Avenging Arguments
Prowling toward the goal in his mind
He shut down her resistances, with reasons he outlined
No longer resisting, he staked his claim
Blocking her argument, he hit his aim.
Kingston
Vienna’s last words reverberated in my mind, keeping me awake with doubt and questions.
What did she mean she’d never been to England? Was she trying to show me how little those three months had meant to her? Was this her not-so-subtle way of saying she wanted to pretend the past had never happened? Or was there more to her story?
Mel had wondered the same. She’d spent the next few hours easing my anger and frustration toward Vienna and the entire debacle of my life, forcing me to accept all I’d been trying to avoid. She pushed her opinions hard enough for me to forget how heavily this house was inspired by Vienna’s descriptive babbles of her dream house. I took the time to think about the points Mel raised. After she left, I’d spent the next few hours and the entire weekend thinking about it, finally coming to the conclusion that Vienna had been pushing me away. I needed to see things through with her. I needed to see what it was and where it led. I owed it to myself.
Two days and only six hours of sleep and here I was, drowning in restless energy. Nothing mattered but hearing Vienna’s side of the story. I wanted to—
I stopped myself from indulging in such treacherous thoughts. I needed to keep my head straight today.
I quickly fed my dogs and sent a text to Alex to meet me in the office. There were a few things we needed to discuss, and maybe once the discussions of work were done, I could gauge Alex’s stand on Vienna.
It was time we both faced and accepted reality.
Alex was waiting for me as I casually entered my office.
Our eyes met as I closed the door behind me, his gaze turning cold, making me involuntarily tense and disappointed. How would I break past this ice between us?
“Here’s the information you needed. I’ve added my notes,” Alex said, his tone clipped and distant.
Unable to help myself, I laughed, sadness filling my heart. Dropping my briefcase on the sofa, I met my brother’s cold, hate-filled gaze.
“What’s so funny?” Alex glared at me.
“Fate,” I answered. “I was laughing at what we’ve become. How far we’ve gone to avoid each other and what happened.”
“That was the only option,” Alex remarked, his eyes blazing as he recalled the past along with me.
I shook my head, not accepting his answer. “We can move on. Hell, we have the option of valuing our relationship and burying the past. But no, that would be too easy. We need to hold onto that past and ruin the future.” I walked to the coffee machine and made us both an espresso shot. Despite it all, I knew what my brother liked to drink. At least that much hadn’t changed.
“My future is just fine.” Alex crossed his hands over his chest, but I could see the struggle in his eyes. I knew he constantly fought himself, his ego not letting him forget and forgive. Underneath this hatred was a person who was big hearted, easygoing, and ready for a challenge. He valued relationships and was loyal. I knew all this hurt him as much as it did me. I knew he missed me, and wanted to break free, to forget, forgive and move forward, but his ego, his pride, his sense of competition would never allow him to bury the hatchet, not until he ruined everything. That was his vice. He couldn’t let go. He was a good person, and I just wished he would realize what mattered before it was too late.
Unaffected and unconvinced by his response, I walked up to him and gave him the expresso cup.
Alex hesitated, unsure how to react.
“Take it, brother. It’s just coffee.”
Finally taking the cup, Alex took a seat as I stood there missing him.
“Are you still in love with Vienna?” Not caring anymore, I cut to the chase, unbothered by Alex’s shock as he downed the espresso shot.
I was too tired of walking on eggshells, too exhausted to pamper Alex’s emotions. It was time to confront the issue and put it to rest. I had to break him free of his own misery, and if I had to rip through him to find my brother, I would do that.
“Are you?” Alex countered.
“You already know the answer to that, Alex,” I challenged, putting the cup on the table beside his and taking the seat facing him.
“Whatever I have with Vienna, Alex, I need to see it through. But if you’re in love with her, and are going to break it off with Chloe and pursue Vienna, I’ll back off. I’ll accept it and step out of your way. I’ll bury my emotions and put you first.”
Emotions flickered and died as Alex took in my words. For a moment, I saw a glimpse of the brother I’d lost. I saw his desire to give in, but Alex’s ego pushed it away. “What do you want, Kingston?” he asked instead, misconstruing my intent.
“I want my brother. I want our happiness back. I want to move forward.”
He laughed then, mocking me. “And you think keeping Vienna in your life, the very person who came between us, the very person you betrayed your family for, will allow this to happen?”
Avoiding his bait to fight, I continued. “I tried forgetting her for five years—that’s all I was doing, and I thought I’d succeeded. But then she came back, shattering my control, corroding my hatred, making me—”
“You slept with her.” Alex stood up. “You forgot everything and crossed that line, again.” Alex’s voice rose with every word he said, provoking my own anger.
“We’re discussing our future, not my sex life.”
