affluenza (1.) | ✔️

Never Really Over

I STARE AT Hiro, unable to speak. Oba mercifully takes over with a warm smile. "He's going to be staying with us for the weekend."

"If that's alright, of course," Hiro adds, looking at Aunt Amanda in question. She smiles at him lovingly and I fight the urge to run back out the door and see if I can catch Devin. "I'd hate to intrude."

"Nonsense," Oba responds, patting his back. She turns to me with a pointed look. "He got on a plane all by himself just to come here, Braylen."

I can't help it; I make a face. "What are you, eleven?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Fifteen in a month," he responds back, smiling awkwardly. I knew that already, of course, from my Facebook stalking. He was an Aquarius like me.

I stuff my hands in my pockets, rubbing my cheeks as my high wore off. My mind was still a bit muddled and it seemed to take too long to get the words out of my mouth. "I—what are you even doing here, again?" I ask, glaring at him.

"Braylen—" Oba starts.

I scoff, breaking through them and crossing into the living room. "Just stop! Stop patronizing me and babying me, Aunt Amanda!" I shout at her and then turn to Hiro. "Look, I don't know who the hell you are, but you are not my brother. Yuko Nakamura is not my father. I don't owe you or him anything."

Hiro's face flashes in pain. I turn on my heel and head for the door again when he speaks. "He wrote about you," he says quietly. "In his will."

I pause with my hand on the door, heart crumpling. "You can burn it for all I care," I whisper, voice breaking.

I pull the door open and step back out into the cold air, tears staining my cheeks. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself and when that doesn't work, I start running.

My school shoes pound against the pavement, my backpack flapping as I ran faster and faster. My lungs protested and the cold bit at my skin but I kept running. I ran until the house was far behind me, ran until the sky turned from a blue to black, ran until the rain beat against me and soaked my entire uniform.

I ran until I was at his door, cold and wet and flooded with tears.

I pound at the door with all the strength I can muster, all the adrenaline leaving me in an instant. The door clicks open and I nearly sob in relief.

He's there. He's there and he's looking at me, eyes filled with worry.

"Sebastian," I whisper, feeling the emotion welling up in my chest again. "I—"

He steps out into the rain and wraps his arms around me, holding my head as I sob into his shirt.

"It's okay," he whispers. "You're okay."