Fake Destiny

Chapter9:Stay much longer

Sofia’s POV

I had never planned on staying at my brother’s place for more than a night or two. Normally, I’d come to visit, catch up with him, and then leave. But this time, things felt different. I don’t know why, but something in me wanted to stay longer, to see him in his element, to understand him a little better. Or maybe it was because I felt guilty for always criticizing him, for never truly seeing who he was beyond the surface. But either way, I wasn’t planning to leave immediately.

I had hoped to tell him I was staying longer, maybe even catch up a bit before he did whatever it was he needed to do. I was in the hallway, about to knock on his door when I overheard him.

It wasn’t subtle. The sounds coming from his room… I couldn’t ignore them. His voice, muffled but still unmistakable, carried through the walls. And I froze. The moaning. The unmistakable signs of what was going on behind that door.

I tried to shake it off, but it was impossible not to hear, impossible to ignore the discomfort it caused me. As much as I hated this side of him, as much as I wished he could be different, I knew he was lost in his own world, one that I didn’t fully understand and never could. I hated it, but I also knew I couldn’t change it.

I thought about walking away, leaving him to his business, but the sound drew me in, even though my stomach turned with every second that passed. It felt like I was waiting for something that would never end, trapped in a moment of knowing, but powerless to stop it.

The noise continued for what felt like an eternity. I tried to distract myself, to focus on anything but that sound, but my mind kept going back to it. I was so angry, so disgusted, yet I couldn’t move from my spot. And when the sounds finally stopped, I felt a mix of relief and frustration.

I couldn’t stay here and listen to that again, though. I had to leave, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. I didn’t know what I was hoping for, but I couldn’t just ignore it either.

Eventually, the door opened, and there he was. My brother. Still looking disheveled, his face flushed, and sweat lining his forehead as if he had just run a marathon. The sight of him made me want to say something, anything, but I held my tongue. I had come to tease him, but the reality of what I had just heard kept me from doing it with the usual biting humor.

“Hey,” he said, clearly surprised to see me standing there. He probably hadn’t expected me to still be here.

I stared at him for a moment, weighing my words. He clearly knew what I was about to say. But I didn’t care. Instead, I gave him a pointed look and crossed my arms.

“You really think I wouldn’t notice that noise?” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.

He raised an eyebrow, the look of someone caught in the act, but instead of feeling guilty, he just sighed. “What do you want, Sofia?”

I smirked, letting the silence stretch out for a moment before I spoke again. "You sound like an i***t, you know that?" I said, walking past him into his room without waiting for an invitation. “Sweating like that... over nothing.”

His face turned a deeper shade of red, and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

“I don’t need your judgment right now,” he muttered, trying to hide the embarrassment that was starting to creep across his face. But I wasn’t done.

“I mean, come on,” I teased. I’ve never heard someone moan like that. It was almost like you were trying to compete with yourself.

I looked back at him, the slight hint of a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “I swear, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to be an i***t just to get my attention.”

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “You never let me have any peace, do you?”

I chuckled. “When it comes to you, peace is overrated.”

He looked at me for a moment, his expression unreadable. But then, with a sigh, he walked into the room and shut the door behind him.

I leaned against the wall, watching him as he sat down on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his hair. “What is it you want, Sofia?” he asked again, this time sounding a little more resigned than annoyed.

I shrugged, unsure of what I was really here for. “I just wanted to see if you’d ever admit to being ridiculous.”

He gave me a look. “And do you feel better now?”

“Not really,” I said, my voice softening. “But it’s the thought that counts, right?”

For a moment, the tension between us faded. He didn’t respond right away, but the annoyance in his eyes had faded a bit. Maybe he didn’t enjoy the teasing, but deep down, I knew he appreciated that I was here. No matter how many times I criticized him, I would always be his sister. And that meant something, even if it felt like we were worlds apart at times.

“Are you staying longer?” he asked, his voice quieter now.

I hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, I thought I’d surprise you.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, just nodded, as though he was processing everything that had just happened.

“Okay,” he said finally. “I’ll try not to act like an i***t for the rest of your visit.”

I chuckled, the tension finally breaking between us. “I wouldn’t count on it.”

We both fell into a quiet silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that came from knowing each other for too long to need words. Maybe things weren’t perfect between us. Maybe we would never understand each other fully, but for now, this was enough.

Even if I couldn’t stop teasing him, even if I hated the choices he made, he was still my brother. And somehow, in that messy, complicated way, we would always be family.