“And yet, somehow, they’re related. So stop pretending to care about my feelings, brother. It doesn’t suit you. Fuck you, Kingston,” he snarled, “and do whatever the fuck you want, but rest assured, you won’t ever have my blessing. I remember everything with crystal clarity. You stole the girl I loved, so it’s only fair for me to do the same.”
I wanted to strangle him, his words leaving me raw. But I knew that was what he wanted, for me to lose my cool. That wouldn’t happen.
Taking a deep breath, I shoved my hands in my pants pockets, reminding myself, over and over again, he didn’t mean what he said; it was his anger talking, and I had to pull him out of this dark place. He’d suffered enough. It was time for him to stop being this vengeful, bitter person.
“Let it go, Alex. I’m trying to do the same. Don’t ruin your future with Chloe.”
“Ha. You trying to let go. In fact, you’re doing the exact opposite.” Alex stared at me, his arms crossed in front of his chest. I could feel his anger rising as he snapped at me. “Even after all these years, you still haven’t realized that she used you and betrayed you exactly the way you did me.”
His words cut through my heart, but I just stood there, letting him spit everything out. It was the longest conversation we’d had in years, and maybe his outburst would somehow make room for him to reconsider his stand.
“She’ll never be yours, Kingston, because she was never meant to be yours. Sooner or later, she’ll realize that, and she’ll do exactly what she did five years ago: run. And who knows. This time, maybe she’ll run to me. Because I know you didn’t learn your lesson from the past, but I sure did. I’m never letting her go this time, especially not to you.”
Rage and pity filled me. What had Alex become? His vengeance seemed driven by ego rather than love. Not once had he said he loved Vienna, and yet here he was, willing to risk it all—his future with Chloe, his family—just to make me suffer.
“We’re done talking.” I tried to bite back the words I wanted to say. I walked toward my desk. “I just hope that one day, for your own sake, you’ll forgive our past and allow yourself to step out of this darkness you live in. I’ve been there, and I don’t want it to eat you alive like it did me. I hope you make the right choice, not for me but for yourself, for Mom, and most importantly, Chloe. She loves you a lot, and I know you love her too. Don’t let your past ruin that future. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to the conference room for the meeting. I’ll go through these documents.” I held up the folders Alex had brought in and turned to grab my phone. “See yourself out, Alex.”
For the next three hours, work dominated my thoughts, my focus laser sharp as I ironed out the details for the next leg of the launches we were supposed to do in Europe, followed by Dubai and Japan.
Mel called just as I entered my office.
“Hey.”
“I have your contracts,” Mel replied. There was a lot of fidgeting in the background, as if she was trying to juggle a few things.
“Okay, come on up. Lunch can wait.”
“Be there in three.” She disconnected and arrived a few minutes later. “So, what’s wrong?” Mel asked even before the door shut behind her. I was sitting on my sofa, staring out of the window. I looked at her, and instantly she knew. “Alex.” She sat beside me, dropping the documents on the glass coffee table, her casual attire of jeans and a t-shirt a little different from what I was used to seeing her in.
I nodded. “I confronted him about Vienna.”
“You took my advice, huh?” She smirked.
“Did I ever have a choice?” I shook my head.
“I never told you to talk to Alex, but I’m glad you did. And, from the looks of it, the conversation didn’t end well?” Mel got comfortable and focused on me.
“Nope. His ego is making him see red.”
“He wants to make you suffer, huh?”
“Yes. I asked him if he loved her, but he never gave me an answer.”
“Well, neither did you when I asked you, but that’s okay, because I already know the answer.”
“Not now.” I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself.
“Fair enough.” That was what was great about Mel—she knew when to push and when to pull back, respecting my space.
“I don’t know anything, anymore. I still despise what she did, but I can no longer live with the conflict. There’s no way Vienna and I could be together without tearing Alex and me—and likely the business—completely apart. I just want clarity and closure, and hopefully my brother back.” I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to contain the chaos of emotions that were living within me.
“Alex will come around. Trust me,” Mel said softly, squeezing my hand in support. “He loves you, despite everything. I bet he’s suffering as much as you are. I’ve talked to him in the past, and I know he’s conflicted. But for now, let him be. Seeing Vienna again has, I’m sure, made him revisit those emotions he had towards for her in the past. I know Alex, and he’s stubborn, and his ego always clouds his otherwise clear judgment.”
“I hope so. I fucking hope so, because I won’t stand to see him ruin his life.”
“I know you won’t, but you need to see things through with Vienna. That’s nonnegotiable. Now, if you’re done wallowing?”
I raised my eyebrows, finally feeling a little lighter.
Mel turned on her phone to check the time. “I need to go see Vienna for lunch. She’s meeting me downstairs in exactly…six minutes, so…”
“You’re not going to lunch with Vienna.” I stood and grabbed my jacket and my car keys, along with my phone.
“Why not?” Mel stood up with me, giving me a knowing smile.
“Because I’m taking her for lunch.”