Between You & Me || Luke & Jai Brooks

Chapter LIV - Call Yourself My Twin?

*Jai's pov*

The door to my room opens abruptly without a knock, and I feel my gut drop as I see my brother standing there. "Jai? What is this?" Luke's voice is soft and hurt. I shut my eyes briefly, already knowing what it is. Sure enough, he holds up his phone with the picture TMZ took of Meghan and I at the soccer game, her in my hoodie, kissing. It's not like you can mistake us. The photo was taken front on the scene, half of our faces equally visible.

I look from the screen to Luke's face, his dark eyes deep with hurt. He reads my expression. "I can't believe you, Jai!" He spits, turning away. "You're such a fucking dog! How long do I have to be with her before you drop your obsession! You had Mel, and you broke her fucking heart!"

My heart twists sharply and I feel as if the air has been knocked from my lungs. "Luke, come on. You're my twin brother!" I try to sound fine but I'm pleading, I can hear it. "I can't help the way I feel about her, and she came looking to me for help! I didn't plan this!" My voice is low and calming but Luke is shaking his head furiously, not meeting my eyes, and his body is positioned aggressively, directly in front of mine.

"Oh, save it." He says sourly. "We all know you've just been waiting for this moment, you cunt. How can you expect me to just hand over my girl like that?!" He raises his voice even louder and starts to tremble slightly, his hands clenching and unclenching like a psychopath.

I stand automatically, facing him off. "What do you mean, your girl?! How is she more yours than mine? She's nobody's right now, but she's more mine than yours! So you decided three years ago to come back for god knows why, and claim her? All those years you were gone, and I was there! I've always been there for her, and let's face it, I've fixed many problems for her that you caused!"

Luke looks furious. I've seen him angry many times, but hardly ever this angry. He's spitting. "Don't you dare start blaming me for this, you bastard! Of course she's my girl, we were together for almost three fucking years! We're going to get married, and have a family! Or we were. We are. I am. And you can't fucking stop me!"

I'm struck to the spot, frozen. What the fuck is going on, I don't know if I heard him properly. "Did you just tell me I can't stop you? Because you do know, the two of you aren't together anymore, and she doesn't want anything to do with you?"

Luke suddenly throws a punch at me and I jump sideways to avoid it. "Are you fucking crazy?!" I yell, raising both arms in defence.

"You are an absolute cunt! Call yourself my twin, but go and steal my girlfriend from me!? You are such a motherfucking bastard, you know that?! Well, good luck with her, and good luck for her with you! I never thought I would say it, but a dickhead is all she deserves, if she just goes and cheats on me with my own family after one argument! And guess what, you fill that slot perfectly, you fucking dog of a brother!"

His words are like little daggers, each one hits me and goes deep, sticking there. The more insults he throws, the more wounds he leaves. I'm frozen to the spot.

And it fucking hurts. He's my brother. My twin! My best friend.

"Luke..." I drop my tone and stretch out my hands but he turns his face away.

"Oh, fuck off." He says scornfully, "You've got nothing to say for yourself and you know it."

"Luke, she called me up after she found out you were with Miranda. Did you even consider telling her that?" I say sharply, satisfied to see his head snap up in surprise.

"Miranda? You told her-"

"Fuck, no! Do you think I'm nuts? Even though I want her I'm not going to stab you in the back like that. I don't know how she found out, but she did. And it killed her, Luke, it was like Kiana all over again and do you think she needs that? Hell, no! I think that frankly she's sick of shit like that and she's decided that the best way to avoid it is to break things off with you. She's experimenting. She doesn't hate you, she doesn't love me - yet. You said it yourself; we all know I've always loved her. But I think she's only just realising it. So do what you want. Who she chooses is her... is her choice." I trail off, my throat tight.

Luke just stands there limply, staring into my eyes intensely. I want to talk but I don't have anything to say. Then he sighs. "You're really down for her, aren't you?" He says, and he kind of sounds despairing now. I nod, keeping his eye contact, but he tears his eyes away and ducks his head. "Fine." Is all he says, in a heartbreaking whisper.

My head tilts forward and my eyebrows scrunch together. "Fine, what?"

"Fine. You can have her. You'd do a better job than I did." His voice cracks on the last word and a single sob comes out of his mouth, his shoulders lifting and falling pitifully. I close my eyes briefly and reach out a hand to his arm gently, but he pulls back just out of my reach. He starts to speak again but takes a rattly, steadying breath first. "You know what they say. If you love someone, set them free."

For a moment, neither of us move. I start to reach forward again, then I change my mind and pull him fiercely into a hug. Luke leans away from my grasp and it's awkward and forced, then he falters and returns the pressure, a sob tearing from inside his chest. It doesn't take long for him to succumb, and then he gives in to just sobbing on my shoulder.