30. The Results

[Ace]

"What does it say?" My father asked the doctor.

"They're both your sons." The doctor answers without wasting any time and I let out a huge breath.

"I told you, Cale, we're brothers both ways," I told him and he hugged me.

"So she wasn't lying." I turned to my father.

"She wasn't." He snatched the results from the doctor and looked through them.

There were a lot of year results and he looked through every one of them then he looked up at us and cracked a big smile.

"You're both my sons."

"I thought you didn't want me to—" Caleb started but he was interrupted.

"Don't talk nonsense." He said and pulled us into a bone-crushing hug.

"Okay, okay, I think you owe mom an apology though," I said and pulled out of his embrace.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll take care of that."

"When are you leaving?" Caleb asked.

"Next week." He said and then laughed aloud. "My sons."

"So you do love us," I said and he looked at me like I had a screw loose.

"I'm glad I wasn't raising any bastards." He said and left us to answer a call.

"I say he loves us," Caleb said and I chuckled.

"Yeah, but he's never going to admit it."

"Yeah, somehow I feel relieved that he's our father," Caleb said and I chuckled.

"Yeah, at least we don't have to go through some bullshit existential crisis looking for our real father," I said and he laughed.

"We're both fucked." He chuckled.

"Where did you go yesterday?" He asked.

"What?" I feigned ignorance.

"I was looking for you but you weren't anywhere in the house."

"I was at Max's." I lied and he frowned.

"Are you using or just dealing?" He asked and I cocked my head to one side.

"Damnit Ace, you know what that shit did to Emory." He looked really angry.

"Yeah, dude, but I got it under control."

Emory was our cousin, the only other family member that was close to us, she'd started using drugs after her parents separated, her mother was our father's sister and so they'd moved into our house during the divorce proceedings.

Emory had quickly gotten addicted but we didn't even know about that, all three of us used to get high together but we didn't know that Emory was taking a step further until the day we found her passed out in the bathtub and she almost died of a drug overdose.

Caleb had been so shaken by the incident that he'd given up drugs. I also gave it up for a few months but I couldn't do without drugs for too long. It was like a coping mechanism. Anytime something sad or annoying happened, I'd take drugs to quiet the world again.

I wasn't addicted though and I was always careful not to overdo it or mix multiple drugs with alcohol, that shit will get you killed.

"Look, you can see the lives our parents live, I just want us to do better, for our children's sake, so that they don't grow up as fucked up as we did."

"Children." I smiled and Caleb shook his head.

"Is that all you took away from that?"

"No, but I didn't know you were considering having children."

"Why, because I'm gay." He smirked.

"Precisely." I chuckled and he threw an apple at me, thankfully I ducked in time. "I'm never having children, Caleb."

"We'll see." He said and we walked out of the hospital.

"You do realize that it's a nurse's lunch you threw at my head, don't you?" I teased him as we got into the car.

"Oh really." He laughed. "Where to now?" He asked as I started the car.

"Oh, you want to celebrate being the son of a billionaire?" I asked, teasing him.

"No, I want to celebrate our brotherhood." He said and I smiled.

"Someday, you'll make someone very happy," I told him and he looked away blushing. "Oh my God, Caleb, is there someone and you didn't tell me."

"Calm down, Ace."

"No, tell me now, I have to meet him."

"Only if you let me meet Emily."

"You go to the same school, you can meet her anytime but does that mean that he goes to our school too?" I asked and Caleb paused, he probably realized that he was speaking too much.

"Wait, have I met him before, do I know him," I asked and Caleb shook his head.

"Stop asking too many questions, Ace, you'll meet him in time."

"Okay, let's go to Manny's bar."

"Manny's?" He frowned. "But that place is always crawling with drunks, loudmouths, and gangbangers."

"Don't worry little brother, I'll protect you," I said and he rolled his eyes.

***

"What can I get for you guys?" The bartender asked.

"Shots and keep 'em coming," I replied.

"Whiskey or vodka?"

"How about tequila?" Caleb asked.

"Alright." The bartender replied and left.

"Oh, look at you brother, wouldn't have pegged you as a tequila guy."

"Just for tonight, let's have a good time." He said and picked up a shot when the bartender served it. "Cheers."

"Cheers." We clinked glasses and downed the shots.

The door to the bar opened suddenly and I watched as four scary men dressed in black walked in. Of course, I knew who they were, they were gangbangers and they belonged to the underground mafia lords.

"What about that sweet little thing, you caught her yet?" One of them asked and I froze in my seat, balling up my fist.

"No, the boss wants to prolong this shit, I really think he's into some foreplay or some shit." Another replied.

"No, I heard the boss had personal problems, when he's back he'll probably ask you to finalize the deal."

"And when will he be back? I'm seriously enjoying my break."

"Next week I heard."

"Fuck, so I have to keep an eye on the girl till then, don't tell anyone but I've been slipping."

"Slipping, Jerome, you know that can cost you your head."

"I know, I know but I always go back every night, right before she changes into her nightie, she has the longest and creamiest legs I've ever seen."

Okay, I'd heard enough.

"Sorry Caleb but shits about to go sideways." I stood up from the bar with a bottle in my hand and charged towards the men. I looked behind me just before I smashed the bottle on the guy's head to see my brother following me with a bottle in his hands.