Jesse came home from work in a worse mood than he had been when he left
home. There had been a very difficult customer who just couldn't be
satisfied. "How is it my fault that the quality of the paper isn't good
enough?" he raged when Miles entered his room, knowing that his little
brother wasn't in the greatest of spirits.
"It isn't your fault at all," Miles said patiently. His brother would just go on and on and talk all his frustration out eventually. All he had to do was listen and be patient. This was how they handled each other, how they balanced each other out.
"The way she looked at me, it was like I owed her something, like everything that was going wrong in this world was all my fault! I can't believe it! Some people just have no respect for others." Jesse went on and on, and Miles just began to tune out a little, nodding and throwing in some sympathetic remarks here and there. There was a reason why Miles came to talk to Jesse, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to address the issue until Jesse was done.
After awhile Jesse finally ran out of things to rant about. "So. you didn't come in here to listen to my ranting. What did you want to talk about?"
Miles hesitated. He knew that mentioning the topic would just plunge Jesse headfirst back into his bad mood. He thought for a moment about how to go about this delicate issue, and then decided to just go for it. "That customer isn't the only reason for your bad mood, is it? You don't want Anaïs to leave."
Jesse sat up bolt upright on his bed, and Miles knew that he had struck a nerve. He spoke before Jesse had any chance to open his mouth. "I don't think you realise how well I know you, little brother. Just because I don't say anything doesn't mean I haven't noticed. I see how you look at her."
Jesse shook his head. "No. Anaïs is just a friend to me. Like a sister. Miles, I'm still in love with Winnie."
Miles laughed. "Don't be stupid, Jesse. You know you're lying."
"No! I am NOT lying! Miles, you're not listening to me at all! I don't love Ana! I tell you, I love Winnie and I'm not in love with ANYONE ELSE!" Jesse shouted, jumping up.
Miles gave his agitated brother a small smile as he stood up and walked to the door. "Jesse, you don't have to forget Winnie to love Anaïs. You can't cling on to Winnie forever, you know." Miles had his hand on the doorknob, but he suddenly walked back and stood right in front of his brother. "I know I used to warn you against falling in love. I know I told you that it would hurt. I know you've been hurt before, and that you understand my warning now. But let me tell you something new: love isn't a choice. Love is something good that just happens to you. Something GOOD. And sometimes you have to fight for it even though it hurts."
Jesse slumped and sat down on his bed again. He knew what Miles was saying was right. He DID love Ana. The ongoing battle inside him was over. He had lost to his heart, and he knew now that his heart belonged to Ana. One part of him would always belong to Winnie, of course. She was his first love, and you never really get over your first love. He would remember her always, and love her, in a way. But now Ana was everything. And suddenly he understood everything. He understood Winnie. She hadn't betrayed him, not at all. She had loved him, and loved him till the day she drew her last breath. But she had loved someone else too. It wasn't betrayal, it wasn't anyone's fault. It was just something that happened.
And then he was crying, his head buried in his hands. Crying, like he had not done in a very long time. Losing Winnie had hurt him like never before, but he had never cried. Now he did, cried out all the confusion and pain he had gone through these past years. He felt Miles sitting down next to him, putting his arm around him, but he did not look up. He couldn't.
Ana sat on her bed, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She had remembered that she had left her book on the table outside in the living room, and had gone to get it, when she overheard Jesse's shout coming from his room. Obviously he hadn't expected anyone to hear him. But she had hear him, loud and clear.
"I don't love Ana!"
She heard it in her head, so clearly that she thought Jesse had just yelled it again. It echoed in her mind, over and over again, and she couldn't get it out.
She wasn't sure what she had been expecting actually. Did she, even for the slightest moment, think that Jesse loved her? She didn't know. What did she want from Jesse? Did she really want him to suddenly come into her room and admit that he had loved her all along, that he had loved her since he set eyes on her, and that he wanted her to stay? And if that really happened, would she stay? She didn't know. Did she even love Jesse, or was she crying because she was just embarrassed and ashamed of herself?
Why did she cry?
NOTE: Hope you all didn't find this too soppy or anything, I was just trying to make it sad! Obviously I don't expect anyone to cry from reading this (it's not good enough to make people cry, certainly didn't make ME cry), but I just hope it's not TOO sad till the point of being lame! Please leave a review and let me know!
