"Hello," Xavier muttered angry that he approached his sister like some stranger and not her big brother.
Her eyes flashed with realization as her hold on her wineglass tightened, "I should have known your fiancée will sell me out even with her reassuring, I respect your decision phrase,"
Xavier's gaze flickered to Brian's form as he took in his overly gelled hair which made him think of a man striking poses in his briefs every morning. He won't want to mention names to avoid being kicked out of the table.
Instead, he stretched his arms out to the vain man in front of him, still searching for what his sister saw in him anyway, and with a satisfied smirk watch the awe in his eyes at the gesture.
"I'm the Xavier Salvador. Nice to meet you," Brian met his shake enthusiastically while Melissa watched the exchange with a sardonic smile.
"How beautiful and for some reason, an introduction and bringing 3% politeness to the table is supposed to make it alright." She gave him a toothy grin that was not in any way humorous or sweet but just plain bitter, "How nice big brother that disappeared for the most part of my life yet treats me like he demands an apology from me for not being good enough which had strengthened his resolve to leave me and never look back."
Xavier settled in a seat sparing a glance at Brian and noting he didn't look surprised decided that they were going to be doing this in front of a stranger because he seems to know everything.
"He knows." It wasn't a question but she replied nevertheless.
"Maya knows."
"Maya is different," he argued.
"What makes her so different? You love her and I love Brian too."
He almost chuckled at the irony of her words, Love, Maya? How does he explain to his sister that Maya wanted them as friends and nothing more.
"You think you love Brian," he fired back.
Her eyes flashed with anger, "Why don't you like Brian?"
"I don't think he is good enough," Xavier fired back.
"I think Maya's brother will be of the same opinion if she had one," she retorted.
He brushed his hair with his hand, angry that he was exerting himself by repeating an argument with Melissa contrary to Maya's wish.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
She looked taken aback which he decided to take as a good sign and continued, "I was so self-absorbed in my pain that I didn't see yours too and for every minute I flung back words that should never be mentioned next to you, taunt you with the image of your nightmare, I despise. I wish I can turn back the hands of time but I can't. I can only make now better, improved." He noticed how tears blurred her vision as she dabbed the unshed tear that screamed dangerous on her perfectly done make-up.
"Oh Xavier," she whispered, "How did you even realize these. Oh let me take a guess, Maya?"
He didn't reply her. It was answer enough.
"So will you forgive this wretched self-absorbed foolish big brother of yours and let him do right by you?"
She chuckled, "You make it sound like the solemnization of a wedding procession."
"The bonds we share as siblings should be that sacred."
She gasped dramatically, "Who art thou and what have you done to my arrogant brother?"
"He is still in there. Just not starring at the moment." His gaze met hers, "A remorseful brother is," he smirked, "And a part of me that is scared of his Petite sized fiancée who warned him not to fuck this up."
Brian laughed and Melissa dabbed her kerchief on her face with such practiced expertise.
"You have grown so much and so fast without me beside you hence I'm sorry."
She sniffed, "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have said all I said at movies night. You ain't Dad, Never."
"But his shadows I'll forever be scared of for the rest of my life and it is fine," He gave her a reassuring smile.
"Mom's you'll also live with, so it is fair." His eyes were sad as he stared at hers which mirrored the expression on his.
"But at least we won't let them win over us and make us incapable of love, cuddles, and all the shit normal people without daddy problems do." She reinforced, almost like she was trying to remind him.
"We don't have a choice to lose to it. We either win or win," he gave her a serious fake look, "We have a legacy to live up to here!"
"So no pressure," she whispered sarcastically.
"Yeah, that too."
She chuckled.
There was silence for a while.
"So makeup or a strike?" It was a method they have used as children to end squabbles.
A makeup means all transgressions are forgiven and forgotten but a strike means the fight is being prolonged.
Melissa had never chosen a strike before and as she gave him a genuine smile, he knew she wasn't about ruining her track record, "I'm already so tired of fighting Already."
"Perfect because I ain't ready to grovel any lower than this,"
She chuckled, "Now that is the brother I know."
He spared a glance at Bryan even as he stood up from his seat, "You still have a lot of impressing to do young man."
Melissa rolled her eyes at how intimidating he sounded as he sized her poor fiance who didn't look too happy to be in the limelight and was more than glad when he turned back to face her.
"You were right, Nobody will ever be good enough because you are my precious little sister and you deserve the best of the best man there is but if you prefer him," His gaze flickered to Bryan briefly, "I just have to suck it up and live with it." He turned to walk away and then remembering something he had left out he turned.
"And yes, if Maya's brother thought of me as not good enough for his sister. He won't be a liar. I'm a lucky bastard after all," and then with a big grin and sure stride, he rounded the corner to meet Maya.