Forbidden Love

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

We drove on a narrow road; hardly any room for two cars to drive next to each other and, to make the situation worse, there wasn't a barrier to stop you if something were to happen.
 "Felix, where are we going?" I asked to my brother sitting in the passengers seat.
 "We're going the place where my workers are. You won't be staying there long. You'll just be hearing the rest of the story then going back." Felix replied, staring out the windscreen. He was distant more than ever.
 "Why is the place you work located in a place like this?"
 "Think about it, if father found out where it was, he'd try to talk me out of doing it and take over the family business. This was the best place to locate it. Father would never think to look for it in this area."
 "I don't even think father is alive." I muttered under my breath.
 "Did you say something?"
 "Nothing." I didn't want  Felix to find out whilst he was in this pain. I can't put him through more pain because after the argument Felix and father had five years ago, father put more into his work than ever and didn't come home much.

The driver of this vehicle didn't say much and only seemed to talk to Felix when he did. He acted like I wasn't even there. He appeared to be wearing white gloves, a cap that looked similar to a police officer and a suit that looked similar to Credri's.
 "Who's your driver?" I asked out of curiosity. 
 "His name's Cecil. Credri introduced me to him after I graduated from university. He worries about me too much though. He reminds me of you in some ways." Felix replied, turning his head to face me this time.
 "How does he remind you of me? If anything, we are completely different in every respect."
 "You don't get it. Remember, don't judge a book by its cover. It's in the way that you care about me when I'm hurt or something like that. He's also very quiet about things, like you."
 "So are you. You never tell anyone anything."
"I blame myself for making you not able to tell others things that are going on." Felix cast his head down in shame after saying he blames himself.
 "Why do you blame yourself?"
 "I knew I was like a father figure to you and yet, I couldn't be there and I can't even talk about things that bother me. I fear that's been pushed onto you from me. It's not really something I like having to deal with everyday, knowing I made you hate talking to people about things. It's horrible." Felix really blamed himself for that?
 "It's not your fault. If anything, it's more mother and fathers' fault. They were never there to hear my issues like a parent should. They weren't role models at all."
 "That doesn't take away the fact that you took on after me and don't tell people who care about things that make you upset or that bring you down."
 "You can still talk to others too."
 "It's past that stage for me. You can still change Damian. That's what I'm trying to say."

I knew Felix still blamed himself for the past. Three years ago he even called me to say sorry for the argument he had with father two years prior. Felix never could let anything go and he stayed that way for his whole life, never changing to the Felix he was thirteen years ago. I wished for that Felix to return, for him to even return in person. Both Felix and father engrossed themselves in their work and never really came home, Jonah was always at the school studying for something, mother was always with father and never cared about us while Graenia and I were left alone with Credri and even then, Credri was hardly ever there himself. One time when Graenia and I were at home all by ourselves, Credri left us for hours that it became night and he still wasn't home. Felix was at work as always, mother and father were planning for the up coming party and Jonah was with mother and father, doing something to learn how to take over the family company. At the time, a thunderstorm was coming down hard and Graenia was scared as she was only five. I called Felix as I knew he'd care even though he was at his part time job that evening. Graenia retreated under tables then. Felix answered the phone and I explained what happened and what was going on at home and the next thing I knew, he was there and we were taken to his job for the night. Felix was caring back then. He lost his caring side after he started up this job. That sounds a bit harsh, but he stop contacting us at all costs and never came home. Felix never could face us because of the amount of guilt he felt from everything he did. I wished to see him and not in a situation like this; not when he was injured, not when Graenia is hurt and not when I wasn't at home.

We approached a rich house thing in the middle of no where.
 "Felix, don't move. I'll come around and help you." Cecil said and went over to the passengers door.
 "Cecil I don't need help. I can get out and walk on my own. Just show Damian somewhere he can stay for a while." Felix replied, dissmissing the help that was offered to him. Cecil then moved to the door to the side I was sitting on and opened it for me.
 "If you please, follow me." I had no choice but to follow the guy. I started to walk off as Felix grabbed my wrist, as if to stop me.
 "I wish you hadn't seen me like this. I'm just glad someone's safe." Felix said as he tried to get out of the car. His injuried leg that caused his limp was moved from the car first and his face flinched in pain to the sudden contact. Cecil rushed to his side, nearly pushing me over in the process, to accompany him.
 "Cecil I said I don't need help. I'm fine." Felix said, trying to turn himself around with his left hand to get out of the car.
 "Felix, you need assistance more than your brother does. You're the one in actual pain here." Cecil said as if to say that I'm just in the way.
 "Fine then. Call over someone else. You know the place like I do whilst my brother doesn't know where he's going. He'll need you and I can have anyone who works here."

Cecil seemed to listen to him and called over a girl. The girl only appeared to be in her early teens. She was short in stature, thin and wearing all black; similar to Cecil just not a suit but a dress that was just above her knees with leggings to cover her slim legs. Her hair was medium in length and blonde. I couldn't see her face as she just flew past us, knowing where she was needed to be. She seemed to know where to go and at what time. It appeared as if she was awaiting their arrival for a while and seemed to expect issues by the words my brother was saying. Things like 'I expected my town to look like that' and 'I'm glad I could at least find a member of my family.' The girl seemed to look down after he mentioned finding someone from his family - aka me - and Felix seemed to notice. I was shocked by his next reaction to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear that I couldn't hear. It wasn't just the people on the street or his family he cared about, he even cared about his workers. She tilted her head back up to face him and seemed to be a little more happier than what she was before.

I was called over and followed Cecil. I walked over to the building with him. The building was dark in colour and didn't appear to be that big on the outside. I wasn't that tall either; similar height to a house that you'd find in a rich area. To sum it up quickly, it was more of a house than a business building.
 "Is something wrong?" Cecil said, not even looking at me, as if I was an issue or in the way.
 "Nothing." I replied.
 "If it's the size of the building, don't let the outside fool you."
 "What do you mean?" he didn't say anything, he just opened the dark wooden door. It creaked in the process. What the heck? I thought as I saw the inside of the building. I guess the saying of don't judge a book by its cover is true.