Shocked was an understatement for how Raul had felt when Alfred had revealed he was in love with him. Flabbergasted was more like it, even if Alfred's constant snide remarks about his and June's relationship had finally made sense.

Raul shoved a hand into his hair and tugged. He'd seen the pain in his stepbrother's eyes during the confession and it still haunted him. Five long years?

Memories and peculiar moments he'd never really cared to recall rolled his mind. Alfred telling him how gorgeous he was, Alfred complementing his big dick all the time, that one steamy, drunken kiss they'd shared which they'd both laughed over.

Had Alfred done such an impeccable job of keeping his feelings secret or Raul had chose to ignore it all this while, telling himself it wasn't what it seemed?

God, this was so fucking messed up. He'd only ever seen Alfred as his stepbrother. They were practically brothers, for which the gravity of the reality still weighed so heavily. He had a gut wrenching feeling that things were never going to be the same between them.

Alfred hadn't slept home last night, something he never did without informing Raul firsthand. Now it was about six in the evening and he still hadn't arrived. Raul was getting frantic with worry.

Walking over to the bar and grabbing a bottle of whisky, he uncapped it and poured some onto the rocks in the glass he was holding.

He waited for the ice to take some effect before downing all the whisky in a swift gulp, feeling the liquid burn his eyes and throat.

The engaging of locks caught his attention sharply. Spinning around, he watched the door as it opened and Alfred stepped into the room, looking like a mess.

Hair all ruffled, the buttons of his shirt ripped and leaving his stomach bare, eyes puffy like he'd been crying the whole day.

Raul couldn't describe the relief he felt in that moment even as the worry wove through it.

He crossed over immediately. “Man, where the hell have you been? You got me so damn worried.”

Alfred stumbled past him without bothering to answer or even look at his face. His steps were swagger-like as he crossed the living room and went into his room.

Raul sighed. He'd known this was going to be hard, but this? He wasn't even going to speak to him? With another sigh, he returned to the whisky bottle, downing shot after shot. He turned when he head the sound of wheels and something making crashing sounds.

His heart skipped a beat. Alfred, now changed into a clean shirt, was holding a large suitcase and it seemed heavy considering how he was stumbling with it.

Raul didn't have to be told what the heck this was all about. He quickly hurried and blocked his step brother's path when the man was just some distance from the door.

“Alfredo, where are you going with that much luggage.” He asked tentatively.

Alfredo seemed intent on ignoring him, but Raul prevented him from passing by him, placing a hand on his chest. The sigh Alfred released was as exhausted as the blue eyes he turned to Raul.

“Just get out of my way, Raul.”

“No man, it fucking hasn't gotten to this. We can work something out. Things don't have to change between us.”

The exhausted look in Alfred's eyes morphed to pure rage as he slapped Raul's hand from his shirt. “Work something about?” He said gruffly. “I am fucking in love with you, Raul. Been hiding it for years. I finally told you and you don't fucking feel the same way about me. How the fuck do you expect things to return to the way they were?”

“Alfred, come on, man.” Raul said desperately. “You're my, bro. I don't want to see you walk out of my life. I love you.”

“Don't you ever say that again.” Alfred growled, his eyes turning more savage. “Don't you dare tell me you love me unless you mean it the way I want you to.”

Raul raised his hands up in exasperation. “I'm sorry, I'm just desperate. You mean so much to me, bro. I want you in my life.”

“You fucking do, don't you?” Alfred's voice rang menacingly.

Before Raul could even anticipate his next move, Alfred had grabbed his head and smashed their lips together.

It took a few seconds for the shock to settle. Raul felt nothing and so he stood stiff and unresponsive, even as Alfred's lips moved insistently against his, his tongue licking Raul's lip.

Finally Alfred pulled, and a laughter laden with scorn rumbled out of him. “See. The only fucking way I'll continue to be in your life is through that. And since we both know that's never happening, goodbye Raul.”

He began to move his suitcase. Raul stepped out of his way this time, realizing the man had made up his mind. “Where will you be staying?”

