"We need to talk."

Julius was sitting at the dining room table when I walked through the front door later that day. "Aren't you supposed to be at the shop?"

"They can handle it without me for a day," he said. He watched me as I dropped my backpack on the floor and kicked off my shoes. I knew this conversation needed to happen but I knew I wasn't going to like it one bit.

We were silent for what felt like so much longer than it was. I sat down at the table and waited for him to say something.

"How long?" Two words punched through the silence.

"How long for which part?"

He takes a deep sigh and I recognize the exhaustion in his body language. There were bags under his eyes that weren't there before. I didn't imagine he slept long. "Any of it. All of it. Jesus, Roman. How come you didn't say anything? Why did it have to take her showing up at my door for me to even get a little bit of an idea of what was going on after I left?"

"I was eight when you left, Julius. What was I supposed to do?"

Julius stood up so fast that his chair shot back. He began pacing back and forth in the room. "Then I shouldn't have left in the first place. Is that what should have happened?"

"No," I said simply. "And maybe that's exactly why I never said a thing to you."

"Roman, I could have helped you. I could have helped her too. No one wanted to tell me shit and act like everything was all fucking sunshine and unicorns when I came to visit."

"Sunshine and unicorns?" I almost laughed at the idea. "When has that ever been the way to describe our home life?"

"Our home life didn't mean our mother shot herself up with drugs any chance she could get. It never meant that she didn't give a fuck who she brought into her house, and it sure as hell didn't leave you bruised or thrown out into the fucking street."

"Yeah, I get that much, Julius. I was there," I say flatly.

We went quiet, the only sound between us for a moment was the sound of Julius's pacing in the room. "So?" I finally ask. "What happened when I left?"

He gives a dry laugh. "You were right, she wanted something." I nod in confirmation as he goes on. "The fucking nerve of that woman, Rome. She couldn't say anything to defend herself about what you said, nothing. No, but she had plenty of words to ring me for more money," he rants.

"Did you give her something?"

He meets my gaze for a second before rolling his eyes and staring at the ceiling. "I wrote her a check for three months rent and told her to fuck off." He meets my stare that I carefully work to keep blank. "She won't be bothering us for a while."

I don't give him a response to that. It was his money, I wasn't going to tell him how to spend it. "And this guy that she's with? Is that the same guy who was giving you problems?"

"I don't know," I respond. "She got back with him, so I left. I don't know if the boyfriend she mentioned last night is him or if it's someone else completely."

He stops his pacing and settles his hands on his hips. He flicks his head toward me. "His name?"

"Calvin Johnson and no. You're not going to find him because I already dealt with it."

He lets out a frustrated groan and starts pacing again. "Will you sit the fuck down? You're making me dizzy," I pleaded.

He doesn't sit but he does stop pacing. He leans against the counter and asks me more questions. "There were years, Roman, years that you could have given me any type of hint. Why didn't you?"

I look at him as I consider his question, even though I already knew the answer. I had spent a lot of years already knowing the answer.

"I was young when you left me but you were young when you did too. You had a lot ahead of you to focus on Julius, what were you going to do with an eight-year-old kid under your arm?"

I let him think about it but when he opened his mouth to argue, I cut him off. "I didn't blame you for leaving back then and I still don't now. Look at what you did for yourself," I nod my head around the house around us. "There's no reason for you to regret how you got here."

His jaw goes rigid as he takes another moment to consider my words. There was more moisture in his eyes and he took a few hard blinks. "Are you good now, Roman?" He keeps his voice steady. "No bullshit."

My eyebrows lift at his question. I get out of my chair and walk to leave the room but grasp his shoulder on my way. "Sunshine and unicorns, Julius. Sunshine and unicorns."

"Hey, jackass," he calls before I can retreat to my room. I stop and wait for him to say more but I hear him get up from his chair again. I turn just in time for him to ram into me in an aggressive embrace. He wraps his arms around me and gives my back full and heavy smacks. "I'm glad you're here."

"Yeah. Me too, Jules."

>><<>><<>><<>><<

I'm in bed later that night restless. Not because of my family though.

But because I thought of those dumbass fucking sunshine and unicorns and the only person I know who would unironically use the term.

I wanted her gone when I heard my mother was outside. Thinking that she would have met Briar... I don't know, something about the idea set me on edge. The few minutes after Julius came in with the news, I was nothing but a buildup of anger.

I snapped at her and I saw her face when I did it. Regret isn't something that I feel often these days, but seeing her face go red like that like she was embarrassed, stuck with me in a bad way.

Then there was the fact that she knew I didn't mean to snap at her. She knew it had to do with something else entirely. I should have told her I appreciated that.

I reach for my phone and bring up Briar's contact. I type something out for her and hit send.

>> Hey. I didn't say it earlier, but thanks for today.

It was late for a school night, almost one in the morning. I didn't expect her to reply until the morning. Then my phone lit up with a response.

Anytime, I mean it. Did you talk to Julius? <<

>> Yeah, you were right. It helped a lot.

I'm glad (: <<

She said she wanted to distract me today and she did. Starting with the way she leaned on my shoulder, wrapping her arms around my bicep like it was completely normal.

I had never opened up to anybody before, never laid my feelings out like that. I still couldn't tell if it was mortifying or oddly comforting to confide in her.

I spent a lot of time that night thinking about which side of those feelings I was leaning more towards. However, thinking about it didn't help my indecisiveness at all.

I twirled that piece of yarn tied to my wrist until sleep finally overcame me.

A/N: I don't know how many of you have been keeping up with all 3 of my stories but if you have, I'm very curious to know which boy love interest is your favorite ?

I'm not sure I can answer this question myself but I feel like doing duo POVs in this one makes me a little biased 🤔