"It isn't your fault at all," Miles said patiently. His brother would just go on and on and talk all his frustration out eventually. All he had to do was listen and be patient. This was how they handled each other, how they balanced each other out.
"The way she looked at me, it was like I owed her something, like everything that was going wrong in this world was all my fault! I can't believe it! Some people just have no respect for others." Jesse went on and on, and Miles just began to tune out a little, nodding and throwing in some sympathetic remarks here and there. There was a reason why Miles came to talk to Jesse, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to address the issue until Jesse was done.
After awhile Jesse finally ran out of things to rant about. "So. you didn't come in here to listen to my ranting. What did you want to talk about?"
Miles hesitated. He knew that mentioning the topic would just plunge Jesse headfirst back into his bad mood. He thought for a moment about how to go about this delicate issue, and then decided to just go for it. "That customer isn't the only reason for your bad mood, is it? You don't want Anaïs to leave."
Jesse sat up bolt upright on his bed, and Miles knew that he had struck a nerve. He spoke before Jesse had any chance to open his mouth. "I don't think you realise how well I know you, little brother. Just because I don't say anything doesn't mean I haven't noticed. I see how you look at her."
Jesse shook his head. "No. Anaïs is just a friend to me. Like a sister. Miles, I'm still in love with Winnie."
Miles laughed. "Don't be stupid, Jesse. You know you're lying."
"No! I am NOT lying! Miles, you're not listening to me at all! I don't love Ana! I tell you, I love Winnie and I'm not in love with ANYONE ELSE!" Jesse shouted, jumping up.
Miles gave his agitated brother a small smile as he stood up and walked to the door. "Jesse, you don't have to forget Winnie to love Anaïs. You can't cling on to Winnie forever, you know." Miles had his hand on the doorknob, but he suddenly walked back and stood right in front of his brother. "I know I used to warn you against falling in love. I know I told you that it would hurt. I know you've been hurt before, and that you understand my warning now. But let me tell you something new: love isn't a choice. Love is something good that just happens to you. Something GOOD. And sometimes you have to fight for it even though it hurts."
Jesse slumped and sat down on his bed again. He knew what Miles was saying was right. He DID love Ana. The ongoing battle inside him was over. He had lost to his heart, and he knew now that his heart belonged to Ana. One part of him would always belong to Winnie, of course. She was his first love, and you never really get over your first love. He would remember her always, and love her, in a way. But now Ana was everything. And suddenly he understood everything. He understood Winnie. She hadn't betrayed him, not at all. She had loved him, and loved him till the day she drew her last breath. But she had loved someone else too. It wasn't betrayal, it wasn't anyone's fault. It was just something that happened.
And then he was crying, his head buried in his hands. Crying, like he had not done in a very long time. Losing Winnie had hurt him like never before, but he had never cried. Now he did, cried out all the confusion and pain he had gone through these past years. He felt Miles sitting down next to him, putting his arm around him, but he did not look up. He couldn't.
Ana sat on her bed, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She had remembered that she had left her book on the table outside in the living room, and had gone to get it, when she overheard Jesse's shout coming from his room. Obviously he hadn't expected anyone to hear him. But she had hear him, loud and clear.
"I don't love Ana!"
She heard it in her head, so clearly that she thought Jesse had just yelled it again. It echoed in her mind, over and over again, and she couldn't get it out.
She wasn't sure what she had been expecting actually. Did she, even for the slightest moment, think that Jesse loved her? She didn't know. What did she want from Jesse? Did she really want him to suddenly come into her room and admit that he had loved her all along, that he had loved her since he set eyes on her, and that he wanted her to stay? And if that really happened, would she stay? She didn't know. Did she even love Jesse, or was she crying because she was just embarrassed and ashamed of herself?
Why did she cry?
NOTE: Hope you all didn't find this too soppy or anything, I was just trying to make it sad! Obviously I don't expect anyone to cry from reading this (it's not good enough to make people cry, certainly didn't make ME cry), but I just hope it's not TOO sad till the point of being lame! Please leave a review and let me know!