DYLAN'S POV
Pete looked at me and opened his eyes wide. He looked scared.
"Arianna has told you, hasn't she?" he sighed.
"Let's talk in private," I led the way as he followed me to one of the boardrooms.
"Pete, I will not beat about the bush. I will be straight with you." I spoke as I fought with all my might to be able to control myself. He nodded his head.
"From what I was told by Arianna, you had sex with my sister during the time that you were mourning yours and Raelynn's called off wedding. You were sad because you saw Raelynn's true colors, which are not too pleasing. You were sad because you had to call off your wedding. You were sad because there were all sorts of nonsense circulating about you on social media. In your mourning, Pete, you deliberately decided to use my sister to comfort you. You dragged her to your bed, so that she could calm you and bring you peace during your lowest point in life."
"Dylan, wait. Let me explain…" he tried to respond but I was too angry to listen to his words.
"Pete Rockridge, listen to me, and listen very carefully. I have questions for you? When I flew to Hallowcave, it was barely a week after you cancelled your wedding. I want to know; how much time did you give yourself to cry and get over the rough experience that you went through?"
He brought his hands to cover his face. He looked like he was going to say something but I was still bursting with more to say to him; so I continued:
"Did you have to use my sister for a one night stand, so as to relieve yourself of all the stress and pain that you were going through?"
"I did not use her, de Milo. I…."
"Of course you used her! Now tell me, Pete, all these years, you have lived and behaved as a child of the de Milos; just like I have also lived as a child of the Rockridges. We have lived as brothers; twin brothers! We are virtual twins, for crying out loud! Seeing that, did it ever occur to you that Arianna is your sister, and you cannot take her to bed, and make love to her? Tell me, how desperate were you? How itchy were you feeling; for you to end up sleeping with your own sister?"
"Dylan, will you give me a chance to…."
"You actually undressed in front of her? You saw her naked? And you found all of that normal? To you everything was perfectly fine, and you had no problem with it? You were happy to deceive me and my family?"
"I did not deceive the family, Dylan." Pete tried to be convincing, but I was not having it at all.
"I saw you; Pete…I met you in the corridors of this very same hospital in which we are in now. You were singing and dancing merrily. You sang something about an angel smiling at you, and you were at your happiest. I asked you what you meant by an angel touched you, and you would not tell me. Now tell me, Pete, how am I supposed to feel, as a brother; now that I realise that on that very day you sang that song, you were actually rejoicing at managing to sneak into my sister's pants? How am I supposed to feel? For you, it was a great achievement that you had Arianna, and it was worth all that singing and dancing in the corridors of the de Milo Hospital?"
"I was happy, but my happiness was not because I had deceived anyone. I was happy to have finally found my true love." He tried to defend himself.
With my eyes fixed squarely on him, I asked him, "Where is your respect? Who are you, dude? Because the Pete I know is not like that. I don't hate you, Pete, I have never hated you. Instead, I have loved you as a brother, and in turn, you shove that love right back into my face. You punch me where it hurts the most. You know what Arianna means to me. She is my world, my everything...I love that girl with my everything. And you, being the great friend that you are, just had to get her into your bed, and use her to console you? Really, Pete? Really?"
"I'm sorry Dylan, but I can explain myself."
"If you had dated her and loved her and planned to marry her, I would have happily accepted and rejoiced at that. For even though you and Arianna have always acted as siblings, yet still if you had openly dated and married her, still, I believe everyone would have been happy with the union. But to use her, Peter. To use my sister to comfort yourself! I mean…when you were sad and crying, spending all your time behind locked doors, my sister came to your house, and you decided to use her. You saw her as a trash can, into which you could offload all your stress and worries, and while you did that, it bothered you not? You saw my beautiful sister and instead of seeing her with all her value, in your eyes you saw a bin? A bin, a trashcan into which you could throw in all your disappointments, your worries, your pains, your unmet dreams, unfulfilled wishes…all things bad. Is that who Arianna is to you? Is she that worthless to you? Where is your heart? Where is your love? Is that what big brothers do? Are you not a big brother to Arianna; or rather let me say were you not a big brother?"
He did not respond. He seemed to have nothing to say at that moment; but I sure did:
"Pete, I am more than disappointed in you. When I saw your name written on that piece of paper which Arianna gave me, telling me that you are the man who made her pregnant; my heart broke. I heard it breaking. Yes, I heard in my ears a loud noise of something breaking, and as I failed to tell what it could have been, I later realised that it was my heart. Tell me, how am I supposed to feel, as a brother, knowing that my sister was used to wipe off tears. Tell me, how am I supposed to feel as a friend, knowing that my friend is not who I had always believed him to be…."
"Dylan, listen….I don't even know where to begin. I am sorry that you feel the way you feel, but then, give me a chance to explain myself." Pete's voice was low and pleading, but the more I heard him talking, the more furious I became.
"You know what Pete…I don't want to hear it. Save the explanation." I walked away from him. He tried to stop me, but it was in vain.
***
When Anisha called to tell me about her plans to visit Amelia at her parents' home, I felt like it was decent to let her go and spend some time with her family, but she insisted that I go with her. Although I was seriously upset by the news of Pete and Arianna, I had not yet shared the same with Anisha. Feeling the heaviness of my feet, I stood up and asked Chris to take me to the university.
We arrived just in time to see Anisha walking towards the gate with three other girls. She waved and smiled brightly, oh what a lovely angel! I could not help but smile back. They walked towards the car and soon the friends bid Anisha farewell. Left alone, she ran a bit and I came out of the car to meet her.
"My beautiful girl," I kissed her.
"No Dylan! Not here! Look, your car has already drawn the attention of students, now they are all seeing us kissing like this. Let's get in!" She shoved her way into the car and pulled me beside her. I laughed to myself, thinking of how shy she was.
"Hello Chris," Anisha greeted him.
"Good afternoon Miss Anisha," Chris answered while his hand pressed the button to draw up the tinted glass, shutting me and Anisha in our own world.
I asked her how her day was, and she told me about the tough day, the many assignments and some of the tough lecturers. When Anisha asked me how my day was, I failed to tell her about Pete. I was too disappointed. I felt cheated. I felt betrayed. I did not want to talk about it.
"If you were not busy with school, I would have wanted us to go to a faraway place. Somewhere beautiful, just the two of us. I really need a break." I told her.
"You don't sound too happy. What happened? Is it Arianna? Has she told you yet who the father of her child is?" she asked with a voice full of care.
"Umm, yes, Arianna's issue sort of rubbed me up the wrong way. But all the same, I long to have some time alone with you."
I am sure Anisha wanted to say something but I did not give her a chance to talk. I pulled her very close to me as I sealed her lips with mine, in a hot passionate kiss.