"Thank you, Bobby," said Emily, and there was a gratitude in her voice that she couldn't put into words. "You mean so much to me. It's because of you that I haven't given up on Carlton yet, even though he's such an idiot," she suddenly added in a whisper. "It's because of a great brother like you that I'm still with him."
Bobby looked at her, slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Emily to say such things, especially about Carlton. His brother, as always, seemed so self-assured, a little arrogant and smug, but Emily spoke of him in a completely different way.
"Are you serious?" he asked, puzzled. "Are you really still with him just for me?"
Emily smiled, but it was a thin smile, as if there was more to it than she wanted to show.
"Well, not exactly just for you, of course," she replied with a slight grin. "But you're right, you're one of the reasons. Sometimes I think that if you weren't his brother, I definitely wouldn't be able to stand his constant jokes and his crazy confidence. But you... you're different. You listen, you understand. And even though I don't always show it, it means a lot to me that you're there."
Bobby felt strangely relieved. He wasn't sure why, but hearing Emily say that made him feel grown up, important somehow. He hadn't known he could be that much of a support system for her, but something about their relationship must have been important to Emily.
"Um, I..." he began, but suddenly felt his words get stuck in his throat.
He didn't want to sound like just a kid. He wanted to be someone who helps, who supports. But at the same time, he had a hard time finding the words that would express everything he wanted to say.
Emily watched him closely, her gaze softening and a shadow of that same warm understanding she had felt for him from the very beginning appearing on her lips.
"I don't want you to feel obligated, Bobby," she said softly, her voice almost weightless, as if every word was suffused with some hidden weight of meaning. "But you have no idea how much it means to me to have you here. I... honestly, I'm so tired of everyone expecting me to be perfect. I just want to be myself, to allow myself to make mistakes sometimes, and not have this heavy burden."
Bobby rubbed his eyes a little, trying to process everything she had just told him. He knew she was struggling, and these words were like an admission that she trusted him, that she wasn't hiding her feelings from him. It was more than he could have imagined.
"You don't have to be perfect," he said with determination in his voice, deciding that this time he wouldn't worry about his words. "I know it's hard sometimes, but you don't have to be perfect for me. You just have to be you. And I'll be here to listen, to help, any way I can."
Emily smiled again, this time for real, as if she felt like she could relax for the first time in a long time. She took a step back, leaned against the railing again, and looked at Bobby with a new light in her eyes.
"You don't understand how lucky I am to have you in my life, Bobby," she said quietly. "You're so real. Your brother means a lot to me, too, of course, but you, you listen. And I appreciate that more than you can imagine.
Bobby felt his heart skip a beat. At his age, such words were rare, and he couldn't help but feel how important it was to Emily that she could be open with him. He couldn't offer her anything better than to just be there, to listen to her, and not judge her.
"Emily, you... you are very important to me," he said quietly, feeling as if he was suddenly very confused, as if all the words he wanted to say had disappeared. "I... I love you... Like an older sister," the boy hastened to add.
Emily was silent for a long time. There was something strange in her eyes, a mixture of surprise and a soft smile, but it was all so gentle that Bobby felt his heart skip a beat.
"You... what?" she asked quietly, as if she couldn't believe her ears, although she tried not to show it.
Bobby felt his face instantly turn red. He quickly looked away to hide his embarrassment, but his voice was still firm, even if he was a little confused inside.
"I... I don't know how to say this..." his words still escaped, despite all his attempts to hold them back. "You... you're like an older sister to me. I owe you so much. You always listen to me, always support me, and I... I want you to be happy. It's just... I feel like I can't be indifferent."
Emily was silent for a long time, her gaze deepened, but there was no condemnation or surprise in it. Just some quiet understanding. She took a step forward and put her hand on his shoulder.
"You're so sweet, Bobby," she said, her voice calm, her words soft. "I know how you feel. You're important to me, too, and I'm proud to be around you. You're always so honest and open. That's important."
