Respite - HS

Peace.

Harry Styles

Sitting across from me on my couch is my little brother.

Like I'm actually looking at Eli right now. I genuinely didn't know if this would ever happen after I left. 

"H, I am so sorry." Elliot begins while a shake of his head. 

I watch fondly how Maya runs her hand down his arm tangling their fingers together in an effort to comfort him. 

"Please don't apologize El." I murmur softly.

His eyes light up at my use of the nickname I would call him when he was little.

Audrey clears her throat,  a soft lull in conversation coating the room. "Um, Harry's told me a little bit about you, but uh, what have you been up to?" 

I smile at her in thanks, I can't seem to find my words right now. Still fighting off the daze that fell over me the minute I saw my brother. 

"Oh! Well, I graduated a little bit ago. Got my degree in business and uh art..." he hums nervously.

His words make me perk up, "You got an art degree!" I say with a laugh. 

He shrinks into the couch a little, misinterpreting my laugh of surprise as a bad thing. Maya sends me a little glare before speaking up. 

"You know, he was commissioned to make a piece for Dua Lipa's house." Maya beams at her boyfriend proudly.

I chuckle at her determination to prove Elliot to me, "That's absolutely incredible El. I had no idea you were going to pursue that. I'm so happy for you." 

"Oh." He scrunches his nose at my response. 

"What? I'm serious, that's really fucking cool." 

"N-no it's not that. I guess I'm just not used to such a positive reaction." 

At his words I frown, "I'm assuming you're referring to dad?" I say sharply and Audrey delicately places her hand on my leg. 

Elliot sucks in a sharp breath at the question and nods. 

"I thought you were working with him? Last time I checked..." I trail off guiltily, realizing I just outed myself. 

"You checked?" Surprise evident on his face, "I figured you didn't care." He says almost like an afterthought.

For fuck's sake. I never imagined how painful actually talking to him would be. 

"Eli, of course I did." I sigh pinching at my lip, "I was really angry when I left. It hurt a lot. How dad left things. I was under the impression that you wanted to be just like him and wanted nothing to do with me... I sent cards. You know, for special things. I'm so ashamed that I left you the way I did El. I'm so sorry for not trying harder for you." I mumble sadly.

"Dad's a prick." He scoffs. "He made me intern at his firm. I didn't want to. I actually wanted to leave when I turned eighteen like you did, but he made me stick around to help him run things." He's been twisting a ring on his finger this whole time and my heart cracks at the sight of it, it was one of mine. One I'm assuming I left back home. "You sent cards?" He asks softly.

"You didn't get them?" I breathe out quickly, tears filling my eyes. "Fuck." 

"God, I am so fucking glad I left." Eli spits out with a sad laugh. 

Audrey shifts in her seat a little, "Why did you? Leave I mean." She says softly, picking at the seam in my jeans.

Maya perks up at the topic and squeezes Elliots arm. "We uh, we moved here! Last week actually." She looks up at Elliot to ensure she's allowed to tell us whatever she's planning on saying next. "Eli got a job offer, curating art pieces for The Met."