KRAVEN
The tickingtime bomb that we lived inside didn’t just explode that time.
No, it blew everything we thought we knew out of the water.
“I…” Isla stuttered, shaking her head.
“You took a test?” Julius asked, looking only at her.
His composure was steady.
Calm.
Unlike mine, I was dying inside.
“Has it been confirmed by a doctor?” he asked, remaining in control.
It didn’t surprise me. Julius always thrived in chaos. I, on the other hand, waited for her response on pins and needles, unable to speak. More than anything, I think I was in shock.
A baby?
Life after experiencing death, talk about a paradox of enlightenment.
She took a deep breath, then stated, “It was confirmed this morning.”
My life flashed before my eyes.
Past.
Present.
Future.
“I get irregular periods.” She bowed her head in shame. “I thought… After you left, Julius, I had light bleeding, and I just thought it was the stress of it all, and well, come to find out, it could be either of you.”
As soon as the last word left her mouth, Julius stated, “We didn’t use a condom.”
“Yeah,” I finally spoke up, finding my voice. “Neither did we.”
“Jesus.” Isla’s hand flew to her face. “I’m not this girl. How could I let this happen?”
I knew right then and there that this would change everything between us. This was the moment when it’d truly become…
Brother vs. brother.
JULIUS
This was the only way to finally get over our past and move into our future. I was tired of all this bullshit, so I took matters into my own hands.
“You son of a bit?—”
“Stop it!” Isla ordered me. “Nothing will get worked out if you two get into it again.”
Just to prove my point, I moved her aside and got right back into Kraven’s face. “You shameless fuck! I trusted you! I don’t know you at all, do I? Because the brother I thought I knew would’ve never betrayed me!”
“The second you left, she became fair game.”
“You took advantage of the situation, you shit!”
