October (14.2)

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"Hey!" Zack came rushing into the meadery, sweat on his brow from the always confusing October weather. He gave Cody a one armed hug, pressing his cheek to his brothers. His newly grown beard scratched the other's face. Cody preferred to keep clean shaven compared to his brother. It was a running joke that Zack, being older, got the 'good genes' and the thought that this might have been a flex did not go unnoticed.

"So you're keeping it?" Cody asked.

"Yeah? Why not?" He shrugged off his coat, throwing it across the empty chair to his right. "It looks good, and it's trending well at work." A grin split his face, "why? Are you jealous?" Cody rolled his eyes in response. "Why are we here? Why are we in Brooklyn?" Zack looked around the meadery. Pretentious was the first description that came to mind. Of course Cody would pick a place like this.

"Hey! I live here!" Cody defended. Zack only raised an eyebrow in response. "Look, one of the food critics gave it a good review and it seemed like it was a place you would like." There wasn't much character to the inside of the tasting area. The entire place was just cold metal and sparse seating to show off the product in a more prominent way. "I already ordered for you. It's not bad."

Zack took a sip admiring the taste. "Why is it dry?" He asked offhandedly, not really looking for an answer. Just seeing the way Cody was sitting he knew something was off in his brother's brain. A problem that needed solving with an answer that was probably right in front of his face that he was blind to.

Cody let out a really long sigh. How long was his brother going to draw out this inane questioning? Didn't he know he was having a crisis?! "I don't know. Apparently some child actor opened the place."

Zack took a big swig of his drink, drawing out the silence and tension his younger brother was feeling just for the fun of it. When his internal countdown clock reached zero, it was time to let Cody out of his misery. "Okay, Baby Bro-"

"Don't call me that." It was a weak defense that came automatically. A recycled insult that held no weight anymore.

"What problem can I solve between you and Bailey now?" He continued, a harmless smug look on his face.

It had been a week and he still hadn't heard from her with the exception of one text that said she was alright and that she wasn't going to ghost him again. Cody pinched his nose, "I took Bailey home with me the night of the gallery opening."

"No shit?" Zack clapped his brother on the arm. "It's about time!"

The younger twin looked up, his eyes peering under his brow. "Except for that she left before I woke up with only a note that said 'I'm sorry'."

"Yeah, that fucking sucks." Zack sipped at his drink, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Have you talked to her at all since this... what would you call it? A tete-a-tete?"

Cody's head bobbed from side to side. "She left her job to start up a new firm with that guy she was dating earlier this year. So, she's been busy. But, can you blame me? She ghosted me ten years ago!"

"Well, she had a good reason." His eyes trailed over someone incredibly attractive as they were leaving. His husband knew him well enough that all he needed was permission to look. He knew who he happily came home to every night. "Listen. I'm not saying to make a grand gesture, but this is your crossroads. You either use this to get closure and move on, or you fight for her."

"If you had asked me, this time last year, if we would be having this conversation-"

"I would have told you that your reaction was you lying to yourself." Cody gave his brother an unimpressed look. "I'm serious! This past year I have seen you be more yourself than I have in a really long time. I mean, do I miss my douchey drinking buddy? Sometimes. Do I miss that you were a fuckboi for the past few years? Nope. Do you know what I am glad to see though?" Cody raised an eyebrow. "That you have actually tackled what happened ten years ago. I'm not going so far into saying you experienced trauma. You know, with a capital 'T'. But, it was traumatizing to an extent. She left you after being together for years with no word and then the reason why? That's some heavy shit." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. The tables were tiny end tables to rest your drink so you could mingle. Definitely not appropriate for any long term visit. A smart and subtle way to cycle people through. "I think you would agree that if anyone knows you, it's me. And I know, when you don't know the answer to something, or you can't find the answer, it physically hurts you."

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