My Best Friend's Brother: A Standalone Friends to Lovers Romance (Soulmates Series Book 2)

by Hazel Kelly

  I dropped my hand. "No."

  "See? Was that so hard? I like her already."

  "Good, I'm glad. Speaking of women you like, did you think of anything clever yet for Mom and Dad's Anniversary-?"

  "Oh no you don't. I want to know more about this girl you like so much that you've been screening my calls."

  I sighed.

  "Or should I keep calling until I catch you drunk and trick you into saying too much."

  "That happened one time."

  “I’m aware,” she said. "And I assure you that I'm in no hurry to repeat the tactic since your attention to detail was a nightmare for us both."

  "Have I mentioned that your relentlessness is what I most hate about you?"

  "People say I get that from my big brother.”

  I groaned. "What do you want to know?"

  "Her name would be a good start."

  "Why? So you can creep the shit out of her social media accounts? Try again."

  She sighed. "Fine. What is your favorite thing about her and don't be gross."

  I pursed my lips. There were so many things to choose from, but I knew my sister the drama queen would never settle for anything vague.

  "I don't have all day."

  "I like the way my chest feels when she laughs."

  "Oh god. You're farther gone than I thought. How did you hide this from me for so long?"

  "I assumed you knew since your inkling muscle is always twitching away."

  "That's understandable," she said. "So I forgive your negligence. Now what's her name?"

  "I'd like to wait until I know whether or not it's serious before I fill you in."

  "Where's the fun in that? I live for angst and drama! Please don't deny me the play by play."

  "Sorry to disappoint you."

  "Would I like her?"

  I scratched the back of my head. "I'm sure you would."

  "Are her tits real?"

  I squeezed my eyes shut, my mind drawn back to the image of Andi laying in the back of the hay filled trailer, the night sky reflected in her eyes, my hands on her-

  "Well?"

  "I'm hanging up now."

  "Tell me one more thing about her," she said. "And I'll let you go."

  I leaned back in my chair.

  "It doesn't have to be about her tits."

  "She's perfect," I said. "And I'd be lucky to have her."

  "Gag me, Shane."

  "So I'm not going to jinx the whole thing by gossiping about it with you."

  "You're no fun."

  “I know a woman who would disagree.”

  She laughed. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  “Fair enough,” I said.

  Just as long as it’s not anytime soon.

  Flashback: Shane

  I was about to knock on the door when I heard the lawn mower fire up in the back yard. So I walked around the house and waited patiently for Mr. Oliver to notice me.

  As soon as he did, he powered the mower off and raised a hand in my direction.

  "Shane," he said, wiping his palms on his jeans. "Great to see you, buddy. What's up?"

  "Nothing much, Mr. O. I was just wondering if Andi was around. Thought she might want to-"

  "Shane, honey-" Mrs. Oliver's voice spilled out the screened back door. "Come on in."

  Mr. Oliver lowered his face and voice. "Just to give you a heads up, Andi’s sulking. Won't eat. Won't talk to us. Won't come out of her room."

  I furrowed my brow. "Since when?"

  "Since this morning. She found a half dead baby bird. It was World War Three."

  I nodded.

  A moment later, Mrs. Oliver's hand was on my shoulder. "Can I get you a lemonade or something?"

  "Sure," I said. "That would be great."

  She nodded and led me inside, blowing me away once again with her warmth and capacity for making people feel welcome.

  Then she gave me the scoop on what Andi was so upset about while I drank my lemonade.

  Apparently she found a fallen baby robin on the front porch and went to a lot of trouble putting it back in its nest with its sibling. She even went so far as to scoop it up with some newspaper so she wouldn’t transfer her scent to it.

  According to her mom, she was elated afterwards that she'd been able to give the baby a fighting chance. That didn’t surprise me at all since Andi had been a sucker for underdogs as long as I’d known her.

  If we played kickball in gym, she always picked the handicapped kids for her team first. If a new kid showed up one day, she'd always risk detention helping them figure out where their classes were. She was the kind of person who literally helped old ladies cross the road.

  It was sweet, and despite the fact that her patience often tested my own, I wouldn't have changed it.

  She often joked that she was “debilitating helpful,” but I knew she appreciated the trait because it proved that she was, in fact, her mother's daughter and that her fertilized egg hadn't accidentally been misplaced at the lab during her complicated birth.

  Anyway, an hour later, the baby bird had been chucked out of its nest again, except this time- although it was still breathing- its neck had snapped.