Bobby felt his shoulders relax a little, and his breathing ease. He didn't know what she was going to say, and he was really afraid of hearing something that would make his feelings even more complicated. But her words calmed him, giving him confidence.
"I just want you to know," he continued, nervously trying not to stumble over his words, "that I'll always be here for you. No matter how hard things get, I'm always here, even if you can't find the answers to your questions. You're not alone, Emily.
She smiled, and that smile was full of gratitude and warmth.
"I know," she replied, her hand still on his shoulder. "You're incredible. And you deserve the best, too. Your kindness and sincerity are what really matter, and I'm proud to call you a friend. A brother, even, if you like."
Bobby didn't know what to say. He felt everything inside him slowly calm down, and all he wanted was for these moments with Emily to never end. Suddenly he realized how important it was to have people like her in his life.
"Thank you, Emily," he said, quietly but with complete confidence. "You really mean a lot to me."
They stood there for a moment longer, silently, enjoying the simple, quiet moment that felt real and important despite its complexity. And then Emily took a step back, as if returning to reality, and quickly drained all the tension from her posture. She smiled at Bobby and, as if by accident, adjusted her hair to emphasize the ease and casualness of her movement.
"Well, well," she said, narrowing her eyes, "the party can't wait! I need to help Carlton with the preparations. I'll have to transform myself into a caring housewife for a while, if I've already chosen the role of organizer.
With that, she spread her hands as if acknowledging her role and headed into the house. Bobby remained standing on the porch, with an almost childish expression on his face. His heart was still pounding so loudly that it seemed it could be heard across the yard.
It took him a moment to realize why his cheeks were burning. It wasn't like he'd said anything to Emily that would have caused her to respond like that. But now that she was gone, leaving him alone, so many thoughts were running through his head that they were tangled like unraveled yarn.
"Are you stupid?" he asked himself, looking around the veranda again. He clenched his fists, trying to gather his thoughts, which were slipping away one after another. "Did she even listen to me? Why did I say that?"
Bobby stood on the porch, trying to process the feelings that had just washed over him like a wave. He replayed the conversation with Emily in his head-her words, her smile, her look. Somehow, it all seemed so complicated. He hadn't really thought about it until now, but now, standing alone in the evening light, it was clear to him: he was falling in love with her.
He shuddered as the realization pierced him. His brain, which had just been trying to grasp some kind of rationality, suddenly failed.
"I think I've reached the point where I've fallen in love with my older brother's girlfriend," he thought with a certain bitterness, as if it were something he could brush aside.
But it wasn't that simple. Every thought of Emily felt like a thorn piercing his soul. It wasn't just affection, it wasn't just brotherly concern. It was something more, something deeper, something he couldn't explain in words. He finally understood. All those emotions he'd been trying to suppress were now rising to the surface, like something deep inside that he couldn't contain.
"Emily..." Her name alone was enough to remind him again of what he shouldn't feel.
She was older, she was with Carlton, and he... he was just a boy, some weird, confused kid. And here he was, feeling helpless. Not very manly, he thought. But the thoughts wouldn't go away.
Suddenly he heard the door of the house creak and Carlton peeked out. Bobby tried to hide his worry behind his usual fake smile, but it was harder than he thought.
"Well, how are you standing here?" Carlton asked with a grin, noticing that Bobby was somehow different.
Bobby immediately pulled himself together, although thoughts of Emily were still swirling around in his head.
"It's all right," he quickly replied, taking a step forward. "I just... didn't expect the evening to be like this. It seems simple, but..."
"Oh, yeah, evening..." Carlton stood on the step, crossing his arms. "You're not thinking about anything specific, by any chance? It's not like you just stand on the veranda, you probably have plans, right?"
Bobby froze for a second, realizing that his brother had noticed his strange behavior. He bit his lip, trying to hide his true feelings.
"No, I just..." he began, but didn't know how to continue. "Well, yeah, nothing special, really."
