Chapter 25: My Brother's Keeper
Chris

It was bright and early Friday morning as Chris sat at the kitchen island eating breakfast with his brothers August and Trey. At the moment it was a comfortable silence filling the air as each of their minds were on the same thing yet different thing. Well as comfortable as it was going to be for the most part. Chris was thinking about his sit down with April. He had so much pent up emotions running through him that he was trying to keep it together. While on the other hand his brothers were keeping secrets that they both desperately wanted to spill but knew this time it wasn't their place to do so. They both held the same secret but didn't know if the other knew or not. To them it felt like April had placed a gag order against them.

Chris high key knew that they were both hiding something but he wasn't going to press them. The way he saw it was when they were ready to speak on it he would listen. He also knew that whatever they were hiding had to be something big. He couldn't dwell in it though. Today was the big day and he didn't know how it was going to go he just hoped that it wouldn't be too bad. Chris didn't want April upset with him he was already upset with himself. All he wanted was for them to speak their truths and peace of mind. He wanted to work on restoring the friendship that they once had and if they couldn't be friends that they could at least be cordial around each other. He wanted her around or at least be able to be around her.

Damn he had so much to get off his chest he just hoped that she didn't shut down and that she would listen to everything he had to say. He knew the woman he would be sitting in front of today wouldn't be the same woman that left him at the aisle. Chris just hoped and prayed that she wasn't too broken and that she had found some type of happiness after their storm. That shit would kill him if she hadn't. He wanted her to be happy and live her best life even if he wasn't in it. He owed her that much.

"Bruh you aight ova dere" August asked concerned for his brother as he looked at Chris who seemed to space out. August just like Trey knew that today was important to Chris and it was long overdue so they needed to be there for him. Sure they all knew that it was Chris's fault for everything that went down but they also knew he needed them for support so they were going to be there for him like he would for them. They were brothers and they were their brother's keeper.

Chris wiped his hands over his face and sighed deeply. "I'm aight. I don't really know how or what to feel. I know we got shit to talk bout but I'm excited to see her face, smell her lingering scent, watch her nervously bite on her bottom lip, and nervously play with her hands. I get to see everything that I miss and fucked up on. Shit is crazy she's supposed to be my wife right now. We're supposed to have a kid by now and I'm supposed to be buggin her to let me plant another seed because we all know she'd tell me to wait cause we already got one and she needs to focus on work. She's supposed to be home...right here right now with me loving on her. I fucked up" Chris shook his head in disbelief.

"Bruh it's gonna be aight just tell her how you feel. Shit happens. You see where you messed up and now you know what you need to do to make things right. Somethings happen for a reason. Maybe it wasn't y'all time. Trust we all know if you could get her back you'd do it in a heartbeat and do everything the right way. You know we all still low key got faith in y'all. So don't beat yourself up. If it's meant to be it will be. Even if y'all never get back to what y'all once had, you will still get your happy ending" Trey spoke. He wanted to encourage his brother and Chris was thankful for it.

"I keep telling myself that it'll be aight just like when it comes to my future and my I happiness I still see her dressed in that white gown standing in front of me. I still see her at the end of the tunnel. It's her everytime I think bout my next child. It's her when I think bout my wife. It's still her and for some reason I feel like it will always be her. Maybe its wishful thinking but when I close my eyes everything is aight in the world.  We're together and happy living our lives the way we planned but even better because now we know what it's like to be without each other. Or at least I know what it feels like to be without her. I know there might be a chance that her happiness doesn't end with me and I might be happy without her but it's her" Chris stood up and paced back and forth across the floor.

"Big bruh you gotta calm down" August stood up and approached Chris and stopped him mid stride. "Calm down we all know that you love lil big sis and she can deny it all she wants but we all know she still loves you too. But what you need to focus on is being her friend first if anything. Like Trey said you will get your happy ending regardless. Just breathe" he firmly gripped both of his shoulders. "Just make sure you tell her everything. It'll help you in the long run. No matter how it goes we'll be here for you"

"Bet" Trey agreed with August.

August walked Chris back to his seat at the island. "Why y'all ain't stop me before I lost her" Chris chuckled to himself. He knew it was no ones fault but his though.

"We kept telling you to get it together but at the end of the day you're a grown man and you're gonna do what ya want" Trey said and it was the God's honest truth. They kept telling him to get it together to the point they both sounded like broken records so it was no point in continuously repeating themselves.

