My Brother's Girlfriend

29

"Where?" I asked but this time looking at Natasha who quickly looked away.

"According to our sources it will be in our building. In the part that doesn't affect the workers"

"Hm ok. Where is the wedding really going to be?" I asked not at all interested.

"At 10am in a part I have reserved of Central Park"

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Later, I was outside the house getting some rest after a morning run through the woods when I came across Natasha walking toward me.

"What?" I asked wiping the sweat from my forehead.

"I need you and Yelena to go back to New York tomorrow. I need you to come with me to see the dress, Wanda is coming too." She spoke fearful for the answer I might give.

"We are coming back tomorrow but I am not going with you. Atlas, even though he is an idiot, needs me to help him with his costume. So" I replied without looking directly at her.

"At least you will always do what I asked...?" Natasha asked taking a deep breath.

"Yes, I will take something red with me" I spoke facing her this time.

"Thank you..." She thanked me turning around again to go inside the house but after taking two steps she stopped at the sound of my voice.

"Natasha"

"Yes...?"

"Think carefully what you are going to do" I spoke looking her deadly serious in the eyes.

"Alex-"

"I don't mean the wedding, Natasha. And you know that"

"I don't know what you are talking about" She knows, and very well.

"I won't press you any further, I just hope you don't regret it. Even because you know that I may even suffer but I'll fight"

"I expected no less from you" She laughed and kept walking.

God help me, because I don't know what I've been doing with my life lately...

After that I went to my room where I found Yelena lying on the bed asleep with something in her hands. Slowly, so as not to wake her up, I picked up the object and as I turned it over to myself I realized that it was a picture of me when I was younger with my brother by my side fresh from a soccer game.
We were so close back then and so happy...
Taking a deeper breath than I had planned, Yelena opened her eyes and sat up looking at me.

"How old were you?" she spoke as she looked at the portrait in my hands.

"I was probably 14 or 15" I replied without looking at the picture again and placed it on the bedside table. "Do you think we can talk?"

"We should" I looked at her and sat down next to her sighing.

"Look Yelena, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have accused you of cheating on me being that you didn't give up on me even after I did it to you..." I closed my eyes for mere seconds before speaking again. "I know I'm not the easiest person in the world to deal with and I don't want to make you unhappy, I don't want you to be with someone who can hurt you. I want you to be happy but maybe the person you will marry and have a family with won't be me..."

"Alex you are sweet and kind and lovely but maybe you are right. I adore you and you will always have a special place in my heart but I don't think we are made for each other. And it's okay" Yelena said touching my face. "I forgive you okay but besides this we are talking about we also have to talk about Natasha..."

"Please not her, Yelena" I looked away closing my eyes. "We can talk about anything but her"

"No Alex. We have to talk about her and now" She turned my face back to her. "You know I think deep down I always knew..." She smiled fondly. "Maybe if I had shown up first it would have been different but it is what it is..."

"What are you talking about, Yelena?" I asked without understanding in the least what she was referring to.

"Alex you are very smart but sometimes you are really dumb" She laughed at my face while I pouted. "Look, I'm going to say it because maybe no one else will and maybe it's not too late" She took a deep breath and took my hands gently. "Alex you can't keep pretending you don't feel anything for Natasha, it's there and anyone who knows you in the least, like Wanda, knows it too. Maybe you don't know how to deal with it you feel and that's okay but what's not okay is pretending it's not there. You have to stop pretending that it doesn't hurt you to know that she is marrying your brother, that the love of your life is slipping through your fingers and you are letting her go. You love her, Alex. And you have to stop fighting the love you feel for her."

I wasn't expecting this at all.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." I bit my tongue not wanting to remember the moments I spent with Natasha, in Greece, in New York and in London...

"Yes you do and stop pretending it doesn't affect you, because you know it does" she stood up and faced me seriously. "Alex you are brave and you are not afraid to get hurt to protect others so now don't be stubborn. You need to take a risk, I know you may be afraid to put your heart on the line but you have to do it, even if you are afraid to give the power to someone to be able to hurt you in such an intimate and intense way."

"Yelena that's not how this works, this is not a fairy tale, okay? And assuming what you say is true, Natasha doesn't like me, not in that way" I sighed already frustrated with the whole conversation.

"Yes she does, Alex. It's only blind who can't see how much you like each other. No, how much you love each other." She sighed.

"She's getting married, okay? And there's nothing I can do about it. She chose him. I just have to accept it." I stood up and walked to the window crossing my arms.

"You know that's a lie-"

"Oh yeah?! Nobody forced her to marry him. I told her she couldn't have both...and in the end, she still chose him." I said frustrated.

"I think.... you should talk to her and tell her everything you feel here" Yelena touched my heart. "You have a lot of love to give, and I really hope from the bottom of my heart, that she wants it."

"I'll think about it...by the way, are you still going to the wedding? We could go together but if you think it's better-"

"I will go, Alex. Something tells me you'll need me there, and I'll be happy to go as your date. Now, rest. Tomorrow we have to go back to New York and it's going to be a long trip."

We hugged for a couple of minutes and as we let go Yelena looked outside. I followed her gaze and there she was.
Natasha.
She was sitting by the lake looking up at the stars.

"Go to her" Yelena said and gave me a kiss on the cheek before leaving my room.