The Harper Brothers (Wattpad Version)

Well, this is a fine mess

Elias

Dad and Tori dragged me over to Markus's house, kicking and screaming. Okay, I wasn't doing either thing. I want to kick someone, and his name is Jayden.

"Sit," Dad said.

"I'm not a damn dog!"

"Well, you are today. Now sit your ass down."

I sat down on the couch.

"Well, we're making progress," Markus said.

Dad gave Markus an incredulous look.

The front door opened, and Jayden stopped when he saw me. "I'll come back later." Jayden turned to leave.

"Freeze!" Markus snapped his fingers.

Jayden sighed and entered the house.

"Come and join us. We're happy that you're here." Markus smiled.

"I'm not sitting next to Elias."

"Yeah, I don't care what you want. Sit your ass down before I call your brother."

Jayden shook his head and sat down in a recliner.

"It seems we reached an impasse. Sort of like when Matt kept denying his undying love for Nora."

Dad rolled his eyes. "Leave my history out of it."

"Now, we gather here to discuss a troll that screwed over not one but two Harpers. We know that she's a troll because, well, she's hideous. How the hell did anyone sleep with her?"

"Markus! You're not helping!"

"I'm pointing out the obvious."

"Keep it up."

"But I digress. Look, the girl is a certifiable bitch. She played your kids like a fiddle. Was it right? Hell no! But fighting solves nothing unless you're Matt and someone pissed you off. Then you deserve your beat down."

"Markus?"

"Yeah?"

"You're done."

Markus shrugged.

Dad turned to us. "I get it. It's not the first time a girl caused a rift between family members. It happened between Mason, your mom, and me."

"Wait. What?" Jayden and I asked.

"I met Nora in college. She had dated Mason. When they came to school, the situation escalated. I left school because of it."

Jayden and I glanced at each other.

"The difference between my situation and the current one is that Camille didn't love Pat or Demarco. She played fast and loose with them. They both fell for it and got hurt out of the deal."

"And that's why Matt is the voice of reason," Markus said.

Dad rolled his eyes as Markus grinned.

"Family will fight. But after everything is said and done, we're still family. Holding grudges doesn't work. It destroys you."

I sighed. "I sat with my boy, wondering if he would be okay. That phone call terrified me. How do you handle losing a child?"

"Elias, every father worries about losing a child. It's what makes us a father. We put our child's well-being first. I understood that when you and your brothers came along. Your mom would tease me. But you're a part of me."

I looked at Jayden as he rubbed his palms together. I rose from my seat and stepped towards him. He got up from his chair.

"I worry about my kids," I said.