautiful calligraphy that had lined much of the letters Phil had sent over the years.

"In a village in the midst of war

Five souls had swore

To protect one another during this fight

With no potential end in sight."

The last summer here. The first stanza was talking about the summer that I'd left never to return again.

"Out of the ashes came one kindred soul