Pretending with the Snob (Pyxis #1)

Chapter 31

Finally he clears his throat, opens his mouth to speak pero naunahan siya ni Theo.

"I'll eat after you guys are done." Theo says, bored of waiting. He gets up from his seat, and Troy finally finds his voice.

"Theo, sabay-sabay tayong maghahapunan." For the first time in probably forever, Troy sounds like the big brother that he is, and should be.

Theo stares at him in disbelief, as if it's the most absurd thing he has ever heard. "Why?"

"Because we've never done it in a very long time."

"Exactly. So why do it now?" The youngest Smith snorts at the eldest, making the situation harder than it already is. He smirks at Tyler's direction, "Are you okay with this? You hate seeing our faces."

Hindi sumagot si Tyler. His head is still down, staring at his fists resting on his lap.

Theo isn't really waiting for an answer though, like he already knows Tyler won't answer him. Kaya tinalikuran niya kami at tinungo ang pinto.

"Theo, please stay."

If not for my beating heart, I'd think those three words have the power to stop the time. No one is moving, we're all frozen at our places, including Theo who stops at his tracks. His back is still on us, and can't seem to look back.

"Eat dinner with us... please." Tyler pleads.

Slowly, Theo faces us, eyes still wide, and mouth agape. Troy's reaction is the exact same.

"I am an asshole. I'm sorry—I'm sorry for treating you both like shit..." Sa wakas ay nag-angat si Tyler nang tingin. His face is filled with so many emotions that he's been trying to conceal for so long.

Pinigilan ko ang sarili kong hawakan ang mga kamay niya. I feel like he's going to crumble if someone touches him.

Tyler focuses his gaze on their youngest brother, "I'm sorry for treating you like you don't exist... I'm so sorry for blaming you—I shouldn't have—it's not your fault, I'm so sorry..." he croaks, voice breaking. He has to pause and take a deep breath to calm himself. Tears are welling up in his eyes, but Tyler ignores them and shifts his focus on Troy, "And I'm sorry for wanting to kill you every time I see you. I didn't know you were doing it for me—you could have fucking told me. I loathed for you both for as long as I can remember—and for what? I wasted all those years loathing—when I could have... when I should be begging for your forgiveness."

"You shouldn't apologize to me Ty." Troy answers, giving his brothers a dejected smile. "I deserved every bit of your treatment. I understand if you wanted to kill me, because I felt the same. I am a fucking hypocrite. Told myself that it was for your sake, but that was just an excuse to bully you. I enjoyed hurting you, Tyler. Enjoyed every bit of it, because I thought you deserved it, for being selfish, for being unresponsive, for blaming Theo, and making him and all of us suffer. I blamed you for making our family miserable... but I was the one who made our family miserable. I am the eldest... I should have kept us together... but I did the opposite of that." Troy looks down at his hands, ashamed of what he's done. "I'm sorry... you have the worst eldest brother."

A new wave of silence spreads in the dining hall. Doble siguro ng classroom namin ang laki nito, and it's just the four of us here. Not even a single maid or butler in sight.

Above us is a chandelier na kasing haba yata ng table. The whole place is spotlessly clean, like it's a sin to leave a single dust in here. It screams elegance, sophistication... and loneliness. Sanay akong kumain mag-isa, but I'm not sure if I can handle eating alone here. It's so huge you'd want someone to eat with here, and not maids and butlers waiting for you to finish.