Your Memories Stay With Me

Chapter 14: His Apologies

"P'James—"

James harshly wiped his tears and took long strides to the elevator, ignoring the voice of a young man hesitantly calling his name. 

"P'James wait—" Ne, who happened to see James overhearing his mother and uncle's conversation about his brother's condition, anxiously caught up to the older. He grabbed James' arm, who gently pulled it back while ignoring him, causing the younger to hastily explain. 

"P'James, it's not what you think. Please listen to me." Ne tried to explain but was immediately cut off by James, who whipped his head and looked at him with reddened eyes.

"What's there for me to hear about? What other lies have your brother been feeding me with?" James butted in, his voice laced with resentment, making the young man stop before sighing.

"P'James, believe me, lying to you—deceiving you was never my brother's intention." Ne tried to explain, but James just snorted a sarcastic laugh.

"Then what is it?" James asked with a mocking smile, making the young man purse his lips into a thin line, which only deepened the bitter smile on the older man's lips. The fair-skinned doctor irritably ran his fingers through his hair and harshly wiped the tear that slid down his cheek before stepping inside the elevator. However, after a couple of steps, James stopped when Ne grabbed his arm and gently pulled him back. He blankly looked at the young man, who heaved a sigh before opening his mouth.

"My brother—P'Net—he already knows about you two," Ne quietly started, causing a confused look from the older man.

"How—" James parted his lips to ask but immediately stopped and blankly looked at Ne.

"I gave it to him," Ne guiltily admitted in a soft voice before retracting his gaze when he could no longer bear to see the disappointment and pain that crossed the doctor's face. He softly cleared his throat before continuing. 

"P'James, I'm sorry. I know I promised not to tell my brother about you in exchange for letting me keep those memories of you two together. But, P'Net, he was a mess after coming back from sending you home after celebrating my niece's birthday and seeing him in that state. I just couldn't help it," Ne explained, his voice laced with guilt as he reminisced about what he witnessed after that night.

"I've already booked a flight and will be leaving tonight," Net informed his parents with a blank look on his face, his puffy eyes giving him away despite his effort to mask the turmoil he was feeling inside.

"I just need to go somewhere; I'll be back by noon," Net added before turning his back.

Ne, who was quietly listening on the side, pursed his lips into a thin line as he watched his brother's back. He cast his eyes down for a few seconds, deep in thought, before his feet moved on their own. The youngest of three brothers caught up to his brother, ignoring the confused voice of his mother calling out his name. 

"Phi," Ne called out, making Net, who was about to open his car door, stop on his track. The older of the two looked back, his eyes devoid of any emotions.