Macau's POV
It was past midnight when the noise of things breaking had finally stopped.
I went upstairs carrying the bandages I asked Nop to buy. I'm sure my brother will need it.
"Are you sure it's safe, Nong Macau?"
"Don't worry, Nop. No matter how angry my brother is, he would never hurt me."
When I entered the room, my brother was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed, forehead on his knees...bruised hands pressing his head...a scene I have seen a lot before.
I had a hard time getting to him without tripping over anything that was lying on the floor.
I sat down beside him slowly. My brother jolted, as if waking up from a trance, trying to get up. I held him down.
"Where are you going, brother?" I asked scared.
"I'm going to bring Pete back. This time I'm not going to sit idly by and wait for him to come back to me." My brother looked troubled but resolute.
"No brother, you won't." Vegas gave me a confused look.
"Let me go, Macau." He tried to take my arm away, starting to get angry.
"No" I replied, firmly holding his arm with both of my hands. I was also resolute. Resolute to fight for the family we never had before, even if it meant confronting my brother's impulsiveness. "I'm not going to let you go like this and fight Phi Pete again. It's not just you who does not want to lose him, you know."
Vegas blinked a few times, trying to understand my unusual behavior. I'm usually very obedient to him. He relaxed his arm and leaned back on the bed, throwing his head back in dismay.
"Brother...Phi Pete is a very reasonable person. You know that. You two need to calm down first and then solve your problems together."
"I know my jealousy drives me to do stupid things, but I did not cheat on him, Macau. You know very well how committed I am to the people I love. I would never do that. I will never do that. He said he found Yim's bracelet on our bed. That it looked like I had sex with Yim in our own bed. But I swear we didn't leave the meeting room. If someone planted the bracelet there, with or without Yim's help, it's so lame! How could Pete believe that and not believe me?"
"I know. But maybe you need to put yourself in Phi's shoes too. Maybe that was just the last straw."
"What do you mean?" My brother raised his head and looked at me intently.
I told him what I heard his friends talking about Phi Pete when I went to look for him in the bathroom that night at Yok's Club. And that Phi Pete heard them too.
"Why didn't he tell me anything? Why didn't you tell me anything? I would have punched them all in the mouth until they regretted it!"
"I'm sorry, brother. I didn't want to intrude into your personal business. But I'm sure it's not the first time Phi has heard comments like that. Can you blame him for his insecurities? About you...about himself...?
"But I don't get tired of saying that I love him! That he's everything to me! And isn't that why we fought too? Because I want him just for myself?"
"You're considering what you feel and what you want or fear. What about what Phi Pete feels, wants, or fears?"
"..."
"I'll go over there. I'll talk to him...reason with him."
"Brother...are words more effective than deeds?"
"..."
"You're the greatest strategist and manipulative person I know. But when it comes to Phi Pete, you're just like Venice. Throwing a tantrum whenever your wishes are not met. You get carried away by your emotions, your impulsiveness, pushing Phi to the limit just because you know he can handle it.
Can't you see that this is exactly what Father used to do to us? I didn't dare say that to my brother.
"Trust him. Trust his decisions. Support Phi Pete and make him feel worthy."
"But if he doesn't believe me? And yet.. if something goes wrong with that mission, I can't put him at risk..."
"Brother, if you don't recognize Phi Pete's wisdom and skills to handle it, how do you expect other people to recognize how remarkable he is?
"..."
"This is happening way too often..." My brother smirked at me.
"What?"
"You scold me."
"I'm an adult now, you know. I know things". I winked at him.
He messed my hair and smiled...
"Come on...let me take care of your bruised hands...I think you should consider sleeping in a completely empty room from now on, brother. Look at this bedroom! Ruthlessly destroyed". I sighed.
"Consider an example of what can happen to anyone messing with me and the people I love." My brother says with a grim smile, like his dark old self.
...