Carlton glanced back at Bobby again, as if something about his behavior didn't add up. He came a little closer, crossing his arms over his chest and with a sly look that said he definitely noticed something was wrong with his brother.
"You don't look like yourself," he said mockingly, but there was still some concern in his voice. "You're not feeling quite right, brother. Tell me, what's wrong?"
Bobby tried to remain calm, but his fingers were shaking slightly. He knew his brother wouldn't leave him alone, and that this conversation could easily escalate into something more than he wanted. He took a deep breath, trying to control the sudden wave of nervousness.
"Nothing, Carlton," he replied, but his voice sounded a little tense. "Just... a lot on my mind."
"On your mind? That's weird. You don't usually seem so thoughtful," Carlton chuckled. "Maybe there's something you really don't like about our party plan? Or are you hiding something?"
Bobby felt his heart skip a beat. He could tell his brother the truth, but he was afraid. He didn't want to talk about his feelings, about how he wasn't as comfortable around Emily anymore. He wasn't ready to tell Carlton that he was in love with his brother's girlfriend.
"It's okay," Bobby said, narrowing his eyes and trying to look as convincing as possible. "It's just all a bit too much. I'm not used to you being here with your friends all the time. And you know I don't like noisy parties."
Carlton was no fool. He couldn't believe his little brother was so easily upset by the noise at a party. He peered into his eyes, trying to figure out what Bobby was hiding.
"Wait," he said, frowning. "You've never told me that this kind of thing irritates you. Are you serious? You agreed to participate, and now you're telling me that you don't like the noise?"
Bobby felt his stomach clench with worry. He could just come clean, but he didn't know what that would do to their relationship. He knew Carlton wouldn't understand. It was too personal to discuss with him. So Bobby tried again to hold back, to be as untruthful as possible, to avoid conflict.
"Well..." he began, but his words caught in his throat. "Maybe not exactly noise, but just... just a headache," he said, feeling his face wrinkle nervously.
Carlton stood a few steps away from Bobby, his gaze never leaving his younger brother. There was a combination of confusion and slight wariness in his eyes. He sensed that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Bobby didn't seem to be himself, and this mysteriousness in his behavior irritated Carlton.
"There's something you're not telling me," Carlton began, his voice firmer. "It's not just 'a lot on your mind.' I know you, Bobby. You always make it clear when something's wrong. So tell me, what's the matter?"
Bobby tore his brother's gaze away, feeling the worry begin to build inside him. He could just say he had a headache or something was bothering him, but he knew that wouldn't work. Carlton wouldn't leave him alone until he got an answer.
"I..." Bobby tried to begin, but his voice broke and he felt his heart tighten in his chest again. "You don't understand, Carlton. It's not that simple. You can't understand."
Carlton didn't believe him. He stepped closer and leaned in, as if trying to see something in Bobby's eyes that he was clearly trying to hide.
"I don't understand?" Carlton laughed, but it was tinged with irritation. "You think I can't figure out what's going on with you? You're my brother. And I know when you're hiding something. If it's not a headache, then tell me honestly what's wrong."
Bobby felt his hands begin to shake. Carlton was insistent, and it was beginning to weigh on him. He didn't want to talk, but he didn't know how to stop this storm inside him.
"You don't understand what's going on in my head," he said finally, choking on the weight of the words. "I... I don't know how to explain it to you, Carlton. It's hard for me to be here because I... I can't just forget what's going on between me and Emily.
Carlton froze, surprised by what he had just heard. He felt his chest tighten in surprise.
"Wait," he said, not believing his ears. "What did you say?"
Bobby finally turned to meet his brother's gaze, his heart pounding, and the words seemed to slip off his tongue before he could hold them in.
"Bro, I love your girlfriend..." he said quietly, almost in a whisper, as if the words themselves were something forbidden.
