High Bridge | BXB

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Nehemiah

"Damn, that's deep."

"I know."

Brayden walked next to me as we walked through the grocery store together. He was having some car trouble so he asked if I'd drive him around to run his errands today.

It wasn't hard for me to say yes. Matter of fact I think I said yes way too quickly.

From my speediness, Brayden laughed over the phone and said, "Don't be so excited to see me."

I tried my best to play it off and proceeded to pick him up from his apartment later that afternoon.

Now we walked through the grocery store with him pushing the basket as he filled it with the food he wanted.

I had just told him about the situation with my dad and he had the same reaction I had after I fully processed everything he had told me.

"Are you mad at him at all? I would be." He asked, placing a casing of toilet paper in the basket.

"The dude got a whole family and never told me about my siblings. Of course, I'm mad. But I feel like I should only be mad at him. His wife and my siblings don't have anything to do with his mistakes."

"So does that mean you're open to meeting them?" He moved closer to me as he nudged our shoulders together. When I looked at him he wore a hopeful look on his face like he had been trying to convince me to meet them for months rather than him just finding out about this today.

"I told him I would. I have a little brother and sister and I want to have a relationship with them. The closest thing I ever had to siblings were my friends, but blood is different. I know you know that."

"You're right I do. However, I happen to think that having three younger siblings is quite the hassle,"

Me being the oldest child was going to be different than Brayden being the oldest. He has experience and knows what it likes. The responsibilities, the different attitudes, the arguments- I only know how to be a good friend.

"I don't think you should worry too much if your nervous. Once you get to know them personally then you shouldn't have trouble adjusting to them."

I followed him as he walked down another isle. He stopped right in front of the cereal and scanned the boxes as he decided which box he wanted to get.

"I'm not worried about getting along with them. More so if I'm going to be a good brother or not. Like I know being the oldest means that your parents and your siblings depend on you. I'm not sure if I'm someone you can come to me for advice or help them with whoever they have a crush on. I can fight though."

"Did you forget you're a whole dad out here in these streets?" He pointed out reaching up for the box on the top shelf.

He would be able to reach it if he tried hard enough but I decided to tease him with the advantage of my height by getting it for him without a struggle.

"I'm not short." He said glaring.

"I didn't say you were."

"Your smirk said it." He took the box of cereal from me and placed it in the almost full basket. I heard him mumbling something as he began pushing the basket away but I didn't hear him.

I knew it wasn't bad from the way he was shaking his head and smiling to himself.

"Now back to what I was saying. You're a dad, how could that be so much different than having a brother and sister?"

"Because it just is. Justice is my sole responsibility for the rest of my life. So I have no choice but to always have a great relationship with him. With my situation with my siblings you don't necessarily have to think that way. For all I know once we meet each other we might end up hating one another."