"Why am I so weak?" Kai punched the wall of his room, frustrated.
"You're not weak," I told him honestly. Kai was by no means weak. It was just that Diego was too strong.
"I'm sorry you had to see violence because of me." Kai sighed, covering his face with his hands.
I inspected his wounds to see they were turning blue with each passing moment. "Wait here. I'll bring an ice pack." I instructed him.
While on my way to the kitchen, I saw Eveline cleaning the mess left behind by the one-sided fight. A vase had fallen over and broken somewhere during their fight.
"Do you need help?" I offered, watching as she meticulously collected the broken pieces of glass.
"Don't touch it with bare hands. You will cut yourself." She warned me when I tried to pick one of the broken shards. She passed me a pair of gloves, "I asked Noah for help, but he said he was tired."
After we were done cleaning, she followed me to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water.
"Aylin, are you upset big brother came back?" Eve asked in a small voice, avoiding my eyes.
Yes.
"No. Why would I be?" I didn't want her worrying about it.
"Anyone can tell you're lying." She laughed dryly. "I know I shouldn't be saying this. I have no right to say this. But can you give him another chance?"
How many scars do we justify just because we love the person holding the knife?
"I'll think about it." I can't give Diego another chance to break my heart. Not even for you, Eve.
"Why didn't Ezra and Stephen stop the fight?" I asked. They were standing there the entire time watching Diego mercilessly beat Kai.
"Everyone is already used to it," Eve sighed, "Every time big brother comes back, Kai will without exception start a fight with him. And big brother never backs off. Ezra used to stop them at first but things would just turn even more bloody, so they don't intervene anymore."
But still, they should do something!
'It's his fault, who told him to fight someone twice his strength?' the voice chided in.
I took out the ice pack from the freezer. But on my way, I heard a heated argument coming from the downstairs study. I immediately recognized the voices, Stephen and Diego.
Hearing my name in their argument, I decided to listen for a little while. I will be gone before they even know. Thankfully the door was half open giving me full access to what they were talking about.
"Why didn't you inform me you are coming back?" Stephen asked, his voice telling just how pissed he was.
"Why didn't you inform me that Aylin is back?" Diego shot back just as fiercely as Stephen.
'Now, that's some quality entertainment.'
"Why are you back anyway?"
"A little birdie told me the old man dropped dead. Thought I should come to pay my respect."
"The truth, Diego."
I heard Diego sigh heavily at being called out, "My last mission didn't end well. The higher-ups believe I need a break to deal with it."
"Whatever the reason is, I need you to stay away from Aylin." Stephen firmly commanded him.
The respect in my heart for Stephen increased a little.
YOU ARE READING
Rheostat
Teen Fiction"It's not what we are but what we do that defines us." Aylin Black has come to believe that she deserves all the misfortunes life throws at her. Yet she refuses to back down. At least not without a fight. But as her past comes knocking at her door s...
