I'm nervous...

I'm really nervous...

More than when I was interviewed for Yale...

More than when I had my first job interview...

Meeting my brother...

The brother that should've stood beside me and took care of me and my family...

The brother that left my family with nothing but heartache...

I don't want to see him...

I called him last night after that disastrous dinner and we agreed on our meeting time and place.

I said I'll meet him there, he had offered to pick me up but I kindly refused saying he doesn't need to go that far and I'll find a way to meet him there.

But a part of me regrets it...

"You're going to have to go at some point" a voice said.

I turned my head seeing Mr. Reid standing at my doorway looking at me intently.

"Actually, I change my mind, I'm going to work"

"Yesterday you argued saying you wanted the whole day off and now you say you want to work?"

"I said 'half the day' not the 'whole' day" I scoffed.

"I think you're just trying to make up useless excuses"

I looked at him tensely knowing he's right.

I don't want to see my brother...

"Calm down Ms. Downs, breath and relax"

"Look who's telling who to relax"

I chuckled.

"Remember call me when you're done with your talk, because I have my own business with

Mr. Sanchez that I need to take care of"

"So you're basically giving me a lift for your own benefit?" I chuckled cocking my brow.

"What did you think? I'd do it from the nonexistent kindness in my heart?" He smirked.

"It's good that you know that

Mr. Reid but I'm %97.3 sure there is a softie behind that obnoxious and rude wall"

Is what I would've said if he wasn't my boss...

Sigh...Life is unfair...

"Well Mr. Reid I'm sure there's a little bit of kindness in your heart there is in everyone's"

He suddenly quieted down and looked at me sternly, finding no humor in my words.

I cleared my throat snapping him out of his thoughts and he turned around walking out of the penthouse.

Strange...

I walked out after him and saw him sitting in the car already, scrolling through his phone.

I rolled my eyes and sat in the passenger seat.

"Mr. Reid you don't have to take me to the cafe, you know? I can just send you the address and you can pick me up"

"I'd feel more comfortable taking you" he said in a hard voice.

I looked at him confusedly but shrugged it off.

I was again annoyed with the silence so I was going to turn on the radio again.

"Don't you dare turn on that radio Ms. Downs"

"You're no fun, I don't like the silence"

"It's not a big deal, we're almost there anyway"

And he was right, we stopped in front of the cafe, I looked at it hesitantly, contemplating wether I should really see him or not, I hadn't noticed Mr. Reid leave the car until he opened my side of the door.

"Ms. Downs get out of my car or else I'll be late for a meeting that I need to be at in.." he looked at his watch and continued "28 minutes and 13 seconds"

I looked at him shocked, while I'm here staring at a cafe like nervous wreck he's complaining about being late!

"I said it before and I'll say it again Mr. Reid, you could have only picked me up" I said in a cold tone.

"I advise you not to disrespect me Ms. Downs, now get out" he said in an equally cold tone.

I'm pissed and I'd usually put up a fight but instead of wasting both our time arguing so I got out.

The second I got out he quickly went back into the car and drove of, I rolled my eyes and focused my attention on my current situation.

I walkedinto the cafe and my heart stopped seeing my brother sitting there doing something on his phone.

As though noticing my presence he looked up and a warm smile crawled up his face.

That sorta eased my nerves...

It's now or never...

I put on a warm myself and walked up to him.

"Hi"

"Hey"

"So..." this is awkward...

"I ordered for the both of us so we can have some time to ourselves and discuss matters..." he didn't finish knowing I understood what he meant.

I nodded and sat on the opposite side of the booth.

"First ordered of business, how are you doing? You know with your illness?"

I smiled at him getting ready to spill the past ten years of my life to him.

"Well, when mom and dad divorced, I was getting worse my the minute, at some point even the doctor said I would die if I didn't go through surgery and that's what made both mom and dad snap, they started seeing eye to eye just to save enough money for me to have surgery and that's about it"

"So, you're okay now?"

"Yes, I'm great" I smiled.

"You started first now it's my turn"

"Shoot"

"How did this happen?"

"What?" He asked cocking a brow.

"You know, a millionaire restauranteur, successful, how did that happen?"

He looked down.

"When I left I was pretty sure you all realized I would never come back and dad would stop paying my college fees, so I guess you're curious how I was able to pay for college without anyone supporting me, after I left, I started working for a small restaurant and living in the college dorms, I was able to graduate and still work in that restaurant"

"Why did you change your name?"

He hesitated a little but answered anyway.

"The guy I worked for was like the father our real one could never be and I became attached to him and that restaurant I started adding new recipes, new ideas, before the amazing man retired he gave the restaurant to me and I changed my name from 'Leonardo Downs' to 'Peter Sanchez' and I don't regret anything that I have done for the past ten years, I was able to expand toAmericaand makethe man that made me happy, happy"

"So you don't regret leaving me?"

