Romanticismo Per Caso ❤

Brotherly Conflict (Elias POV)

After my date with Lorena, I couldn't help but notice how nervous she was. It seemed as if a heavy burden was weighing on her mind, and when I asked if she was okay, she gave me a delayed reassurance that she was fine.

Late last night, my father phoned me, telling me that he needed to meet up with me. Around the same time, I got a call from my mother as well in which she told me that she also needed to meet up with me. I agreed to meet up with both of them.

I made the choice to visit my mother and little brother, Nils, who was around 15 years old first. I felt remorse for him as he was still dealing with our parents' ongoing argument/divorce, while I got to leave the conflict behind. I truly missed him and I wanted to be there the most that I could.

Unfortunately, I wasn't there the best that I could be. It seemed my mother hoped I could reach out to him, especially since he was going through a rebellious phase. She told me that she believed in my guidance and input as an older influence, and even more importantly, as his brother.

I drove my motorcycle this time to my mother's home, letting the wind take away my frustrations as I drove. When I pulled up to the driveway, I removed my black helmet, walked up a few steps to the door, and knocked. "Anyone there?" I yelled after a moment of silence. As I knock again, I hear someone unlock the door. When the door is opened, it reveals my brother who surprisingly is almost my height.

"What do you want?" My brother asks, obviously annoyed at my presence. Oh boy, this was definitely going to be challenging.

"I came to check up on you," I replied. Nils, still gripping the door with his one hand, reaches into his pocket for his phone. "That'd be a first, don't you think?" He retorts, blatantly ignoring me. This causes a tension between us and I decide to snatch his phone. "Hey!" He shouts as I run away down the steps of the house to get away from him.

I sprint, the gravel beneath me crunching with the sound of my feet. I turn around a couple of times to see if he is still behind me. We run past our small garden, bursting with plenty of fruits and flowers. Once I run to the side of the house, I realize that I am trapped. I hide for a moment behind a tall bush, seeing him clueless of where I am. I chose to race back inside of the house and once I left my hiding spot, I almost got held on by Nils' grasp.

I bolt up the stairs to a small bedroom and hear Nils plead, "Elias, please stop." "Okay, but you've gotta listen to me, bud." I catch my breath, standing by a loveseat in this room. One wall of the room contains a window that displays a breathtaking view.

"What do you want?" Nils repeats his question. "Wow, nice way to greet your brother," I tell him, shaking my head and taking a glance at the window's view. I hand him back his phone and take a seat in the loveseat. "How are you and mom doing?" I ask, gesturing to the seat next to me, though he declined my invitation.

"I'm doing great and she's doing great," He rolls his eyes and sighs. "Are you an idiot, Elias? She's a wreck. She complains all the time about how Dad ditched her. As soon as I come home from school she complains about Dad telling me that, Dad doing that, or Dad won't talk," he vents, frustration evident in his eyes. I look at him with concentration and concern.

"And me," he adds, "People at school completely judge me thinking I have everything that I want just because our parents are rich. And you know mom's signing me up for the big, grand, old chess competition. God forbid I won't win that."

"I'm really sorry, Nils. I wish I could be there more," I tell him.

"You could be here more, but you're not." He looks away from me and runs his hand through his blonde hair. "Would you even be here if I needed you?" His tone becomes bitter.

"Of course I would, we're brothers," I assert, locking eyes with him. I can tell that he is just about to explode.

"You may be my brother, but you really aren't acting like it. Heck, when was the last time you texted me? Called me?" He fires back at me, his words hitting me like a double edged sword. "And I know that the only reason you're here is because Mom told you to be here, so just leave," He concludes bluntly.

I realize that he is right. I've been neglectful to my family these past few months. These past few months were the worst time I could have ignored them as well. I was caught up in my own issues, only focusing on myself, and I was oblivious to the suffering my brother was going through.

"Nils," I begin, standing up on my feet now. "No," he interrupts, backing away once I stand up and opens the door to leave.