“Kendal, I haven’t seen you all day! How’re you holding up?” Travis’s voice had nearly perfected a loving tone, had it not been something I’d faked for most of my life, I would have been amazed. “Yeah I know, our date. I promise, I’ll be there on time, infact-i’m already in uniform.” His words burnt the icy-cold front I had put up to endure him, it made sense for him to be secretive, I would find difficulty in trying to explain the situation we were in. “Yeah honey, I promise; I will be in that bar, and I promise you; no more secrets.” We were a bit more alike than I had thought, both of us liars to our cores.

“Travis…” I stated, giving a tone you gave when telling off a dog, “Are we doing this?”

“Yes,” He looked at my eyes as he replied, “look; I understand the worry, but if I didn’t want you in my life, then why would I invite you into it? Kendal, I adore you; don’t forget that.” Travis kept failing to end it, each time Kendal drew him back in. It was his tone, each time he lied his voice wavered, as it continued to waver, threatening to destroy the demeanor he gave himself before accepting the call. 

I grew more irritated every moment that the call continued, he annoyed me the same way he had managed all of his life. If we were more alike than I had thought, then I had been fortunate enough to gain self-respect, something he continued to lack.

“Travis.” I once again stated, more threatening, more volatile; he continued to talk on the phone.

“Where am I? Leaving as we speak. Y’know I can’t call our driver if I don’t hang up… No, I think it’ll be longer than five minutes, but I promise-i’ll be fast.” I realized in some way he didn’t want to go through with what he had threatened minutes before. 

Kendal really did have a way to calm him down, without him I would have already been done, once he loses his cool he becomes as predictable as a cat ready to pounce; just like one, a single slice of a knife would be enough to make them lose both their fight and life. “I said six, I’ll be there at six. Reina makes great company, she’d be more than happy to waste your time…”

“TRAVIS!” I barked out like a dog, he had once again found a way to make me demote myself. Why did he always feel like he was the center of attention? Why was he always first to me? Why in the hell was a man who could hardly lie to their date be allowed more responsibility than me. I pulled out my knife by then, the one I rightly earned in that cave, the one that gave me rightful ownership of what he took. Tonight I would finally allow my emotions out, and I’ll make him feel every single emotion he has ever given me. My knife would finally show him and our old man who was the rightful heir-me.

“Kendal…” he hadn’t flinched when I pulled out the knife, his eyes focused on the ground rather than me, that was what he perceived me; the dirt on the bottom of his shoes. “I need you to know that for most of my life I made decisions for the benefit of others, for doing that I got nothing except being thrown away after I was ‘useless’ to them. It was only after I started making decisions for myself that I finally made a life that I was able to lead, and for the first time in that life I finally met someone who could understand me for who I was, and I want to show them the true me. Not any mask I had pretended to be for most of my life, but the authentic me; and I want that person to be you. I love you Kendall, and no matter what happens, understand that the only thing that’ll stop me from being with you would be death itself; and I promise, when I get there I will tell you everything, no more secrets.” 

He hung up the phone as he finished, finally looking at me. “Busy night, eh?” Looking at my knife, I saw he was talking about the dried blood I had neglected to clean up. I had lost all my patience to chat.

“I’m going to enjoy this.” I screamed, charging at my brother.

“Me too,” he replied, pulling out his pistols; our rivalry would end on this rooftop, and as I got closer to him, I was certain that it would be me.