Betrayed By You

Ch.10 - All Together Now

  I was getting ready to head home after work when my phone started ringing. I leaned against the hood of my car and looked at who was calling. I debated answering when I saw Devlin's name on my caller ID. He hadn't replied to any of the texts I'd sent him in three months or more. I answered, "About time you called me back. What took you so long?"

I heard him sigh on the other end of the phone and I could easily imagine the look on his face. "What took me so long is I don't enjoy talking to you because something always comes up that I would rather not talk about. I called you because I have a question."

"And what would that be? Brother dear?"

"Stop calling me that."

"Never."

I heard him cover the microphone on his cell phone and mutter what I assumed were some choice words he wanted to say to me. The fact that he didn't say those words to me like he normally would have meant he wanted something from me. His hand moved away from the phone and I heard him take a deep breath to calm down. "I was wondering if I could crash with you for a while."

I stood there grinning for a few moments before I answered him. "Sure, but you know my conditions."

I heard him groan. "You've had those stupid conditions since mom and dad died. Why can't you let them go?! We're grown men."

"And I'm a grown man in control of the house and holding up a normal job and a normal life who also pays for your phone and makes sure everything is alright with your bank account and who also does the paperwork for your friends and I make sure that there's enough money in that account for everyone to be comfortable."

He groaned louder, "Fine, fine!"

"I'll have some movies ready. Would you prefer a board game or a puzzle for the game night?"

"Movies alone aren't good enough anymore?" He grumbled, half joking, "I don't care. If it's a puzzle just don't make it something too hard or time consuming, alright?"

"I think I still have one of those giant five-thousand piece puzzles with the pictures on the pictures to make a sort of collage." I said, acting as though I was in thought.

"I really hate you."

"Too bad because I still love my brother."

"I'll see you later tonight?"

"Sure, just knock before you come in so I know it's you. And come in human." I really don't want Ange to have a reason to fear you or for us to start fighting because you might want to kill her or Demeter would want to kill or change her. There's no way I'm letting any of you harm a hair on her head.

"Pizza for dinner?"

"Store bought or homemade?"

"I was thinking homemade."

Devlin was quiet for a few minutes before he spoke, a softer tone like when our parents had first died. "Can we have your special sauce?"

I laughed, "Sure, I think I still have some so we don't have to worry about the scents being too strong in the house or getting the kitchen too hot to eat in."

"Remember when we used to make snacks and cause a huge mess and then go hide with whatever we'd made in dad's den?"

"Do I ever. Sometimes I'll take a small snack in there and just sit in his old chair while I eat it because it reminds me of when they were still alive." When I heard Devlin laugh I started wondering if maybe, just maybe, I hadn't really lost my brother after all. "I'll see you tonight." I said as I hung up.

Ange, I hope you're ready for a challenge.