Status: Finished :)
I Didn't Know I Could Break Your Heart
Epilogue-Part Four Of Five-Rodger
April 9th, Current Year
"You're home," Rodger's father said, surprised, "Steven told me that you weren't going to come back. What changed your mind? Did that Marrietta of yours decide she wanted the wedding to be here?"
Rodger shook his head, brushed past his father and headed for the fridge. Grabbing a beer from the middle shelf, he popped off the top and replied, "We're not getting married," Then he downed half the bottle in one gulp.
Steven whistled softly from the living room. Rodger and his father entered, both staring at the younger boy. Rodger's father looked disapproving, silently scolding the boy for his behaviour while Rodger merely looked curious. Steven shrugged at them.
"Pretty obvious that was going to happen," He explained, "I mean, there was the whole Hooters thing and Rodger just doesn't trust liars and on top of that she was cheating on him with like half of New York City."
"She wasn't cheating on me."
"You broke up with that body just because she lied about her job?" Steven bit back a laugh and shook his head, "While, first of all, you're an idiot. Second of all, she was cheating on you. Maybe not with half of New York City... but with someone, yes."
Rodger swore and took another, smaller, sip of his beer. Marrietta had been cheating on him. In theory it made perfect sense. She had been away a lot and he hadn't had much time for her because of his brothers. It struck him as odd that she would do that though. She seemed to have so much more integrity than that.
"Did you at least get the ring back?" A new voice commented from behind Rodger.
He turned to face his older brother Carlos. Carlos had a smirk on that took up half his face and seemed more put together than he had before. Rodger stared at him in disbelief, unable to believe that in three days his father had managed to get the two to stand in the same room as each other without one killing the other.
Carlos raised an eyebrow, "Should I take that as a no?"
"Yeah, I didn't get the ring back,"
Shaking his head, Carlos let out a small laugh. He passed by his brother and went to sit beside Steven as if it was no big deal. Steven winced as Carlos landed on the couch, but made no further comment. He would not look at his oldest brother and was obviously uncomfortable. He started to roll up the blanket by his hand; it was obvious he was craving a joint badly.
The boys' father was watching Steven closely as well. He cleared his throat and said, "Carlos, would you mind helping Rodger settle back into his bedroom?"
Carlos glanced towards Steven worriedly and then nodded. Tears pooled in Carlos's eyes and it was obvious that his hatred of himself easily beat out his hatred of his brother. After all, no matter who Steven's parents were, he was still Carlos's little brother.
Taking a deep breath, Carlos grabbed Rodger's bags off the floor and motioned for him to follow. Rodger waited until they were out of earshot before saying, "You beat him up pretty badly, you know."
"I know."
"And he has every right to be afraid of you,"
"I know."
"Especially now that he's off the drugs,"
Carlos bit his lip to stop from laughing, "The kid's a good actor."
Rodger blinked, "You mean-"
"Maybe not as much," Carlos responded musingly, "But he's definitely still on something. Hopefully he'll stop all together when he realizes... I'm not going to... you know... hurt him."
Nodding, Rodger said, "Do you remember the last time you beat up someone that badly?"
Carlos shook his head.
"Steven was five years old and you were about eighteen. There was this kid, closer to your age than his, I think he was about sixteen, who was calling Steven names. And Steven couldn't stand it and came home crying one day," Rodger said, "You knelt down by him and asked him who this kid was. He told you and do you remember what you did?"
"I punched the guy's lights out. Ten stitches, fourteen bruises, three cracked ribs... one injury for every day he had harassed my brother..." Carlos whispered as a single tear streaked down his face. He brushed it away and shook his head, "It doesn't matter. Just because I defended him once when he was five doesn't mean-"
"Carlos, you love him same as you love me," Rodger interrupted gently, "He's your little brother and although you resent him for what he did to mom and dad, and you hate the lifestyle he's chosen and you disillusioned yourself into thinking he's the reason mom's dead, you do love him."
