July, 2040

It was early evening. Lisa arrived at the parking lot from a small beach at the outskirts of the city. She exited her car and leaned against the hood, waiting for Silas. 

Just few minutes later she saw him on his bike from distance. He parked next to her car and switched off the engine. Then he put off his helmet and left his bike. Lisa smiled all over her face as he was coming closer. He smiled back, grabbed her waist and lifted her up a little. She giggled happily, being thrilled to see him again. Slowly he put her down and kissed her lips gently. 

„Hi,“ he said, breaking their kiss.

„Hi,“ she replied. 

„I brought a blanket and some snacks.“

She smiled again. 

„I’ve never been here before. This place is beautiful.“ 

„The best part is, hardly anyone comes here. I found that beach by chance one day when I was passing by,“ Silas explained. 

He went back to his bike, grabbed his bag pack and went with her to the beach. They made themselves comfortable close to the waves and put off theirs shoes. 

„So… what did you bring?“ she asked curiously, being little hungry. 

„I made sandwiches for us,“ he replied and put the snacks out of his bag. 

„Uh yes… Timberlakes can do food…“ she said, unpacking one sandwich. Then she took a bite. „It’s delicious.“

Silas was glad she enjoyed it. Then he suddenly turned serious. 

„Phin’s mood is hard to bare, Tinky. He yelled at me, because I dared asking why you came back that early from Palm Springs.“

„Why you asked? I already told you what happened.“  

„I don’t know why I did that… my conscience is giving me a hard time, to be honest.“ 

„It’s not your fault, that I’m not into your brother, Si.“ 

Silas raised his eyebrows.

„I really mean it. I don’t have any romantic feelings for him. I’m convinced if you weren’t there, I would still see Phin like a brother and not like a potential boyfriend,“ she continued talking. 

Silas cracked a smile. 

„That’s interesting. And why you see me differently?“ 

She shrugged her shoulders. 

„Dunno. I didn’t choose you. My heart is responsible for that.“ 

Silas’s smile gone brighter. 

„Could you eat faster, please?“ 

„Why?“ 

„Because I want to kiss that sweet lips of yours…“ 

July, 2045

„For someone who hates my sofa, you made yourself pretty comfortable here,“ Nash teased. 

Silas just spent another night at his best friend’s place. He raised his upper body, looking at Nash. 

„I feel like shit anyway. Some pain in my back makes not difference,“ Silas replied cynically. 

Nash sat down next to him.

„Your brother gave you his blessing, remember? If you want Lizzy, go and make her yours. I don’t see the problem here, man.“ 

Silas deeply sighed. 

„Phin doesn’t see the whole picture right now. He believes he could handle seeing me with her. But I know he can’t.“ 

„What makes you so sure, hm?“ 

„I know the feeling. It’s cruel. When Eve informed me during brunch, that Lizzy is with Phin, I almost puked at the table. It’s like dying slowly from inside.“ 

„So, keeping your brother from harm is more important to you than Lizzy?“ 

„How could I enjoy being with her, knowing that my brother is suffering? That scenario in my head is simply unbearable, don’t you understand?“ 

„It means yes, you put Phin over Lizzy.“

Silas sighed in deep frustration. 

„I have no choice. He’s my brother.“ 

„But she’s suffering as well, you know that, right? I mean, she’s been a bitch cheating on Phin, but I’m not really blaming her for what happened. She always wanted you and nobody else. But Eve and your dad took you away from her. God, you have no idea what that girl went through, when you disappeared. She fucked up school… she fucked up everything. And Phin… he was so unbelievably caring and nice… he helped her going through hell. He was so fucking good to her, that she finally gave him a chance, because she believed she owes him.“ 

Silas listened carefully to his friend. 

„How do you know that, Nash? Did she ever talk to you about how she felt about Phin?“ 

Nash nodded.

„She had a party when she turned 18 and got drunk. It was the day when Phin finally got what he was craving for so badly. She kissed him in front of all friends, when it turned midnight. I was watching her and knew, she didn’t mean it. There was no passion in her eyes. She noticed my glances from distance. Later that night she felt the urge talking to me. It wasn’t my intention to piss her off, but our conversation ended up in a fight. I said she was doing a mistake and claimed you would come back for her some day. But she didn’t believe me. Instead she worked up even harder into the illusion, that Phin deserved a chance.“ 

Silas needed a moment to process what he just learned. 

„But Lizzy told me that she loves Phin. I mean, she said she loves me more, but I believed her, that she has genuine feelings for my brother, as well.“ 

„I’m not denying, that their relationship evolved pretty well. She learned opening up to him. When time passed by, I stopped blaming her for living a lie. I started to believe that everything made sense. Phin was her savior. With his persistence he managed making her happy again. And as a result she finally learned loving someone else but you.“ 

Silas got lost in thoughts again.

„What exactly are you trying to say, Nash? Does it really matter under which circumstances Phin and Lizzy came together?“ 

„It does,“ Nash replied. „Although she fell in love with Phin, he’s right saying, that he was just her second choice. He was never more than that, Si. It’s no surprise for me, that she lost all inhibitions and slept with you, when you suddenly showed up. It happened, because you and her were never finished business.“