There were many things in life that Simon Riley was sure needed to be earned.

At first it was love from his father. When, as a little boy, he hid under the table and covered Tommy's ears with his hands so that his younger brother wouldn't hear his father's drunken screams, he thought that they, his boys, were unworthy of having a healthy and loving father. Then, in the army, he had to wade through dozens of equally persistent and determined rookies to earn his position and catch the eye of the superiors.

Tommy seemed to have no idea what it was like to work in order to earn something. This also applied to his private life.

It happened once again. Again, you had to call your fiance's older brother to ask him to do what Tommy originally promised. And the most ironic thing? When Simon wasn't in another country on the verge of life and death, he would get into a car without a word and within twenty minutes he was there to help you.

"What's this time?" He asked as you got into the passenger seat and buckled in.

"He said that he and the guys decided to go play billiards today."

"Thought his bachelor party ended a week ago."

"Should have."

Simon just tightened his grip on the steering wheel and pulled onto the road. It always infuriated him how flippantly Tommy treated you. How he could throw his promises left and right, one day claiming that he would definitely help you pick up your ready-made wedding dress, and the next day apologizing because he was too hungover to get his ass off the couch.

It's been like this since the beginning of your relationship. But Simon, wanting to give his younger brother freedom, began to understand all the absurdity and injustice when everything between you began to get serious. You lived in an apartment in your name, you supported the two of you for six months when Tommy was "finding himself" (which meant constantly hanging out with his eternally unemployed friends), even your wedding ring was bought after you borrowed him the money for it.

That was what made Simon so mad. That his younger brother couldn't put in the minimum effort to be worthy of you.

Because if he was on Tommy's place, he would've worshipped the ground you walk on.