"I do, I have regretted it every moment for the past ten years, I have wanted to go and see you, so many times but I always return a coward, I regret leaving you, mom and Nina, I regret leaving you to look after everyone in my place,"

"I regret giving you hard life when I perfectly knew you were in no condition to help mom, I regret leaving for my own selfishness, I don't expect any one of you to forgive me but...

I'm sorry"

Before I could say anything else, the waiter came back with two cheese cakes and two cups of mint tea.

"I hope you don't mind mint, I like eating unhealthy but evening it out with some healthy beverage"

"Do you know what's funny?"

He looked up mentally telling me to continue.

"I do the same exact thing"

"Proof we're siblings" he shrugged.

I laugh at his weird behavior, all throughout the next thirty minutes we spent the time talking about light hearted subjects.

I showed him a photo of Nina and his overprotective brotherly side boomed when he saw how hot she is for only being nineteen, I swear I wasn't this sexy at her age.

He showed me a photo of Diego Sanchez, he looked like a sweet old man with a handsome white mustache.

We both weren't ready to end the day so we both walked to the small park nearby, I had remembered I never answered to his apology.

I grabbed his hand and led him to sit on the bench.

"What's wrong?"

"To your apology, I never answered"

He paled but nodded for me to continue.

I wanted to say it in my mother tongue for the sake of both of us feeling more comfortable in Spanish.

"Leo, está bien, no te perdono por completo, pero aún te amo, mamá todavía te ama, Nina también te quiere, mamá te echa de menos, ella lloró tanto cuando te fuiste, tenía miedo, Leo, tenía miedo de que algo sucediera para ti, pero ahora has vuelto y con suerte para siempre"

(Leo, it's fine, I don't completely forgive you but I still love you, mom still loves you, Nina also still loves you, mom misses you, she cried so much when you left, she was afraid Leo, she was afraid something happened to you, but now you're back and hopefully for good)

By the time I was done with my little speech Leo had tears in his eyes he looked at me with hope, regret, guilt and love.

He pulled me into a hug, I couldn't have felt more comfortable in his arms.

I missed him, I missed him, I missed him so much, I'll say it over and over again.

"¡Gracias! Muchas gracias! ¡Te amo tanto, hermanita!"

(Thank you! Thank you so much!

I love you so much little sister!)

We heard a phone ring and Leo broke the hug.

"Sorry, I need to take this"

"It's fine go ahead"

He stood up and walked a safe distance away from me.

I felt a vibration in my pocket, I took out my phone to see it was a text from Mr. Reid.

Come out.

Again with the blunt text, does he reply to his emails the same way? I rolled my eyes and replied.

Themessage was seen the second it was delivered but I didn't get a reply,typical.

"Hey cutie, what's a pretty little lady doing here on her own?"

And of course I was ambushed by some weird guy.

Great.

"Yeah, not interested"

"You didn't even look at my face!"

"That's the point genius"

"Feisty aren't we?"

"Do we have a problem here?"

Leo said in a deadly cold tone.

The guy looked at him and chuckled nervously.

"No, I was just asking for directions" he said shaking his hands.

"Well go ask someone else! She's not from here either!"

The guy gulped and said

"Sorry"

"What seems to be the problem here?"

Hurray! Mr. Freaking Reid decided to join the party! I'm so stupidly happy!

Notice the f*cking sarcasm.

"Flirting with my baby sister was a dangerous move on your part"

"I can protect myself just fine, I was handling it, I have ever since you've been gone!"

"You know what I'm just gonna stay away from whatever family drama you guys are having and leave"

"Wait for a second" Mr. Reid said after being silent through this whole ordeal.

The guy stopped, did I forget to mention he was hot? Oh well he's a damn player that's for sure, I mean come on who flirts with a random girl in the park?

Okay I'm going off track.

The guy stopped and he never saw Mr. Reid's fist flying towards his face, poor soul.

"Mr. Reid! You almost dislocated his jaw!"

He shrugs it off like it was no big deal.

"Peter I'll call you to discuss business, I seem to have lost my mood"

"It's fine, bye Julie" we hugged and said our goodbyes.

After we were both buckled up in the car, Mr. Reid spoke, for once!

"How was your day?"

I smiled remembering today's events.

"It was refreshing"

"Now that I think about, what is with you and trouble?!"

"What are you talking about?" I groaned, realizing his mood is changing again.

"I leave you alone for one hour and you already start causing trouble!"

Oh that's the last straw.

"Mr. Reid I'll have you know, you don't have to care about how I cause trouble outside work! And stop treating me like a kid!"

"Well Ms. Downs I don't want MY assistant to be the face of some magazine!"

"I'm not that famous!"

"With me you are!"

He stopped the car and sighed, calming down a little.

"Just listen to this"

I heard the softness in his voice and vulnerability in his eyes, like he was looking at something precious.

"Okay" I said in an equally soft voice.

After that we stopped talking all the way to the hotel.

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