Trouble in Paradise

Chapter 24 - Big Brother

After feeding her children and making sure they had their baths and were in bed, Angel sat in the living room with Derrick. He'd just got to her house, striaght from work. 

"I talked to Drew, not too long ago." She said. Angel knew how Derrick felt about Drew but she wanted to change their realtionship.

"Okay." He responded nonchalantly.

She stretched her legs across the sofa, resting her feet in his lap. "He's not doing good, Derrick." She shook her head. 

"And?"

Angel sighed. "Look, I want for the two of you to build a better relationship with each other. 

"I can't do that." He shook his head.

"Yes you said." She convinced. "He's your brother. I know you love him, so you don't have to pretend that you don't."

"Angel, I really don't want to talk about him right now." He sighed.

"But I do." She was going to have the conversation with him. "Listen, I know you can careless about Drew, which I strongly feel that you shouldn't be that way towards him."

"Angel, please." He wanted her to drop the topic.

"No. You need to talk to him. He's not doing well, and I'm concerned about him."

"Why?" Derrick frowned at her.

"It's nothing like that." She had a feeling he thought she was into Drew again, but that wasn't the case. "Drew is Zach's father, and I don't want him turning into some mad man because he didn't have anyone to talk to, and I certainly don't want Zach growing up, seeing his father as a certain type of man."

"Drew is a certain type of man. He's a man-whore!" Derrick said. "He's honestly not a man for what he's done. I'm ashamed to even call him my brother."

"But he is and he will always be your brother. I'm sure there was a point in your life where you two had a better relationship than y'all have now."

"Yeah, but that was the past. That was before my brother turned into whoever the hell he is now." Derrick claimed. "That's not my brother. That's not the man, my mother raised and I can't stand by him and allow him to continue to do wrong when he knows he's doing wrong, that's why I had to let him be."

"What kind of brother are you?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're probably the one person he may want to talk to but won't even try to talk to you because he knows you won't give him the time of day."

"Damn right I won't."

"And if you keep shutting him out this way, you won't be able to reach him when he needs you the most."

"How you know he really needs to talk to me?" Derrick asked.

"Because you're his brother." She answered. "His big brother. I'm sure a part of him still looks up to you." She gave him a ginuine smle. "So, that's why I want you to go over to his house and see him and talk to him." 

"Go to his house?" He questioned. "Baby, I can call him." 

"I was going to tell you to call him, but I figured the lawyer in you would just call him, whether he answers or not and you'll tell me that you called him."

"He laughed. "I surely was going to do that."

She giggled, shaking her head at him. "That's why I want you to talk to him in person." She requested. "Do I need to go with you and hold your hand to be sure that you do it?" 

"Would you?" He grinned.

"Boy, you're so silly." She chuckled.

"Alright, I'll go talk to him." He finally agreed.