Justin sat on the couch, the weight of everything that had happened still heavy on his shoulders. The air in the room was quiet, except for the faint hum of the ceiling fan spinning slowly above. John sat across from him, flipping through his notebook half-heartedly, clearly distracted by the tension still lingering between the brothers.
Justin broke the silence, "I haven't heard from Austin… not even a word since that day."
John looked up, concern etched on his face. "Man, he's probably still trying to process everything. You both said a lot."
Justin let out a heavy sigh. "I feel like I owe him more than just silence. But I don't know if he even wants to hear from me."
John leaned forward. "Then text him. What's the worst that could happen? Just be honest. Apologize and ask to talk , that's all you can do."
Justin hesitated for a few seconds, staring at his phone. Then, nodding slowly, he unlocked it and opened the message app. With trembling fingers, he typed:
"Hey Austin… I know this message might be unexpected, but I really needed to say something. I'm truly sorry for everything , for the argument, for the pain I caused. I was angry, but that's no excuse. I miss us, bro. If you're okay with it, I'd like for us to meet up and talk. Just you and me, whenever you're ready."
He stared at the message for a moment, then hit send.The message delivered. Now all he could do was wait.
Hours passed, and the day slowly faded into night. Justin eventually lay on his bed, phone on his chest, eyes staring at the ceiling, still no reply. He sighed again and rolled over.
Then, ping. A notification.
He jolted upright, grabbed his phone, and saw it.
Austin:
"Hey. Got your message. Been needing time to think. I'll come over this weekend. We'll talk then."
Justin stared at the screen, surprised. He hadn't expected a response, not this soon. But now there was a chance… a chance to fix at least one thing.
"John!" he called out, walking into the living room with his phone. "He replied."
John looked up. "Yeah?"
"He said he's coming over this weekend. We're finally going to talk."
John gave a small smile. "That's good, man. One step at a time."
Justin nodded. One step.
The weekend arrived with a calmness that seemed almost deliberate, as if the universe had decided to hold its breath for the day. The skies were clear, sunlight gently pouring into the apartment window where Justin sat, pacing slightly, the weight of everything he had rehearsed in his mind sitting heavily on his chest. His palms were sweaty. His heart beat faster with every tick of the wall clock.
John sat on the armrest of the couch, watching his friend move back and forth. "You're gonna wear a hole in the floor," he joked lightly, trying to ease the tension. "You already sent the text, man. He said he'd come. Now breathe."
Justin nodded slowly, exhaling. "I just… I don't know how to face him. I never wanted this, John. He's my brother."
"He's your brother," John repeated firmly. "And you're still his. Talk it out. He's giving you a chance."
Right on cue, the doorbell rang.
Justin froze for a second before he moved toward the door. When he opened it, there stood Austin, tall and quiet, hands tucked into the pocket of his hoodie, his eyes holding a mix of hesitation and buried emotion. They stood in silence for a few seconds ,not out of awkwardness, but the heaviness of everything unspoken.
"Hey," Justin said first, voice low but sincere.
Austin gave a small nod. "Hey."
"Come in," Justin said, stepping aside.
Austin walked in slowly, his eyes briefly scanning the apartment. John gave him a small smile and a nod from where he stood. "Good to see you, man."
Austin replied with a half-smile, "You too, John."
Justin motioned for them to sit. They all settled into the couch. The silence returned, just for a beat ,and then Justin leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped tightly.
"Austin," he started, his voice trembling just slightly, "I've been thinking about everything over and over. That day… the things I said, how I acted. I didn't mean to hurt you, man."
Austin remained quiet, listening, eyes fixed on Justin.
"I let my emotions take over. I didn't think. I was angry and hurt and blindsided… but that's not an excuse. I should have handled it better." Justin swallowed hard. "I crossed a line when I said those things about Bella ,and I hate myself for it. You didn't deserve that."
Austin's jaw clenched slightly. His face still bore some pain, but his eyes softened.
Justin continued, "Bella… she meant something to me, yeah. But you're my brother. And I lost sight of that. I never wanted to be the reason for division between us. I want to let go of the drama, of the past. I'm ready to move on. I just want my brother back."
His voice cracked at the last sentence.
Austin's eyes flickered with emotion as he exhaled slowly. "I was hurt too, you know. Hearing her say she loved you… right in front of me. It felt like everything just collapsed in that moment."
"I know," Justin said quietly. "And I'm sorry."
There was a long pause, but it wasn't cold , it was full, thoughtful. Then, Austin leaned back and nodded.
"You were a jerk," he said with a small grin, "but I wasn't exactly innocent either. I should've sensed there was history there… but I ignored it. I guess we both got carried away."
Justin let out a breathy laugh, the first one in days.
Austin looked at him fully. "You're my brother, man. We've been through too much to let this ruin everything."
"I agree," Justin replied immediately. "Bella's decision is her own. I won't fight over her anymore. I mean it."
Austin nodded again, and after a beat, he leaned in and pulled Justin into a hug, a real one, tight, familiar.
John, who'd been quietly watching the whole exchange with a proud smile, stood up and clapped. "That's what I'm talking about! Brotherhood over heartbreak."
The two brothers chuckled softly as they broke the hug.
"I've missed this," Austin admitted. "The three of us just… talking, chilling."
"Me too," Justin said. "Let's never let a girl come between us again."
John added with a laugh, "I better not fall in love with anyone either of you talks to, ever."
They all laughed, and for the first time in weeks, the tension was gone. The storm had passed.
The bond had been tested, but not broken.