Blessing in Disguise (MM)

Chapter Thirty Three

ARIS' POV

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Someone knocks at the door as I get myself ready for the afternoon and to pick Elodie up from school later. Luca didn't need me in the cafe today as his friend Demi wanted to pick up a shift and I gladly gave her my slot–at least she can work the full day.

My arms adjust the jumper on my arms before I walk towards the door. I don't even think about looking through the peephole, I half expect it to be the postman with another parcel for Luca. I press down on the handle and swing it open to find my brother staring back at me.

The expression on my face disintegrates immediately. "What are you doing here?"

He quirks a lip but not in a polite manner. "Sad to see me, Aris?"

"We spoke the other day. How do you even know where I live?"

Adam rolls his eyes and leans on the doorway but I refuse to let him into my home. Not when he's been an asshole for the last few years, especially when our father's health has been rapidly lowering by the day.

"Nursing home," he shrugs simply. "I'm not paying for his care anymore."

My jaw grits. "I can't pay for it by myself."

"Use the money from the house," he grumbles.

"That money is gone!" I exclaim desperately. "Don't you realise that all that money is gone? If we don't pay for his care then one of us will need to be a carer for him. He can't live by himself. Hell, Adam, he doesn't even know who I am most of the time."

He exhales a long breath. "Look, it's really not serving a purpose for me. I can't afford to pay."

"He's our father," I grit my teeth. "He gave us everything when mum left. Did everything for us. This is the least we can do for him. He likes it there. The nurses are nice and kind. I can't look after him all day."

"Well, neither can I," he sniffs aggressively and shoves his hands into his pockets. "And I can't afford it anymore."

My fingers itch to rip out his dark hair. "You never even see him anymore."

"Precisely why I don't want to pay."

I shake my head in disbelief. "You can't just shove him out as if he doesn't exist. He raised us. He is our father. Our blood."

"Like you said, he doesn't even know who you are," he flares his nostrils. "What's the point of wasting our time with someone who is only deteriorating? He can't get better. We're just losing money."

My mouth parts. "Wasting our time with our amazing father? I can't believe what you're saying, Adam. You're such an asshole. I don't want him to be alone, to die alone. He has no one but us. Even if he doesn't know who we are. It matters to me."

Adam leans into his pocket and pulls out a bunch of papers before shoving them into my chest. "If it matters to you, then you can pay for him to be there. He's literally rinsing my bank account and I can't do it anymore, Aris. I'm over it. He doesn't remember so what's the point?"

"What's this?" I ask, glancing down at the crumpled papers.

"I've officially been removed as a trusted guarantor for dad's care," he holds his head high as if it's something to be proud of. "I've also told them to change everything into your name as it'll be you who looks after it. I've removed my payment information."

My head shakes once, lips parting in agony as my heart twinges. "Y-You've done it already?"

"Yep."

"You fucking dickhead, Adam," I grumble under my breath.