e Myer

ht was adoration. I remembered signing the loan documents that put my family' s legacy on the line for his dream. I remembered the countles

who turned his grand ideas into functional, profitable reality. He got the magazine

. Kenneth had designed it himself, a series of high-end, canvas-walled villas surrounding a

ring to his girlfriend. "She' s bringing

smile. Kenneth,

of pine trees. It offered a perfect, unobstructed view of the main bonfire pit and the

Laughing, drinking, playing lawn games. And at the center of it all, Julian and

r the center of attention, volunteered to be bl

squealed, her arms outstretched as sh

But her internal compass seemed locked on one target. She moved with

ands finding his

und me," Julian laughed,

er boy!" Mark yelle

d back, a decision I kne

fish. "Do you have

arp. The casual party atmosphere evaporate

u asshole! Don' t put him on the spot like that!" Her words were a scolding, but her

chimed in. "It' s the worst-kept sec

eck, a theatrical gesture of embarr

with a private, unspoken language. It was a look I had seen a thousand times, a look I ha

again!" someone yelled, and t

her voice a seductive whisper meant only for him. Her gaze dropped to his w

bled with the c

caught her hand, but there was no force in his

She cried out, stumbling backward. Julian, ever the hero, lunged to catch her. They we

ithout missing a beat, Julian' s hand moved to cover her, his arm wrapped protectively, possessi

rm, romantic glow on their faces. They were a perfect portrait of passion, a s

ew wen

TOGETHER!

air. It felt like my heart was being torn from my chest, the raw, bleeding muscle exposed to the co

ands were clenched into white-knuckled fists. "That

nd shooting out to grab hi

. With trembling fingers, I found Julian' s contact and press

is pocket and pulled out his phone. The screen cas

gnor

ed plea in the night. I watched as he pressed the

he screen, an expression of pure annoyance on his face. He was

r elbows. "Who is it? Your m

She reached over, took the phone from his hand, and with a flick of

onto the gra

said, tapping the end of his nose with her finger

was full of adoration. He tightened his

ow and intimate, carrying across the stil

public, most definitive

over. The denial, the hope, the desperate bargain

harp as a shard of

eras here?" I asked, my v

definition. Audio and video. They' re motion-a

ed on the two figures entwined by th

But beneath the pain, something new was begin

e rule of "brothers bef

happens when he makes

is entire worl

-