Carlton stood there, frozen, not believing his ears. He hadn't expected to hear anything like this. His brother, the younger one who had always been his shadow, was now saying things that changed everything he knew about his life, about his family. Carlton quickly turned and looked at Bobby, his face turning to stone.
"What did you say?" His voice was cold and sharp, like a knife blade. He took a step forward, his eyes narrowing. "Are you crazy?"
Bobby felt his heart tighten in his chest. The words seemed impossible to be true, and yet they had been spoken, and now he stood there, feeling the weight of every moment. He wished he could go back, take back his words, but it was too late.
"I said I'm in love with Emily," Bobby repeated, his voice a mixture of pain and despair. "I... I can't hide it. You know how it is when your feelings get the better of you."
Carlton froze, his eyes icy. He tried to find the words, but they wouldn't come. His mind was racing, trying to process what he had just heard. At first, he was overcome with anger-how could Bobby do this? How could he fall in love with Emily when she was his girlfriend?
But behind the anger came something else – shock, disappointment, even betrayal. Bobby was his brother, and despite the age difference, they had always been each other's support system. And now he stood before him, declaring his love for a woman Carlton couldn't help but cherish, too.
"Don't you know what you're saying, Bobby?" Carlton said, finally finding his words. His voice was low and tight now. "It's... It's just impossible."
Bobby lowered his head, avoiding his brother's gaze. He couldn't find the words to explain that it wasn't a desire to betray or destroy anything. He just couldn't control his feelings. It had all happened so fast, and now that the words had come out, they seemed irreparable.
"I don't want to ruin your life, Carlton," he said, barely holding back tears. "But I couldn't resist her charms. She... She's so kind..." he began to justify himself.
Carlton was silent, his gaze cold, and at that moment it seemed as if a gap had opened between them that could not be filled by anything.
"You don't understand, Bobby," Carlton finally said, his voice low and controlled, almost tense, like a string pulled taut. "You can't just say things like that and everything will be fine. You know that Emily..." He trailed off, unable to continue. Instead of finishing his sentence, he merely nodded toward the house where she was, getting ready for the party. "She's my girlfriend."
Bobby, overwhelmed with feelings he didn't know how to express, clutched his heart, trying to smooth out the pain, but the words he wanted to say kept getting tangled up in his head.
"I understand," he said quietly, looking down. "I know she's yours, Carlton. And I don't want to hurt you. But you can't see that she's... she's really good, you know? She's always there for you, she cares about people. I just... I couldn't resist. I didn't want to fall in love with her, but how could you not see how wonderful she is?"
Carlton fell silent again, his hands clenching into fists. He was at a loss, unsure how to respond to the words he had just heard. He had always known Bobby to be sensitive, kind, but to do this... It was too much, too much for him.
"Are you saying you're in love with my girlfriend?" Carlton asked, as if checking to see if his brother was joking.
His voice did not sound threatening, rather, it was filled with something strange: pain and confusion, resentment and disappointment.
Bobby felt a lump in his throat and he felt like his own words couldn't put things back in place.
"I... I can't explain it, Carlton. It's not your fault, she's just... she's so sincere, so... real. I just want you to understand. This isn't just a crush, and I wouldn't want you to hate me."
Carlton sighed, shaking his head, but his eyes remained hard. He never expected his brother, the one he grew up with, the one he shared his joys and worries with, to be in love with the woman who was a part of his life.
"Do you even know what you're saying?" Carlton continued, his voice sharpening. "You fell in love with my girlfriend, and now you're trying to justify it by saying she's a good girl? I know she's a good girl! But that doesn't give you the right... You can't just fall in love with someone who's already involved with someone, Bobby. What you don't understand is that it ruins everything. Everything!"
Bobby felt his heart clench in pain, and he finally realized that their relationship, their relationship as brothers, would never be the same again. Everything he felt for Emily was more than just affection. He couldn't just forget about it, but now he realized how messed up it all was.