  "That's when she got hysterical," Mrs. Oliver said, pushing some warm chocolate chip cookies onto the plate in front of me.

  I reached for one right away. "And she's been in her room ever since?"

  "She had a funeral first."

  I nodded.

  "But I think the fact that she buried the bird alive sent her further over the edge."

  My eyes grew wide as I chewed.

  "Rick offered to bash it with something and put it out of its misery, you know?" She laid her pink fingernails on the counter and shook her head. "But Andi couldn't bear the thought."

  I swallowed. "Sounds like a mess alright."

  "If you can get her to eat a cookie," she said, nodding at the plate. "I would consider that real progress."

  I slid off the tall barstool and lifted the plate. "I'll do my best. And thanks for the cookies. Between you and me, they're the best on the block."

  Her eyes smiled at me as I rounded the corner and headed upstairs.

  "Andi?" I said, tapping lightly on the door. "It's Shane. Can I come in?"

  She didn't answer.

  I twisted the knob with my free hand and stepped in her room. She was lying face down on her bed, her cheek crushed against the pillow so I could see her bee stung eyes.

  She was wearing a thin tank top, and I let my eyes travel first over the smooth skin on her shoulders before letting them linger on her skimpy shorts, which had a lace trim along the bottom that did little to cover her thighs at all.

  It wasn't the first time I wondered when she got so… feminine.

  "Hi," she said, blinking her bloodshot eyes at me.

  I set the cookies down on her nightstand and pulled her desk chair up beside her twin bed, which was wedged into the corner of the small room.

  "What's up?" she asked, without any of her usual chirpiness.

  "Izzy gets back from her drama camp today." I glanced at the lucky kitty clock on the wall, swinging its paw like it was impatient for me to make progress. "I thought you might want to go to the train station with me to pick her up."

  "Oh yeah. I told her I'd be there."

  "I'm sure she would understand if you couldn't make it-"

  She laughed. "Oh yeah. That sounds like Izzy."

  "No I mean it. It sounds like you had a pretty big day already."

  "If by pretty big you mean the worst day ever, then yeah. It's been a pretty big day." She rolled onto her side.

  I fought the urge to look at the shallow line of cleavage that peeked out from her tank top. "At least you tried to help, Andi. A lot of people wouldn't have even gone to the trouble."

  She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "Yeah, well. A lot of people are just as bad as that murderous, negligent, evil robin living on our front porch.”

  I r
aised my eyebrows.

  She lifted her head. "And it's still there!”

  I bit the inside of my cheek.

  “My parents said it's the circle of life and all this crap and that just because she's a shitty mom doesn't mean she deserves to lose her home."

  "And you disagree?"

  She rolled towards me again and curled herself into a ball. "Yeah. I think she should fuck off with the precious chick she let live, the one she didn't toss out of her nest like a piece of garbage."

  I moved to sit on the edge of the bed and laid a hand on her arm.

  "I don't want to see her every day and be reminded of the way her baby- who was still hairless with bulging blind eyes, by the way- looked as it took its last breath."

  "I know. And I'm sorry about-"

  "Major Tom."

  I smiled. "Yeah. I’m sorry about Major Tom. Maybe you could show me his grave later."

  She sniffled. "I tried to make it nice. I put some rocks and twigs around it and laid a flower over him."

  "I’m sure it’s lovely."

  "I hope so."

  "I think you did a good thing, Andi. I know it was awful and that you're upset, but at least Major Tom didn't come and go from this world without making an impression."

  She closed her eyes and laid a hand over mine where it was resting on her shoulder. "How soon does Izzy's train get in?"

  "Not for a while. Why?"

  She looked up at me, her eyes still full of pain. "Would it be weird if I asked you to hold me for a few minutes?"

  I shook my head. "Not at all."

  I crawled over her and lowered myself between her and the wall.

  Then, just as I was about to wrap my arm around her, she rolled towards me and buried her head against the nape of my neck.

  "Thank you," she whispered.

  And as I hugged her close, I realized it was the first time we’d ever laid in a bed together.

  Just the two of us.

  Chapter 37: Andi

  I doubted Shane was really expecting me to show up in something slutty.

  But I figured, why not?

  I mean, I got lucky with the barn dance because the dress code was easy to follow, but I didn’t want to look out of place at the stoplight party when I knew there would be tons of sorority girls there going for broke. Or rather, dick.

  Surprisingly though, the skankiest thing I could get my hands on came straight out of Steph's closet.

  Honestly, it's shocking what some of those good Christians will wear… and how many blowjobs they'll give to make sure they save themselves.

