The Stepbrother's Girl

Chapter 29:: Brothers Bond

::Blake's POV::

I sit there at the dinner table with Ray, Diana, and Aria as I feel super awkward and uncomfortable. I don't have any mental capacity right now and I just want to be left alone... but Aria wanted me to come down so here I am.

"Son you've barely touched your food are you doing okay? Are you feeling okay?" Ray asks me as I notice I'm not really eating. I don't really have an appetite...
"You guys are going to be glued to Blake now huh? Calling him, checking up on him. He's never going to catch a break now." Aria retorts, me not even thinking anything about it.
"We should start calling him... maybe he'll answer." Ray says as I notice what's fixing to happen.
"You didn't call Blake earlier?" Aria asks as I avert my attention to her and Ray. Fuck.

"No." He says as I clench my jaw and look away from them. She knows I lied.
"Oh okay." Aria says calmly as things go silent for a moment. Just before I could say anything the door slings opens revealing Levi. My face fumes as I glare at him, as my dad and Diana run over to him. I told him not to come back.

"Who did this to you?" Diana asks him as my heart begins to pound.
"I got jumped." He says with short breaths.
"Where and by who?" Diana asks worriedly.
"I... don't know."

Why would he lie? I gaze at Aria for a second then I stand up and walk towards the stairs. I have to get away or I'm might beat him dead. I make my way to my room as I begin to feel depressed. I wish things weren't the way they were... I love Levi. He just doesn't have normal human sympathy.

I lay in my bed as my thoughts cloud my brain for what seems like eternity as I begin to hear Aria cleaning the kitchen from downstairs. I stand up deciding I'll go help her as I make my way back downstairs trying to be extra quiet because everyone else is either asleep or going to sleep.

As I come down the last step as quietly as possible I hear a deeper voice coming from the living room. Levi. I eavesdrop.
"I'm sorry I took advantage of you. For years you wanted me and I never gave you the time of day... I lost you long ago but still had my way with you. I was selfish, and now I've lost my brother because I was selfish. If I could take back what happened I would. I shouldn't have let my jealousy take control of me. I'm sorry I hope you can forgive me one day... I hope Blake forgives me one day. I just want my brother back... I wouldn't have came back but I'd rather Blake beat me then to lose him."

His words shatter my heart. He says he wants me back? As my brother? After everything he does to me all the time. He's always horrible to me. Levi has a long way before I can forgive him. Aria's words pull me out of my thoughts.

"You should talk to Blake, Levi."
And with that I quietly make my way back up to my room not wanting to face confrontation due to my lack of mental capacity. I just need sleep, but unable to sleep due to my mind racing... I just lay in my bed and stare at my ceiling hating the circumstances that I'm in. I hear my door open revealing a sleepy looking Aria. I watch her as she makes her way over to my bed leaving me thoughtless for just a blissful moment.

She looks me in my eyes with her puppy dog eyes as I know she wants me to hold her. I extend my arms as she immediately falls into me leaving me feeling warm. I hold her as I smell her aroma. She smells so sweet like roses. I pull her closer to me as I wrap my arms around her tighter as I lay there and enjoy her presence.

She really calms me. I really love her and I don't know how I'm going to tell her I can't stay. I've been thinking about Catalina and the baby as well. I can't leave her hanging... but when is the right time for me to tell Aria? Eventually...

My mind races as I notice that Aria has fallen asleep. My sleepy angel. I kiss her forehead as I stand up slowly and quietly from the bed. I grab cigarettes from my jacket pocket... I haven't had a smoke in a minute. I quietly walk downstairs and out to the back patio.

I quickly notice Levi sitting in the corner awake looking out into the street. My jaw clenches as I close the sliding door and light my smoke ignoring Levi. Fuck him. I'm just going to smoke quickly, and then go back to cuddling Aria.
"I deserved worse." He says looking me in my eyes.
"What?" I ask as I exhale smoke.
"You should have killed me. What I've always done to you, how I treat you... I deserved to be beaten to death."

My heart stops at his words. Could he be sincere?
"Would it matter? You still fucked Aria. That's not going to change dickhead."
"It was a mistake if I could take it back I would..." I cut him off.
"I heard your conversation with Aria. No need to waste your breath."
"I mean it Blake... I will leave if it means you'll try to forgive me."

Silence fills the thin cool air of the night breeze.
"Remember when we were kids and mom would bring us to the lake to go tubing, and every time it would be your turn..." He laughs as he continues.
"You would flip over and could never go straight, so mom started putting double floats on both sides to make sure you didn't fall over." He laughs more as a smile cracks from my lips.

"You know damn well you and the other kids would ware it out and when it was my turn it would be a piece of shit. Don't even play me like that." I say as we both laugh. He goes back to looking at the road as he exhales.
"Blake... I need my big brother... I know I've been shitty to you... but honestly, it was all jealousy and it took me forever to realize it. It was stupid and selfish. And I know it was wrong. All I ask for is one more chance. Please." He pleads as my moms voice beckons my heart to agree to give him a second chance. My moms voice reminding me of... Catalina's.

My heart begins to race once again. As some time passes I come to a conclusion.
"Keep this secret and I will give you one last chance." I say to him as his eyes light up like they did when he was a kid.
"Anything I swear on my life." He says crossing his heart with his fingers.
"I slept with someone at the beach." I say as his hand flies to cover his mouth in disbelief.
"Does Aria know?" He asks as he continues, "I'm not going to tell her... but you probably should."
"She knows." I say as I clench my teeth.
"Oh okay... well then?" He ponders.
"We worked through that... but then... the girl I slept with called me... and..." I say not being able to admit things because I can hardly believe it myself.
"And...?" He says

"She's pregnant." I say as Levi's eyes shoot wide open.
"Damn bro. That is a... tough situation. Congrats! I mean it's scary, but you're going to be a dad." He says.
"What should I do man I love Aria... but I think I also love Catalina."
"Oooh her name's Catalina? That's pretty. But... trust your heart man. I can't tell you who to pick. If you pick Aria, you will have the be a dad on the weekends but life goes on and you can make a family with Aria. If you chose Catalina you would be a whole family... it's really your hearts choice dude."

His insight really shed a lot of weight off of me, hearing him expressing outcomes and not judging me and just having someone to talk to again helps me with this a lot.
"Thanks Levi. I'll have to take some time to think about it. I'm just scared to tell Aria..."
"Just know the longer you wait the worse it will be." He says as I know he's right.

I can't get over the feeling of guilt I have with being with Aria. I can't get over the guilt of being with Catalina because of Aria it's like an endless loop. I'll have to tell her... eventually.