As I walked into the apartment, I was met with a sight that made my heart sink. The place was a mess, with furniture overturned and broken, and debris scattered everywhere. It looked like a tornado had passed through, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Had someone broken in? Had there been a robbery? I felt a surge of fear and anxiety as I took in the scene before me.
But then, my eyes landed on Max, lying on the floor, surrounded by empty bottles of alcohol. My heart raced as I rushed to his side, fearing the worst. "Max, oh God, what's happened to you?" I exclaimed, shaking him gently to wake him up.
Max groggily opened his eyes, and I could see the tears welling up in them. He looked up at me with a mixture of sadness and shame, and I could tell that he was struggling to keep it together. "Ryan...I'm so sorry," he sobbed, his voice cracking with emotion. "I've messed up, Ryan. I've really messed up this time."
I helped Max sit up, and he buried his face in his hands, his body shaking with sobs. I could feel his pain and despair, and it broke my heart to see him like this. "What happened, Max?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm and gentle. "What's going on?"
Max looked up at me, his eyes red and puffy from crying. "Sophie...she cheated on me again," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I caught her with someone else. And I just...I lost it, Ryan. I couldn't take it anymore."
I felt a surge of anger towards Sophie, but I pushed it aside and focused on my brother. I could see the pain and heartache in his eyes, and I knew that he was struggling to come to terms with what had happened. "Oh, Max, I'm so sorry," I said, putting my arm around him. "You don't deserve this. You deserve so much better than her."
Max shook his head, his eyes welling up with tears again. "I know, Ryan. I know I do. But I just...I love her, Ryan. I love her so much, and I can't seem to let her go."
I sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and sympathy for my brother. I knew that he was stuck in a cycle of pain and heartache, and that he couldn't see a way out. But I also knew that he had to keep moving forward, no matter how hard it was. "Max, you have to let her go," I said firmly. "She's not good for you. She's going to keep hurting you, and you can't keep putting yourself through this."
Max nodded, his eyes still streaming with tears. "I know, Ryan. I know you're right. But it's just...it's so hard to let go of the way I feel."
I hugged him tightly, feeling a pang of sadness for my brother. I knew that he was going through a tough time, and that he needed my support and guidance. "I know it is, Max. But you have to try. For your own sake, you have to try."
As I finished cleaning up the mess, I walked over to the couch where Max was sitting, still looking devastated. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, and his face was pale and drawn. He was staring blankly at the wall, his mind a thousand miles away. I sat down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, Max, you won't believe what happened on my trip," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "I landed a huge deal and met some really interesting people. It was a great experience."
But Max wasn't having it. He just shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the wall. He didn't even acknowledge my presence, let alone respond to what I was saying. I tried again, trying to keep the conversation going.
"I met this one guy, his name was John, and he was really knowledgeable about the industry. We talked for hours about the latest trends and innovations. It was really fascinating."
But Max still didn't respond. He just kept staring at the wall, his mind clearly elsewhere. I sighed, feeling a mix of sympathy and frustration. I knew that he was hurting, and I wanted to help him, but he wasn't making it easy.
"Max, come on, man," I said, trying to shake him out of his trance. "Snap out of it. You're not going to sit there all day, feeling sorry for yourself. You need to get up, get out, and start living again."
But Max just shook his head, his eyes welling up with tears. "I can't, Ryan," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just can't. I love her, Ryan. I love her so much, and I can't seem to let her go."
I put my arm around him, holding him tightly. "I know, Max," I said. "I know you do. But you have to let her go. She's not good for you. She's going to keep hurting you, and you can't keep putting yourself through this."
Max nodded, his eyes still streaming with tears. "I know, Ryan. I know you're right. But it's just...it's so hard to let go of the way I feel."
I held him for a few moments, letting him cry it out. Then, I pulled back and looked him in the eye.
"Max, you have to try," I said. "You have to try to move on, to find someone else, someone who will love you back, someone who will make you happy. You deserve it, Max. You deserve to be happy."
Max nodded, his eyes still red and puffy. "I'll try, Ryan," he said. "I'll try."
I smiled, feeling a sense of hope. "That's all I can ask for, Max. That's all anyone can ask for."
I can't really believe how good I'm getting with relationships advice, even though I haven't been in one for the past ten years since getting my own heart shattered by love.