  Needless to say, it was an educational day.

  Anyway, she had a strappy red dress that was tight enough on top to make the girls really stand at attention.

  What’s more, it flared a bit at the waist so I wouldn’t have to worry about beer bloat, and the bottom cut straight across the most toned part of my thighs, which were looking better than ever after my recent trips to the gym.

  I paired it with some Louboutin knockoffs to keep the red theme going, painted my nails accordingly, and curled my hair into some soft waves that fell over my shoulders.

  Finally, I applied my secret weapon- Eyeko Mascara- so I would look as deliciously fuckable as possible.

  Unfortunately, Tyler was working the door when I arrived and tried to hand me a green cup.

  "I’d prefer red," I said, looking down at my dress like can't-you-take-a-hint?

  His face fell. "Really? That's a shame. Who's the lucky guy that's getting a piece of that later?" he asked, looking me up and down.

  "Bite me, Tyler."

  "You know I would," he said, handing me a red cup.

  Knowing I would feel way less awkward with a drink in my hand, I headed straight for the keg, the music vibrating up through the floorboards into the bones of my already tipsy legs with every step.

  I didn't mean to have quite so much to drink before I got there, but it's not every day that Steph's up for a screwdriver. Plus, all it takes is a few top ups when you're getting ready, and you don't even notice the damage you've done until you hit the fresh air.

  Still, while I liked to think I was resistant to pathetic human needs like the desire to fit in and be liked by strangers, I wasn’t quite confident enough to rock up to a party like this without a little courage.

  Fortunately, Kevin- my favorite guy in the house besides Shane- was working the keg.

  As soon as I saw him, I felt my chest relax to the point where I actually began to notice the frequent head to toe looks I was getting as I swiveled through the crowd, which did wonders for my confidence.

  Kevin's eyes lit up when he saw me, too. And as he lifted his chin in my direction, the girl with her arm draped around his waist looked back and forth between us, clearly trying to decide if I was a threat.

  As a result, I tried to look as friendly as possible, realizing a moment later that I recognized her as Kevin's date from the barn dance.

  Kevin shouted some greeting to me and introduced us, though her name got lost in the noise as he reached for my cup.

  As soon as it was full, I took a step back so the other thirsty students could budge in. Then, once I was sure I could take a sip without spilling all over myself, I lifted the cup to my lips.

  That's when I saw him.

  He came around the corner in a jet black collared shirt and the faces around me melted into a blur. He looked like he'd shaved with a brand new razor, and I swear to god I could tell he smelled good from across the room.

  As his gaze passed over me, I saw the moment where he caught himself and glanced back. It happened so fast, but his eyes zeroed in on me like a hawk on a mouse.

  I swallowed.

  He walked towards me with the magnetism of Bond himself, and my insides clenched at the sight of his subtle smile. He was so hot I couldn’t think.

  "Andi," he said, his voice low and yet- somehow- the only thing I could hear.

  "Hi."

  "You look-" He checked me out so hard I had to lock my knees to keep from wilting.

  "What?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

  "Like you don't belong here."

  I furrowed my brow.

  "I mean that in the best way possible."

  I batted my lashes at him.

  "I see you went with red."

  I lifted my cup and licked my lips. "That's right. Everywhere."

  He clenched his jaw and lifted his own cup. It was red, too.

  I squinted at him. "Remind me again, will you? Does that mean you're unavailable?"

  "Only where everyone else is concerned."

  "I see." I shook some loose waves behind my shoulder. "So I didn't need to dress quite so slutty then?"

  "You don't look slutty," he said, his dark green eyes locked on mine. "You look beautiful."

  "More like overdressed."

  His lips twitched. "We'll take care of that later."

  "And now?"

  "Now I'm going to tap the next two kegs and put someone else in charge of paying the DJ so no one comes looking for me when I disappear."

  I pursed my lips.

  "You cool to hang out here for a second? I'll only be a minute."

  "I suppose," I said, glancing into my cup. "But don't keep me waiting."

  He drained his beer.

  "Fifteen years is a long time."

  "Too long," he said, handing me his empty cup. "But I'll make it up to you."

  I nodded and watched his strong back disappear into the crowd. Then I leaned against the wall and passed the time by scanning the faces around me and making up stories about why they chose their particular cup color.

  Until I realized one of those faces was headed right for me.

  It belonged to a pretty blonde girl about my height. Well, I assume she was pretty most of the time- when she was smiling- which she most certainly was not.