Page 23 of Don’t Fall for your Best Friend's Brother

“Wow!” Nick says again, sounding far more enthusiastic than a stranger ought to at my success. “That’s amazing. Albany is a great city. There’s always lots going on there. Far more interesting than this little town,” he says playfully.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I reply with a shrug. “I like your little town. It’s quaint and homely, and everyone seems so friendly.” An expression flashes across his face as I’m talking. His smile falters for the briefest of seconds, and then it’s back as I continue. “We’d never have anything like this where I’m from.” I throw a hand in the general area of our surroundings.

“I’ve always wanted to visit London,” Nick says, veering off talking about the town he was raised in. “What’s it like?”

It occurs to me, at this point, that Nick is now only conversing with me. He’s turned his body directly toward me, almost completely cutting Sylvie and Bree out of the conversation with his positioning. His eyes have softened as we speak, they’re a light blue color by the way, and they have not left my gaze since we started conversing. The whole circumstance makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Partly, because my friends are being completely ignored, and partly because his attentiveness toward me is glaringly obvious to anyone with eyes.

“That’s a big question,” I say, now looking toward Bree and Sylvie to try and bring them back into the discussion. But Bree and Sylvie have nearly taken a step back, and both have great big grins on their faces. While I feel entirely out of my depth, they are both loving the fact that Nick has zeroed in on me. Maybe they think I’m enjoying this concentrated attention, but they’d be wrong. And yet, there’s no way I can signal them for help without it looking entirely obvious to Nick.

Nick’s eyes leave mine for the first time since we started talking, flicking a glance behind me. Then he takes a big breath in and sighs. “Well, maybe I’ll get talking to you again, and you can tell me all about it. But I’ve just noticed someone I want to say hi to. So, I’ll maybe see you guys later.”

Relief mixed with confusion rushes through me. It’s like the conversation has come to a rather abrupt ending with no real reason, but in truth, I don’t really care. I’m just glad the intense interaction has come to an end. As Nick wanders off, Sylvie and Bree take a step forward. Their beaming grins are now more obvious.

“Looks like someone has an admirer,” Bree gushes.

“Oh yes,” Sylvie adds, still grinning from ear to ear. “I do believe someone is a little smitten.”

While they’re grinning, I’m doing the complete opposite. I’m feeling a little flustered and overwhelmed. Clearly, my lack of enthusiasm confuses Bree because her smile fades, and she frowns at me.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you think he’s cute?”

I’m not really sure how to answer. Nick is cute. In fact, he’s a really good-looking guy. He also seems really pleasant. He was just a little full on.

“Emma has never really had a boyfriend,” Sylvie discloses.

It’s a good job I’m not embarrassed about it or anything, or I’d nearly be annoyed that Sylvie felt she could just come out with information about my personal life. But I know she means no harm by it. Besides, you just can’t be annoyed with Sylvie. She’s too sweet.

But this information seems to shock Bree, and now her mouth is gaping open. “You’ve never had a boyfriend?” she gasps.

“It’s not that I’ve never had a boyfriend,” I reply quickly to clarify the truth. “I have dated. I’ve just not really been into commitment. The long-term relationships I’ve seen always result in pain. People get hurt. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

“I get it,” Bree replies. “I’ve had my own experiences of that, Emma. And I hope I’m not crossing a line when I say this. Butall guys are not the same. There are just as many good ones as there are bad ones.”

I shrug. “Maybe you’re right, I just…” I trail off then because I see Finn and Jackson approaching behind Bree. It’s certainly not a conversation I want to have in front of them, and so, I just nod behind Bree. She turns to see what I’m looking at, and after spotting the approaching men, looks back at me with a knowing smile, before greeting her soon-to-be husband.

The day continued, and I have to admit, I did have lots of fun. We ate, we drank. I met a lot more people in the town I had not yet had a chance to meet. They all seemed so nice. Finn and I competed in the shooting game. I was surprised when I hit more targets than he did, and won a cuddly toy. He had eyed me in mock suspicion. “Are you sure you’re here for a job in an art gallery? Or are you actually a British spy?”

I had giggled at his ridiculous suggestion. “Oh, yes. I’m actually 006. The name’s Bolton,” I had said in a deep, gravelly voice, holding the rifle over my shoulder like some kind of commando. “Emma Bolton.”

Finn had fallen into stitches of laughter.

In the end, I had given him my cuddly toy to try and appease his dented ego. “Oh, yes,” he had declared, pretending to be even more offended. “Because a cuddly toy is definitely going to compensate for losing against a Brit.”

It was late in the evening when we finally returned to the Brecken’s house. No one was hungry, that was for certain, and after a little bit of conversation, each of us slowly retired to bed.

It is as I am now finally alone in my room, that I allow myself to think about the day. I came across Nick again a little later on. We had shared a brief greeting, and he had given me that same intense gaze as earlier. But we were passing and so, the conversation did not continue. He was cute, and handsome, and he did seem like a nice guy. Bree’s words still lingered in my mind.

“…all guys are not the same. There are just as many good ones as there are bad ones.”

After being in the Brecken household for nearly a week, I can’t really disagree with her. Sylvie’s family were a solid unit. Martha clearly loved Danny, and Danny clearly adored his wife. They both worked really hard, and every evening, the family sat down and ate together, discussing the things each of them had done that day. It’s not something I’m used to, and it’s given me a new perspective on what other families look like.

Besides that, there’s Finn.

Even after all the stuff I put him through at the beginning, he’s been so good, and kind, and, well, wonderful. But he’s married. It makes me feel guilty because I know I look at him sometimes and wonder what it would be like to be with him. But that boat has sailed. So, I’m left with a dilemma. It’s glaringly obvious that Nick Fenton has an interest in me, but he’s very full on. Or maybe, I’m the problem. Not only am I shy and reserved, I just don’t have experience with men. Just because he’s full on, doesn’t mean he’s not a nice guy, right?

Do I stick with all the things I have believed to be true? All the things Mum has always said about men. Or do I take a chance?

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