My Brothers

Chapter 53: The Big Fight

E T H A N

"Jayden..." I sighed, making a right turn into the neighborhood.

Jayden didn't reply but stared out the window, clear that he was angry and upset.

"She probably had a reason—"

"Yeah, the one time, the one time where we promised to hang out together, she doesn't come. Not even a single text message, or a single call, no. Nothing." He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Maybe something happened."

"She should've told me," Jayden said, frustrated. "We made a promise. She was so excited to hang out. Heck, it was even her idea. How could she just not come?"

"You should talk it out—"

"I waited for two hours. Two. Maybe, maybe I'm just stupid. I shouldn't even have waited that long. Why do I do this for her?" Jayden rambled. "We never hang out anymore. We barely have time to talk. She's always studying or something and never leaving time for me."

"Talk to her."

"It's always just 'talk it out' or 'it's a misunderstanding' for you, isn't it?" He huffed.

"Woah, what did I do?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "I'm just tryna help out—"

"You're not doing very well."

"What's up with the attitude?" I mumbled. "Why are you so mad? I know you're really not mad at her. I know you. You're just really upset."

"N-no, I'm not," Jayden stammered. "And that's the same thing anyways."

"Where'd you learn to express every other feeling besides anything happy in an angry manner?" I asked. "The tiniest bit you're upset, you get really fucking mad."

"I do not," Jayden argued.

"The hell you do," I said, trying not to laugh. "When i first met you, I thought you were really fucking dramatic."

Jayden rolled his eyes and went back to staring out the window. "Whatever."

I glanced at him and went back to focusing on the road. "It's not your fault. You were raised like that. I know you have a hard time expressing feelings."

"What are you, my therapist?" Jayden muttered. "You sound like mine."

I almost crashed. "You had a therapist?"

"Did I just... say that?" Jayden asked. "No, nah, nope. It was a joke."

Jayden cleared his throat. "Uh, I'm gonna listen to music. Just, tap me when we get home."

He put on his headphones and leaned back in his seat.

I wasn't going to lie. Every time I was with him, my heart hurt. He was the youngest brother in my biological family. But he was taken away from me. I finally got my youngest brother back after more than 10 years and he didn't even know who I was.