26

The situation continued to worsen. Despite Ever taking me with him to drop me off at my house, Michael followed us, unwilling to give up.

He felt as if Ever, the friend he had trusted so much, had disrespected him by getting involved with his sister. The girl he had always defended and protected, the one he had always stood up for, felt like his most precious treasure. We had been there for each other since we were little, so it was a bit uncomfortable or perhaps incomprehensible that all of a sudden, the apple of his eye had never mentioned my relationship with his boxer friend.

Even though for Ever, it meant that Michael was jealous of me as if he wanted me for himself, it wasn't about romantic feelings. It was just that he couldn't admit that his sister had become a woman and that at some point, it would be Ever who would be with me.

""Don't you get tired? Go home, Michael,"" Ever said, covering my back as he inserted the key into the door lock.

The boxer was in a terrible mood. He was tired and fed up, which made it impossible for him to control his wild instincts, which he never hesitated to unleash. He had just been in a fight that wasn't easy, someone had tried to take away his girlfriend and kidnap her without even knowing the reason. He had almost been beaten to death without a break, still feeling the constant pain in his knuckles. And now, to top it all off, Michael came asking for explanations and insulting me. It made him feel like he had had a lousy day.

However, he wasn't willing to let him disrespect him once again because neither of us had done anything wrong, even though his head was about to explode, and he felt no responsibility for what might happen if Michael insisted unacceptably.

""I'm not leaving. This used to be my home too, and my parents still live here,"" Michael rebelled against Ever.

As soon as I managed to open the door, as I had forgotten to do so due to my nerves and crying, Michael also seemed to want to enter. But Ever grabbed him by the chest, preventing him from stepping inside.

""Sure, your parents still live here, Michael, but you don't. They are the ones sleeping now, and the last thing they need is for you to come to cause a scene and wake them up. Consider your sister, who has already gone through difficult moments today. It's best if you leave,"" Ever's words seemed to be spat out of his mouth, filled with a great gesture, a great attitude, a great power. This wasn't even Ever anymore; it was Zeus, the same haughty, arrogant guy that one should fear.

""Of course, she's had a difficult day because she wanted it that way, getting involved in places she shouldn't just to be with you! After she judged me, told me not to visit those places, and that I should choose to quit boxing, now she suddenly has a boyfriend when it wasn't me she wanted,"" Michael shouted to the four winds, disregarding the words Ever had previously said. He didn't want my parents to wake up and escalate the situation.

But as you know, nothing wakes up parents faster than a commotion in a house that has been having problems, turning it into a dysfunctional family.

""What the hell is going on here?"" The lights in the whole house turned on. Mr. Benjamin and Mrs. Carmelia, still sleepy with their pajamas on, were taken by surprise that their children were the ones arguing, accompanied by a young man they had never seen before.

""What's going on, Mom?"" I wonder. Let me explain. It turns out that your son Michael caused a huge scene because he's upset that I've fallen in love with his friend, who is also a boxer. He claims that I judged him when I was the only person who, despite not liking the idea of him pursuing boxing, supported him. I was the only one who attended his fight and even visited him in jail! I fought with you and Dad tooth and nail to defend him. Now he calls me a whore just because his friend and I are dating. He sees himself as a bad person because he's a boxer and thinks that Ever is the same. He has forgotten that our sibling relationship shouldn't influence my romantic decisions. It doesn't mean that he has any right to choose who I should or shouldn't be involved with. It's not my fault, little brother, that you're so down on yourself! Ever is exactly what I deserve, and I'm saying it to all three of you right here! I'm 22 years old and mature enough to have a relationship with the man I choose." """And that's what I was talking about when I said that Eleonor had the character of an oak tree, that she could be very sensitive but when she finally grew tired of being the typical passive and reflective woman, she could devour the whole world for her feelings.""

""I didn't feel like telling you, Michael, if that's what hurts you so much because I thought you needed time for your wounds and problems to heal. Ever always dared to shout to the world that I was his girlfriend, but it was me who didn't want him to tell you. I wanted to give you time because I knew perfectly well that you wouldn't take it well. But I thought you would be happy for me, that you would feel glad that I have someone who loves me, cares for me, values me, and understands me.

I don't care what you know about him, I don't care if his past isn't a pretty story. The only thing that matters to me is the kind of man he is with me, and in my eyes, he is perfect,"" she said, pointing to her chest. Her words were heartfelt, with no tears on her face, while Ever stood in awe, admiring the kind of woman he had and confirming that her love was real.

""Your attitude has hurt me a lot because it has been very selfish. Instead of worrying that I was almost kidnapped and that thanks to God, Ever was able to prevent it, you only cared that I hid our relationship. I decided to do it for you because I wanted to find the right moment to sit down with you and talk about how we met, how he treated me, and how he made me feel, just like those conversations we had as siblings.

But you preferred to insult me, fight with him, provoke him, and make a big scene. It felt really bad, to be honest. And let it be clear that I'm not telling you this expecting approval for my relationship because I don't need anyone's approval. It's just something I want you all to know. It's a shame that you have to find out this way, but that's what Michael wanted.

My plan was for all of us to sit at the table and have lunch, and for me to tell you about Ever, Mom and Dad. To tell you how much in love I am with him, but most importantly, for you, Michael, to know,"" she pointed at her brother. This time Eleonor let her guard down, and her voice sounded firm but filled with feelings, yet calm.

""I'm sure Ever would have loved it if you had approached him and talked about things that only guys know how to say to each other. And one last thing, Michael, I have to thank you for choosing to be a boxer and for somehow training in that place because it was for not seeing Mom suffer that I went looking for you.

Otherwise, I would have never met Ever in my life. And let me make it clear, I have never gone to that place against my will, and this was no exception. I was there, and I loved being there, supporting him. I don't regret what happened, unlike you, who I know deep down is regretful because you know you only brought shame and disappointment to all of us, especially me, brother."" Eleonor's words pierced Michael's heart, who in reality had no valid reason for the whole mess he had created.

Things could have been avoided if he hadn't acted so impulsively because siblings don't belong to anyone, and even children don't ultimately belong to their parents. However, we all know that what bothered Michael was the fact that Ever never told him about his relationship with his sister, and vice versa.

The question is, what would happen now?