"I don't know what to do," he said, looking up at Carlton. "I don't want to ruin your life, I don't want her to leave you. But I can't just forget how I feel. I can't stop loving her, even if it means I have to suffer.
Carlton cringed as if his insides were being torn apart. His brother, with whom he had been through so much, had just opened up an abyss to him, and he didn't know how to deal with that revelation.
"It's not that simple, Bobby." His words were vague, full of disappointment. "You can't just expect me to go along with this. You're in love with my girlfriend, and everything between us will be different now.
Bobby felt the pain spreading throughout his body, but despite everything, he couldn't stop.
"I understand, Carlton," he said, fighting back the tears that were welling up in his eyes. "I knew you would react this way, but I had to tell you. I can't hide it anymore."
Carlton stood there, unable to tear his eyes away from the house where Emily continued to prepare for the party. But his thoughts, like annoying flies, would not leave him. It seemed that his whole life at that moment had been compressed into one point where he had to make an impossible choice.
"How could everything have gotten so mixed up?" he thought.
Calton never imagined that his brother, with whom he had been through so much, would suddenly find himself in this situation. Bobby, the younger, naive, kind-hearted one, was suddenly caught up in a love triangle in which there was no room for perfect solutions.
Carlton took a deep breath, feeling his chest tighten with worry and disappointment. He felt like the ground was slipping away from under his feet. This was not what he expected from life. He was not prepared to be confronted so abruptly with the fact that his brother had fallen in love with Emily, the very girl he, Carlton, had dreamed of building a future with.
Absorbing all his thoughts, he suddenly felt his nerves give way. He turned around abruptly and saw Bobby standing nearby, looking at him with concern. This look of his younger brother, full of expectation and fear, was the last straw.
Carlton, unable to bear the pressure, suddenly let out a muffled cry. It was not exactly a cry of rage, but rather a cry of despair that seemed to tear him apart from within. He did not know what to do with himself, how to cope with this pain and confusion. At that moment, he felt that he could no longer stand still, look at Bobby and accept his words, which were not so easily given. He ran, as if running would put everything back in place, as if if he simply disappeared from his brother's sight, all the problems would disappear.
Almost without noticing how his feet were leading him to the door of the house, Carlton walked quickly into the house and slammed the door behind him, leaving Bobby on the veranda in complete silence.
Bobby stood rooted to the spot on the porch, unable to move. He stared at the door through which Carlton had just disappeared, and his thoughts were like a hurricane rolling in on the shore. He didn't understand what had happened, how everything could have fallen apart so suddenly. Just a few minutes ago, he had been sure that their conversation had been difficult but honest. He had hoped for support, or at least understanding. But instead, he had caused such a storm.
"How could I have been such an idiot?" Bobby thought, feeling his chest tighten with worry and confusion.
He knew he had been too direct, that admitting his feelings for Emily when it came to his brother was difficult and painful. But he hadn't thought it would lead to such an explosion.
He sighed, still unable to move, clutching the hem of his pajamas in his hands. Everything inside him ached. Not just from what he had said to Carlton, but from the fact that his brother hadn't understood it, hadn't taken it in with the same attention that Emily had.
"I should have been more careful. But how the hell can you be careful with feelings like that?" These were the only questions that were running through Bobby's head.
Meanwhile, inside the house, Carlton stood staring out the window, trying to regain some order in his thoughts. His body was tense, and his face was twisted in pain and frustration. He was desperate and didn't know how to cope with what he had just learned. His brain refused to work: every time he tried to make sense of what had happened, his thoughts became confused, lost their way, as if he was trying to find a way out of a maze, but all the walls led to the same dead end.
"How could I not notice?" the question haunted him.
How could he not see that Bobby felt this way, that his brother was in love with Emily? They had been so close all these years, they had shared almost everything, but this, this changed everything. The same thought kept popping into his head:
"She's mine. Why can't I keep her?"