Carlos nodded, "I do. I always will. He's my little brother."
"You're home," Rodger's father said, surprised, "Steven told me that you weren't going to come back. What changed your mind? Did that Marrietta of yours decide she wanted the wedding to be here?"
Rodger shook his head, brushed past his father and headed for the fridge. Grabbing a beer from the middle shelf, he popped off the top and replied, "We're not getting married," Then he downed half the bottle in one gulp.
Steven whistled softly from the living room. Rodger and his father entered, both staring at the younger boy. Rodger's father looked disapproving, silently scolding the boy for his behaviour while Rodger merely looked curious. Steven shrugged at them.
"Pretty obvious that was going to happen," He explained, "I mean, there was the whole Hooters thing and Rodger just doesn't trust liars and on top of that she was cheating on him with like half of New York City."
"She wasn't cheating on me."
"You broke up with that body just because she lied about her job?" Steven bit back a laugh and shook his head, "While, first of all, you're an idiot. Second of all, she was cheating on you. Maybe not with half of New York City... but with someone, yes."
Rodger swore and took another, smaller, sip of his beer. Marrietta had been cheating on him. In theory it made perfect sense. She had been away a lot and he hadn't had much time for her because of his brothers. It struck him as odd that she would do that though. She seemed to have so much more integrity than that.
"Did you at least get the ring back?" A new voice commented from behind Rodger.
He turned to face his older brother Carlos. Carlos had a smirk on that took up half his face and seemed more put together than he had before. Rodger stared at him in disbelief, unable to believe that in three days his father had managed to get the two to stand in the same room as each other without one killing the other.
Carlos raised an eyebrow, "Should I take that as a no?"
"Yeah, I didn't get the ring back,"
Shaking his head, Carlos let out a small laugh. He passed by his brother and went to sit beside Steven as if it was no big deal. Steven winced as Carlos landed on the couch, but made no further comment. He would not look at his oldest brother and was obviously uncomfortable. He started to roll up the blanket by his hand; it was obvious he was craving a joint badly.
The boys' father was watching Steven closely as well. He cleared his throat and said, "Carlos, would you mind helping Rodger settle back into his bedroom?"
Carlos glanced towards Steven worriedly and then nodded. Tears pooled in Carlos's eyes and it was obvious that his hatred of himself easily beat out his hatred of his brother. After all, no matter who Steven's parents were, he was still Carlos's little brother.
Taking a deep breath, Carlos grabbed Rodger's bags off the floor and motioned for him to follow. Rodger waited until they were out of earshot before saying, "You beat him up pretty badly, you know."
"I know."
"And he has every right to be afraid of you,"
"I know."
"Especially now that he's off the drugs,"
Carlos bit his lip to stop from laughing, "The kid's a good actor."
Rodger blinked, "You mean-"
"Maybe not as much," Carlos responded musingly, "But he's definitely still on something. Hopefully he'll stop all together when he realizes... I'm not going to... you know... hurt him."
Nodding, Rodger said, "Do you remember the last time you beat up someone that badly?"
Carlos shook his head.
"Steven was five years old and you were about eighteen. There was this kid, closer to your age than his, I think he was about sixteen, who was calling Steven names. And Steven couldn't stand it and came home crying one day," Rodger said, "You knelt down by him and asked him who this kid was. He told you and do you remember what you did?"
"I punched the guy's lights out. Ten stitches, fourteen bruises, three cracked ribs... one injury for every day he had harassed my brother..." Carlos whispered as a single tear streaked down his face. He brushed it away and shook his head, "It doesn't matter. Just because I defended him once when he was five doesn't mean-"
"Carlos, you love him same as you love me," Rodger interrupted gently, "He's your little brother and although you resent him for what he did to mom and dad, and you hate the lifestyle he's chosen and you disillusioned yourself into thinking he's the reason mom's dead, you do love him."
Carlos nodded, "I do. I always will. He's my little brother."