Alfred paused just when his hand was on the doorknob. “I'll be crashing with a friend for a while until I find myself an apartment.” He didn't turn as he answered.

Raul sighed as he watched his stepbrother open the door and wheel his suitcase out of their penthouse, and possibly, out of his life.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

Adam was speechless. He stared at his father unblinking and unmoving like he was in static motion because his brain still couldn't seem to register the full meaning behind his father's words.

When it finally did, Adam barked out a laughter, not because he felt the lightness of the spirit to do so, but because it was all he could do to restrain the panic that was threatening to tear through him.

“You're joking, right, dad?” He laughed some more. “That's crazy. Rebecca can't... She can't...”

He trailed off as the name registered. His mother was called Rebecca even if it was with a different surname. He looked at his father, saw his stunned eyes getting teary, then at Eva's mother, taking in her absolutely startled form.

Adam stumbled back as the reality began to set in with a spontaneity that had his head reeling. Eva's mother was his mother?

Rebecca's eyes slipped towards him, her mouth falling open. Then suddenly, she was spinning on her heels and hightailing it out of his apartment, the check sheet she was holding falling to the floor.

“Rebecca!” He heard his father call out, clutching his side at the same time. Then he was coughing loudly. Adam's brain was too muddled for him to enquire what was wrong.

The loud banging off the door snapped Adam out of his stupor, and he looked up at his dad. “Dad, please. . . please just tell me all this is some freaking stunt you're pulling with that woman. Please, I need to hear it, dad.”

He suddenly felt parched as he hang on desperately to the last thread of hope. His father cut right through it. “No, son. She... She really is your mother. Rebecca. It has been years, but I could never forget that face.”

It felt like an avalanche was crashing on Adam's chest repeatedly, the gravity of the situation sinking. “What the heck are you saying, dad?” He screamed. “That woman is the mother of Eva. The mother of the woman I love. Do you even understand what this means? Eva and I are siblings!”

His father's eyes widened like he was just coming to terms with the messed up situation. “I'm so sorry, son.”

But right now, pacification was the last thing Adam needed. What he needed was for there to be a sudden twist of fate to change all the facts that made him feel like his world was about to crumble. For all this to be a freaking nightmare, one he was soon going to wake up from.

Why the heck was life so cruel? He'd just found out that he was in love with Eva. The two of them had made love more times than he could ever be bothered to count. And she was sister?

“The beef is burning. I'll go turn the gas off.” He heard his father's voice but he didn't even bother to acknowledge it.

His phone dinged with a notification just then. Bringing it out of his pocket, his heart spasmed when he looked at the screen to find a text from the woman who owned his heart.

I can't wait to meet your father handsome. But just texting to ask; which colour and type of panty should I wear? I hope you have a lot of sperms stored in those balls for me. Hope your dad leaves early because I can't wait to ride my most favourite thing.

Adam could've screamed. Even now knowing too well they were siblings, his body's response to her words were just as untamed, and anger suddenly took charge of every impulse snapping through his body.

Rebecca freaking West. The woman who'd given birth to him, the same one who'd abandoned him and his little brother when he was six and his brother was only two, the same woman who left as if they'd meant nothing.

She'd caused him so much pain in her absence, and when they finllly meet again, she was about to destroy the one thing that made him happy?

He shot to his feet, dashing for the door. When he got to the elevator and it didn't part for him, he sprinted the other way, taking the staircase. Damn however long it was.

He knew Rebecca must've already left by now but hell, he was going to chase her in his car if he had to.

Not seeing her anywhere when he finally got to the street, Adam was just about to storm into his car when he spotted her in her car, head bowed on the wheel as her body shook.

He rounded her car with all the patience he could muster and firmly tapped on the window of the door to the passenger seat beside the driver's seat.

Her head shot up and Adam leaned down so that she could see him. She stared at him as if in a daze. Adam pulled the handle of the door, and luckily, it opened without a problem.

He slipped into the seat, closing the door after him. Looking at the woman who was still looking at him in awe, he offered her a saccharine sweet smile. “Hello Rebecca. Or should I say. . . mother?”