"It's in the past now all you can do is learn from it and focus on the future" August said. "I can't speak for Trey but when I got with Alaina all I wanted was a relationship like you and sis. Before shit turned sour you could see the love in both of y'all eyes when y'all were around each other or even talked bout one another. I wanted it so bad. Y'all were straight goals. The happiness and love radiated off the both of you. If I could even get a fraction of that I was happy. I will tell you that y'all both taught me a lot. Y'all taught me what to do and what not to do and that's why Alaina and I go so hard for each other" August spoke as he now sat back in his seat.

"No lie y'all def taught me some shit too" Trey agreed. "I just hope y'all can at least be friends. My girl misses the shit out of her best friend, her sister. She puts on a big front and acts like everything is ok when it's not. She's use to sis being around but she lost that the day April left. So if anything y'all have to work on y'all friendship because everyone is paying for it. Shit Aug's girl moved miles away and they been doing long distance for a long while now"

"I ain't even gonna go in on that. That damn near fucked us up but we knew what was important and made it do what it do but bae is moving back so it's all good" August couldn't help but smile at that. He missed having his girl by his side on a regular.

"I'm sorry bout that. When shit was going down I wasn't thinking bout the effect it would have on everybody. I was thinking bout myself most of the time. I didn't see shit ending the way it did especially her leaving me and moving back home"

"It is what it is. Today is the day where you both start fresh"

"Tru" Trey agreed.

"What should I expect? Y'all both saw her. How is she" Chris asked.

"Well I saw her last night when she came to scoop bae. She was aight she's ready to talk. She's tryna keep positive bout it all. You know she wears her heart on her sleeve and normally you can tell how she feels but she's built up some walls and can hide her feelings pretty well now so be prepared" Trey informed him.

"I finally saw her while I was up there working and visiting La. Normally when I'm visiting La stays at my spot and I don't run into big sis. She was cool but she's different from how she used to be but you should be aight. She ain't turn into the ice queen or nothing" August laughed a little. "Just don't go in there on no bullshit. Tell her the truth she deserves to know everything. Don't hold shit in release everything that you've been holding in. Y'all need this shit. Don't be sugar coating shit either. This is the day where both of you let it out and be real with one another. Feelings will get hurt and y'all might need to take a break so take one if you need one. Y'all might laugh, cry, scream but get it all out. Unload"

"I already said to myself that I was letting it all out. She needs to know the truth. I did some pretty fucked up shit to her and I need to make it right" Chris admitted. If he could admit it to himself he could admit it to April.

"Where y'all meeting at" Trey asked.

"At her place" he answered.

"Cool"

"You got the smokes? Cause y'all both gonna need it"

Chris laughed. "You already know! I ain't stepping into the lioness's den without it" they all laughed.

"What time y'all meeting up" August asked.

"12" Chris replied as he looked at the clock on the kitchen wall.

"Ya ass need to be getting ready" August said as he read the time on the clock as well. It was 10:30am and if he wanted to be on time he needed to start getting ready like now.

"Bet, y'all staying here or bouncing" Chris stood up and placed his plate and utensils in the dishwasher.

"I got errands to run but when you get back I'll be here" Trey answered.

"Same here"

"Bet, I'm bout to go get ready" Chris said and excused himself. He was thankful that his brothers had his back whether he fucked up or not. Real friends kept it a hunnid. They'll tell you that you fucked up but still hold you down while you fix it and that's just why they fucked with each other. Chris was use to 'yes men' in is life. People who always said yes knowing damn well it was a definite no but when it came to Tremaine and August they ALWAYS let him know what was up no matter how he felt about the situation. In return he did the same for them. That's why their friendship was strong and lasted the test of time. The friendship was still there to this day but now and even before then they were much more than best friends. They were family and they were brothers. They had eased his mind somewhat but he knew he had to go in with positive vibes and God by his side. He even planned on calling his mother on his way there. Whatever he needed to do to face April he was going to do.

Chris made his way to his bedroom, closed the door behind him, and turned on some music to help him get his mind right and the rest of his day started. Good or bad he knew he had to suck it up and just unload whatever the outcome should be.

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-Happy Reading🤗
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-But um Chris better get prepared. He's gonna need it lol
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