Two Sides of Us

Chapter 12: Andrew

I sat on the couch in my apartment, controller in hand, eyes glued to the TV screen as Lily and I battled it out in our favorite game. The sound of gunfire and explosions filled the room, accompanied by Lily's triumphant shouts and my grunts of frustration.

"You're going down, big brother!" Lily crowed, her tongue poking out in concentration as she maneuvered her character with annoying precision.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," I shot back, my thumb mashing the buttons as I tried to get the upper hand. "You've been practicing, haven't you?"

Lily grinned, her eyes never leaving the screen. "Maybe a little. You're not the only one who can master a game."

I laughed, feeling a rare sense of ease settle over me. It had been a while since I'd taken a break from work, and even longer since I'd spent any real time with Lily. Convincing our parents to let her stay in New York for the rest of her winter break felt like a small victory. I needed this time with her—away from the office, away from everything that had been weighing me down.

"I've got you now!" I said, my competitive streak showing as I managed to pull off a complex move, sending Lily's character spiraling off the map.

"No fair!" Lily protested, but she was laughing, the sound filling the room with warmth. "You just got lucky."

"Luck? Please," I teased, giving her a playful shove. "It's all skill, little sis. You've got a lot to learn."

"Ha! We'll see about that," she said, determination flashing in her eyes as she prepared for the next round.

We settled into a rhythm, the back-and-forth banter making me forget, if only for a moment, all the chaos that had become my life. Lily was good for that—bringing out the lighter side of things, reminding me that not everything had to be so serious all the time.

"You know," she said during a particularly intense round, "it's kinda nice being here, just the two of us. I mean, I know Rachel's around, but it's almost like old times."

"Yeah," I agreed, though the mention of Rachel brought a slight tension to my shoulders. "It is nice. We should do this more often."

Lily smiled, but before she could respond, the sound of footsteps approached from the hallway. We both turned to see Rachel walking out of the bedroom, her expression a mix of annoyance and fatigue.

"Can you two keep it down?" Rachel snapped, one hand pressed to her temple. "I have a migraine, and all this noise isn't helping."

I felt a flash of guilt—maybe we had been a bit loud—but Lily, never one to back down, couldn't resist making a joke. "Maybe you should play with us, Rach. Might help distract you from that headache."

Rachel's eyes narrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line. "This isn't a joke, Lily. Some of us have real problems to deal with."

Lily's smile faded, her eyes widening in surprise at Rachel's tone. Up until now, Rachel had made every effort to be on her best behavior around Lily, always putting on that sweet, supportive fiancée act. But this—this was different. This was the real Rachel slipping through the cracks.

I felt my temper flare, the protective older brother in me rising to the surface. "Rachel, that's enough," I said, my voice hardening. "Lily was just trying to lighten the mood. You don't need to bite her head off."

Rachel shot me a glare, her frustration clearly getting the better of her. "Oh, so now it's my fault that I'm in pain? Maybe if you two weren't so loud—"

"Stop," I interrupted, my patience thinning rapidly. "You don't need to take this out on her. If you're not feeling well, then go rest. We'll keep it down."