Family Ties

Chapter Six

"Oh my God, Eve! It's really you?" my older brother comes towards me with his arms open and I walk right in, like it's the most normal thing in the world. I didn't expect him to react so welcomingly and happy when he saw me but it warms my heart and I feel myself relax a little more.

We stand on his porch for a moment, Jonas' big strong arms around my shoulder, my head on his chest, nose nuzzled in the crook of his neck. It is all too much, to see Jonas and hug him after all this years, I know it isn't the same as before but I feel the connection is still there. For the first time in ages I feel safe and I get overwhelmed by an intense feeling of happiness but I also feel sad because a drama had to happen to make me come here and we lost so much time together. A sob leaves my mouth, tears roll over my cheeks and I press him tighter against me.

"I missed you so much." I mumble when he pulls back.

"Please don't cry, sis. I missed you too." Jonas wipes my tears away with his thumbs before he takes my hand and pulls me back to the swing where we both sit down. He doesn't let go of my hand, his eyes are boring into mine and I know what he wants to ask but I'm not sure if I can tell him the truth.
"I'm sorry to ask but, to what do I owe this surprise? Are you here on holiday? What hotel are you staying at?"Jonas asks all at once. I can't hold back a smile, that's how I know him, curious and eager to know everything.

" Erm... I broke up with my boyfriend and I just had to get out of there so I drove over here. I actually don't have a place to stay and kinda hoped I could stay here. I understand if you don't want me here, last time we saw..."

My brother interrupts me by squeezing my hand, I look up to him smiling.
"You are more than welcome as long as you want. In that case maybe I should show you the house now so you can get settled in while I cook and we can talk more later during dinner." I nod and we get up but I have this nagging feeling in my belly. There are so many more things to say but it all can wait except for one thing. Jonas is already is walking to the door but he stops and turns around when I put my hand on his biceps, a content smile on his face. I take a step forward and put my hands around his waist, he immediately puts one arm around my shoulder while he ruffles my hair with his other hand and I can't stop my mind from going back to the moment I saw my brother the last time..

"Please don't go!" tears rolling from my eyes as my hands were clutching his wrists.
"Please Jonas, don't leave me alone with mother." I had cried since this morning when he told me he would leave for Spain, the next day.
"I have to go, Eve. I can't stay..." he said whispering.
"Then take me with you!" I tried to argue. I turned eighteen a month ago, I'm in college now and had planned to move to London for university in the fall. I could stop going to school now, travel to Spain with my brother and find a job there.
"You can't come with me sis. You have to stay here, study and become what mother always planned out for you. You don't want to be a failure like me." Jonas tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. I looked in his eyes and saw his pain, I hated mother for scaring him away, I would never forgive her for this. More tears spilled on my cheeks as he stepped back.
"I have to go, I can't stay here." I was suddenly furious because I wasn't a good enough reason to stay. I wasn't important and good enough for mother but now I even wasn't good enough for my own brother who always had been my best friend, my partner in crime. I balled my fists and my jaw clenched, it felt like a fire had started inside myself and all the words just came out.
"Then go and never come back! I hate you!!" I raced out of my room through the house to the garage to get my bike and rode to my friend, Cassidy's house where I stayed over.
That night Jonas tried to call me numerous of times but I ignored him. I knew he would leave the next day at seven am but I expected him to have change his mind but when I came home the next day at ten am. It was a huge disappointment to see he had left, he didn't even leave a note or a message. It proved to me I wasn't important enough.