Carlton took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself, but something inside him wouldn't let him. He kept thinking about Bobby, the boy he'd run around the yard with, sharing toys and secrets. And now that boy was standing in front of him, and everything was different. Everything had changed.
Unable to bear it any longer, Carlton threw open the door and stepped back out onto the veranda. He stopped a few feet away from Bobby, unsure how to start a conversation, and unsure if it was even possible.
"Bobby..." his voice was quiet, but full of tension.
Bobby didn't turn around right away, as if he didn't know what to say, how to react. He felt his heart tightening, and even now that Carlton had reached him, he was having trouble keeping his emotions in check. Finally, he looked up at his brother.
"You didn't get what I meant, did you?" Bobby asked quietly, feeling the words sound completely different in his head than he imagined them to sound.
Carlton shook his head slowly.
"No, I don't get it," he said, grinding his teeth. "You... you said you loved her. But she's not your girl, Bobby. She's mine."
He took a step back, as if he was trying to pull himself away from reality. It was so hard, so painful.
"Do you think I don't know how this sounds?" Bobby asked, his eyes filling with a furious glint. "I didn't mean to do this, Carlton. I didn't mean to hurt you, but how can I control that?"
Carlton was silent, his heart pounding as if it was going to burst out. He thought he could cope, that he could just accept the situation, but it was much more difficult.
"I don't want you to be a part of this," he said, his eyes hardening. "I don't know what to do now. You're my brother. But she's... she's all I have. And I can't just give her to you, Bobby."
Bobby felt his cheeks burn with shame and hurt, but he couldn't say anything in response. Every word that could escape his lips seemed meaningless and inappropriate. He wanted to somehow explain himself, to justify himself, but he knew that he had neither the strength nor the opportunity to do so.
Word by word, moment by moment, everything became too confusing. Not knowing what to do, Bobby stood up from his chair, feeling his legs barely supporting him, his face twisted with internal pain as he strode across the porch. He felt Carlton's merciless gaze on the back of his head, a gaze he could never have imagined. An older brother's gaze, full of contempt and disappointment.
"How could I have messed this up so badly?" Bobby thought without turning around.
As if reaching for something unrealizable, he continued to move, each step feeling heavy and meaningless. As he entered the house, he felt an inner emptiness filling him, and he himself did not know what was greater: shame for himself or resentment that all he wanted was to simply be near those he loved.
The door closed quietly behind him. And then he was inside, in the complete silence that had suddenly enveloped the house. Carlton had not followed him, and Bobby didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He couldn't help but feel like all was lost. It wasn't just his brother turning his back on him, it was something much bigger-a feeling of being a stranger in his own home.
The house was dark. Only the dim light from the kitchen softly illuminated the contours of the antique furniture, creating shadows that seemed alive. Bobby approached the kitchen door and froze - in the far corner of the living room, where Emily was busy preparing for the party, there were multi-colored lights, garlands and cozy pillows. Everything was almost like her usual mood - lightness and fun in the air. But in Bobby's soul, this was no longer felt.
He looked toward the living room, feeling the tension growing in his chest. With every step he took in this house, it was becoming harder and harder not to turn around and talk to Emily. He was almost certain that she was the only person who could comfort him right now. But, unsure of what to do, he stood where he was. He was afraid that if he approached her now, if he tried to talk to her in any way, Carlton would perceive it as an attempt to take her away from him, completely destroying their already shaky relationship.
"But I didn't take her from him, did I?" Bobby thought, closing his eyes for a moment.
It was more complicated than that. He had always tried to hide his feelings from his brother, to hide his own thoughts, but now that the words had been spoken, he knew that it would no longer help. All that was left were the consequences.
Bobby felt a heaviness in his chest and looked away from the living room. Snippets of conversations with Carlton, his loud and bitter words, full of pain and mistrust, were spinning in his head. Bobby, as if waking up, saw before him not only his brother, but also his own mistakes, which seemed to have become an insurmountable wall.