"What are you doing here?" Ayden rubbed his eyes as he woke up to find Grace sitting in the chair in his room.
"I don't think I need to tell you why I am here, Bro." Grace forced a fake smile.
Ayden pulled the pillow on his face. "Go away." His sister was causing him to get angry.
Grace let out a mocking laugh. "I will, once you answer my questions."
Frustrated, Ayden threw the pillow on the floor and he sat up. "Fine. Tell me."
"That's like a good boy."
"Stop it." He glared at her, her fake sugar-coated voice had already started to irk him up.
Had it not been the issue that it was, Grace would have continued but for then, she had something important to take care of.
"Why did you do that?" She was straight to the point. "Now, please don't waste your time and my time by asking what? You know what I am talking about."
"You really thought that she would cheat on you, Bro? The issues that we have are different but I really thought that you loved her -"
"Grace… I still love her." Ayden cut her off in the middle. His voice suddenly rose. Realizing it, he quickly lowered his tone. "Alright, look… I know that I have made a mistake. I know it, okay? And I do feel guilty. I don't know how to fix it."
Grace rolled her eyes at him. "That's not the question, Bro. That's not the question. The question is… can it be fixed? Because I don't think it can be."
"How is she?" He knew that Grace met her. A part of him was desperate to hear that she was okay.
"Why are you asking, Bro? Do you even care?" Her taunts went on. She wasn't going to stop. Why would she? He had dared to hurt the one who had literally done a lot for him.
"You think I do not?" He put forth a question in response to hers.
"Well, it doesn't look like that." She stood up from her place.
"How did even something as sick as this came into your mind?" As much as she didn't quite get along with him, she knew it for a fact that he couldn't really think of doing it on his own. He had been provoked, she knew.
She hated how easily her brother could get influenced by anyone.
"What is the point of all this? She has already broken up with me," he said, emotionlessly.
"Tell me what I have asked, Bro. Did that sick friend of yours suggest you this?"
Ayden's head fell backward. She was referring to Ashton and she was right there.
His silence gave her the answer that she was seeking.
"Damn it, Bro. How many times… like how many damn times have I told you to stay away from that creep?"
"How many times have I told you to stay away from 'that jerk'? Do you listen to me? No, right? Then, you better not expect me to listen to you." Ayden's temper was rising as he recalled his sister falling in the trap of that jerk according to him.
She clenched her fist. "He is not a jerk."
"Yeah, right. I have seen that. Those who manhandle women are not jerks. Wow. Who is even teaching you such nice things?"
"We will reserve a day to talk about him. It is not about him today. It is about your dearest friend who has made you do something that has ended your relationship. Irene is not your girlfriend anymore. Do you even understand that? How exactly are you still justifying him?"
"I am not justifying him. I am not justifying myself either. All that I know is that it is my fault. Ash didn't force me to do it. It was my choice and I accept it."
Ayden still refused to blame Ashton which infuriated Grace even more.
"You know what? You are right. It is not him but you. You are so dumb that you still do not get the games that he is playing with you. You deserve it, Bro."
There was no point in talking to him, she realized. She would rather get going and bake cupcakes for Irene. She had thought that if Ayden was truly regretting what he did and understanding that Ash wasn't the right person to be with… then she would help him get back with Irene but...
"Right. You are right. I deserve this."
She stopped in her track as she heard his cracked voice. She tilted her head only to be met with his depressed self.
Perhaps, he truly was regretting what he had done.
'Should she help him?' She wondered.
Knowing how much Irene loved her brother, Grace couldn't help but feel inclined toward getting them back.
"Fine. If you are genuinely regretting it… I will help you to try and get back with her."
His eyes lit up with hope. Was it still possible to get her forgiveness? Would she forgive him? Would she give him another chance? He did not know but Grace had at least given him the hope.
He would try to win her back.
He would put his everything in making up for the mistake he had made.
Imagining his life without her was nightmarish. He hadn't been able to sleep properly. He had been staring at his phone, waiting for her message. He hadn't been able to gather enough courage to message her on his own.
Spending a night without a single message from her and waking up without her phone call, wishing him a good morning was awful.
It was like everything was going to beautifully one day and everything was gone the next day.
He had become so used to her that knowing that she wasn't going to be around had left him miserable.
"Will you really help me?" Ayden needed to be assured. He couldn't quite believe that Grace… Grace was going to help him.
"I am only helping you because she really loves you. If you hurt her again -"
"Never."