Chernoff Brothers

11

Eli and I are walking back to mansion but I'm in pain. I mean it's normal. I got fucking shot on the shoulder but whatever. We don't talk for a while until Eli decides to talk.

"Levi?".

"Yeah".

"Can I have a second chance?" I look at him confused.

"What do you mean second chance?".

"With you".

"Elijah, look. Whatever you do, you're still my brother. Okay? Even if you want me dead".

"I didn't mean it".

"You know what I learned since father abandoned me?".

"What?".

"When you're angry, you are saying truths. I have many examples of that and it's true actually".

"I really didn't mean it, Levi. I don't know what I was thinking".

"Listen. Meant it or not, I don't care. I can't care".

"You can't care?".

"I don't want to care" he looks at me but I look back in front.

"So here goes the quote that many say that 'when trust is broken, sorry means nothing' ?".

"Yeah. Absolutely. But between us sorry may heal up a part of the whole heartbreak. Not the whole but a part of it".

"So there's no way you ever forgive me again?".

"I never said that I won't forgive you".

"I can't understand".

"I forgive everybody, Elijah. I never forget" we look at each other. "So if you want to listen that you're forgiven, done. You're forgiven. No need to worry".

"But you won't forget about what I said. Right?".

"No. Never".

"That doesn't make it better".

"Well I'm honest. If you want me to lie to you then I can tell you that everything's fine between us and that we are back to being brothers. I wasn't taught to lie to others".

"Father taught you that?".

"And not only".

"What do you mean not only?".

"How old an I, Elijah?".

"20".

"When did father abandoned me?".

"Before ... 13 years" I nod at him.

"I'm 13 years in a Mafia" we look at each other. "A powerful Mafia. You think that they would ever allow someone to lie?" he just stares at me. "Didn't think so. But that's not the point. Right?" he nods at me. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to say all these".

"No. It's ... It's alright. It's good to open up once in a while".

"Yeah you're the only one that I did after 13 years".

"What?".

"What?".

"You can't be serious".

"Oh yes I am. I don't open up to anyone. You should be thankful that I did to you".

"Why did you?" I shrug my shoulders.

"I wish I knew. Look, Elijah".

"Call me Eli" I look at him and nod.

"Look, Eli. You said a lot of things since you came here. A lot of things that never happened and also a lot of things that actually hurt. You can easily hurt someone with your words. That's an advantage but not for your brother" he just stares at me. "What I want to say is that you should be a little bit more careful with what you're saying because there are people that get hurt by that. To your enemies do and say anything you want but I'm your brother. Like it or not I am. I didn't ask for it. I didn't even ask to be born. I was forced in that life but I survived. Just like you did. Ice too. Ice told me something a few nights ago. While you were asleep. You should talk with him though".

"What did he say?" I look at him and then before.

"He knows more about my life than you ever cared to learn".

"I want to learn".

"On the other hand, he wants to forget what he learned".

"What do you mean?".

"Do you remember that when I first met you, at the warehouse, when Silas left the warehouse to bring his brothers, that you said that our father never did anything to me?".

"Yes".

"Well if you don't believe me, you can ask Ice. He saw a lot of stuff".

"Stuff?".

"Punishments".

"Punishments?" I look at him and sigh.

"See the scars on my face?".

"Yes".

"Father did them the day that he left me out of the woods. You know the reason?".

"No".

"Because the doctor saw my bruises that he created" he just stares at me. "Was that fair?".

"Of course not".

"Did father ever hurt you?".

"Once. The day that he told me that you died".

"What did he do?".

"Just hit me a few times. Nothing much".

"Now imagine this punishment, but I was going through it every day and every time that he was saying me. Also cigarettes marks or scars from knives or I don't know. You know damn well that if he was a better father I would never get vitiligo" he looks at my hair. "You see how bad it is now. Right?".

"It grew a lot" I nod at him.

"If he was a better father and was there for me when our mother died, I wouldn't have it".

"Were you close with mom?".

"No. Not much anyway".

"Them I can't understand why you felt so bad".

"You can't imagine how much I cried the day that I killed our father".

"What does that have to do with I said?".

"Father was abusive with me and I admit that I was happy and I still am that he is dead but you can't imagine how hurt I was when I finally understood that I'm free".

"You confuse me".

"The same goes for mother. We weren't close but she wasn't that abusive. Of course I didn't have the right to refer to her as mom like you and Ice did and still do. She was cold against me".

"She loved that".

"I know but it wasn't enough".

"It wasn't enough?".

"Mom died right after she gave birth to Ice. You know that story?".

"Yeah. I remember".

"Yeah. When I was 3 years old. You were 1 years old. Father started being abusive with me when I was 1 years old. You weren't even born".

"What are you trying to say?".

"Can you imagine how hard it was for me to be yours and Ice's brother, father but mother too? So you never feel like I did" he states at me. "I lost my childhood for you and Ice. My whole childhood. From 7 years old to 10 years old were the worst years ever. Those three years were the death of me".

"Why?".

"I was going through the training for the De Luca Mafia. The mental training. You can't imagine how fun that was".

"Did they bring your past up?".

"Everything from it".

"Well shit".

"Well I survived. Right?".

"Absolutely".

"So I'm fine".

"That doesn't seem fine at all".

"I seem as fine so I am fine".

"You definitely don't seem fine".

"But I will".

"You surely will" I nod at him.

We continue walling without talking after that. We didn't say anything else at all.