The sharp ring of Ethan's phone shattered the quiet of the morning. He groaned, reaching for it without opening his eyes. Lila stirred beside him, her head nestled into the crook of his shoulder.
"Who's calling this early?" she murmured sleepily.
Ethan squinted at the screen. The name made his heart drop: Jason. His older brother.
Ethan hadn't spoken to Jason in weeks—not since their last tense conversation. Jason had always been a difficult topic, a complicated thread in Ethan's life. He'd spent years helping his brother out of financial messes and scrapes with the law. But lately, Ethan had been trying to set boundaries, something Jason didn't take kindly to.
He sighed, sitting up and carefully extricating himself from Lila's embrace. "I need to take this," he said softly.
She nodded, watching him with quiet concern as he walked out onto the balcony.
---
"Jason," Ethan said as he answered. "It's early. What's going on?"
"Ethan." Jason's voice was strained, and Ethan immediately recognized the tone—desperation masked by forced nonchalance. "I need your help, man. It's serious this time."
Ethan closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What is it now? Another loan? Trouble with the wrong crowd?"
There was a long pause before Jason spoke. "It's both. Look, I know I've screwed up before, but I'm in deep. I owe some people money—dangerous people—and if I don't pay them back soon…" His voice trailed off, the implication heavy in the silence.
Ethan's stomach tightened. This wasn't new. Jason always seemed to find himself in the same cycle—bad choices, borrowed money, and Ethan stepping in to clean up the mess. But this time felt different. The urgency in Jason's voice was raw, almost frantic.
"How much do you owe?" Ethan asked cautiously.
"Fifteen grand."
"Fifteen—" Ethan cut himself off, pacing the small balcony. "Jason, that's insane. I can't just pull fifteen grand out of thin air!"
"I know!" Jason snapped, his voice breaking. "But I don't know what else to do. They're threatening me, Ethan. They know where I live. I need you."
Ethan leaned against the railing, his mind racing. He'd worked so hard to build something stable for himself—something real. But Jason's problems always had a way of dragging him back into the chaos.
"I'll think about it," Ethan said finally. "But I can't promise anything. I'm not in the same position I used to be."
"You're better off than me," Jason muttered bitterly. "Must be nice to have everything figured out while I'm drowning."
"That's not fair," Ethan snapped. "I've been there for you time and time again. But I can't keep doing this, Jason. I need to think about my own life too."
There was a long silence on the other end of the line before Jason spoke again, his tone softer. "I'm sorry, man. I just… I don't know who else to turn to."
Ethan sighed, his resolve wavering. "I'll call you later."
---
Back Inside
Lila was sitting at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee, her expression thoughtful as Ethan walked back in.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
He hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. Just Jason being Jason."
Lila tilted her head, studying him. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Ethan sat down across from her, running a hand through his hair. "It's the same story as always. He's in trouble, needs money, and expects me to fix it."
"And you're thinking about helping him," Lila said gently.
He looked at her, surprised. "How'd you know?"
"Because that's who you are, Ethan," she said, her voice soft but firm. "You care. Even when it costs you. But you've worked so hard to get where you are. Are you sure this is something you can afford—financially or emotionally?"
Ethan exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "I don't know. I just… I can't ignore it. He's my brother."
Lila reached across the table, placing her hand over his. "I get that. Family can be messy. But you don't have to handle this alone. We'll figure it out together."
Her words were a balm to his frayed nerves, but they didn't erase the weight of the decision he faced.
---
Later That Day
Ethan met Jason at a rundown diner on the outskirts of town. His brother looked thinner, more worn down than the last time they'd seen each other.
"You came," Jason said, relief flooding his features as Ethan slid into the booth.
"Yeah," Ethan replied. "But let's get one thing straight—I'm not bailing you out without knowing exactly what's going on."
Jason nodded, fiddling with his coffee cup. "It's bad, Ethan. I borrowed from some guys I thought I could trust, but the interest piled up fast. I missed a payment, and now they're threatening to come after me."
Ethan frowned. "And you didn't think to reach out before it got this bad?"
"I didn't want to drag you into it again," Jason admitted. "But I'm out of options."
Ethan leaned back, studying his brother. There was a time when he would have handed over the money without question, but things were different now. He had Lila, a career he cared about, and a future he was finally excited about.
"I'll help," Ethan said after a long pause. "But this is the last time, Jason. If you don't figure out a way to get your life together after this, I can't keep doing this. I can't keep saving you."
Jason nodded, his eyes damp with gratitude. "I understand. Thank you, Ethan. You have no idea how much this means."
As Ethan walked out of the diner, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a larger storm. Helping Jason might solve the immediate problem, but it wouldn't fix the deeper issues that had haunted their family for years.
And for the first time, Ethan wondered if he was truly ready to face what lay ahead.