Irresistibly Sweet

Big Bro's Words of Wisdom

"What happened to Alice?"

"What do you mean?"

"Her parents got divorced right? What happened to her?" I asked.

West took on a serious expression, then his gaze moved to where Alice slept peacefully. A look of concern crossed his features. "Remember when Uncle Charles and Aunt Kristin came to visit when you were five?"

I tried searching through my memory but I couldn't remember shit.

"I suppose you wouldn't. But they were already on bad terms. Alice was so quiet and timid that you would hardly believe it's the same girl who plots twisted things and bugs you nonstop with her cheery mask," he smiled wryly. "Aunt Kristin says things bluntly and she can go on a rampage of complaints about Uncle's drinking, his laziness and yada yada yada..."

"But I don't even remember Alice saying anything about---"

"Ah, so you at least remember something right?" West said as he laid back, linking his hands behind his head. "It surprised me when Alice cried so much... I think that was when you were both seven years old. She really threw a fit back there. But even I could see it was no ordinary fit. She looked so desperate and I wondered what could have made her make such a face..."

I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. "I didn't..."

West sat up only to plop himself onto my back. "I know. You didn't know. You wouldn't have understood her back then anyway. You grew up loved," he said pecking my cheek and making me yelp in disgust while he laughed and caught my fist. "Now now little Tyler, that's no way to treat your older brother," he chuckled.

"Have you forgotten the horrible things you did to my childhood?" I asked him.

"What? You had an awesome childhood because of me!" he said.

I frowned. Damn he's right. Despite the teasing and some bullying, it was AWESOME. I grudgingly agreed.

"Anyway," he said realising my hand, "the next time little Alice made her yearly visits, she never cried anymore. She wasn't as quiet as she was at the start, in fact that was the time she had started that defense mechanism of hers."

"Huh?" Evan said.

"I read some psychology books ok? The twins are into that shit and I was a bit curious." He gave us a sly grin, "I also thought it would help me tease Naomi more if I knew exactly what was in her head."

"You evil husband."

He shrugged, "I know."

"Did it work?" Evan asked.

West grinned.

"West, enough of your fucked up obsession over your wife and how to tease her shitless," I said. "Weren't we talking about Alice?"

He scoffed, "You're such a hypocrite Tyler Gray. You call on me about Naomi and yet you don't even know that you're in that stupid lame state of stubborn denial that causes nothing but trouble and pain for everyone around you who actually sees the fucking picture because they are not blinded by some sort of delusional prejudice you hold against yourself to refuse to accept what's been smacking you right in the face. You yourself have the same kind of emotional attachment I have with my wife but the difference is that I am aware of my own obsession when you still fail to notice yours. True, I may have been a little slow at first when I was your age but we were in very different circumstances. Your situation can be easily solved and all would be happy if only you'd just destroy whatever it is that is blocking your fucking ability to use you goddamn instincts and stop using that bitch called logic when you can't even listen to that beating motherfucker called your heart."