Page 32 of Never Kiss Your Brother's Best Friend

The minute the words leave his mouth, he slaps a hand over his face, and a rosy blush spreads across his cheeks.

"What do you mean?" I ask, not sure what to make of his comment.

I could just let him off the hook, but he's got a fat chance of that happening.

"If you had a crush on me, why didn't you say anything?"

"Well... Peter, I guess. He made it pretty clear you were off-limits."

The revelation hangs in the air, and I'm left flabbergasted. It's the first I've heard of this. I mean, I practically drooled over Sterling from the moment I hit puberty, but I always thought he saw me as just a little sister, until recently.

"Oh, wow," I say, unable to conjure a more articulate response.

He laughs, breaking the tension. "Yeah, I guess that's a lot to drop out of nowhere. Anyway, you pick a different movie. I'll make some popcorn and order us some Chinese. Beef and broccoli still, right?"

Out of sheer cowardice, I just nod and quickly change the subject, suggesting an action flick to shift the focus. But, we settle on a different cheesy romance movie, and soon enough, we're devouring our food and getting lost in the absurdly predictable plot. Eventually, we start on the popcorn.

We joke about the movie's over-the-top romantic gestures and how clueless the characters are. When the guy on screen walks the girl to her door and she jiggles her keys at him, Sterling yells at the television, "That's where you're supposed to kiss her, my guy!"

I burst out laughing, and he smiles at me. His grin is infectious, and soon enough, I'm giggling uncontrollably. Sterling's eyes crinkle with humor, and the whole situation is so ridiculous that I can't help but laugh.

As the movie progresses, Sterling starts throwing pieces of popcorn into the air, attempting to catch them in his mouth. I join in, and soon we're engaged in a popcorn-throwing contest, cheering when we get one. He makes a dramatic display, falling back against the couch as the popcorn pours down his shirt.

"I'm hit," he announces, clutching his chest.

"You sure are," I say with a smirk, trying to bite back a laugh as I poke at his ribcage, right where I know he's most ticklish. "Poor guy."

"Hey, have some mercy. You can't attack a wounded soldier," he says, and he lunges at me.

I squeal and dart away, grabbing my bowl of popcorn. I make a run for it, but he chases after me, cornering me at the table.

"Get back here, you vile beast," he growls playfully, and I burst out laughing.

He tackles me to the ground, and we both roll around, throwing popcorn at each other. Somehow, we end up tangled up in a mess of limbs, and his face is inches from mine. I'm still laughing, and he's grinning at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Gotcha," he says, and the laughter subsides just as the credits roll. Sterling falls onto his back and stretches, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Well, that was certainly something. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

I nod in agreement. "Definitely one for the books. Thanks for this, Sterling. It's been a great day."

Buddy whines in the next room, and we both glance toward the source of the noise. "Sounds like he needs to go out," Sterling says.

I sit up and brush the popcorn crumbs off my shirt. "I should probably head out anyway. It's getting late."

He nods. "Yes, it is. It's been an exhausting few days. I could use a good night sleep."

"Okay, well I'll help clean this up and then we can be on our way."

He moves to help me, and we gather the trash and load it into a bag. The silence between us is comfortable, a stark contrast to just a while ago when the air was so electric. Thinking about his admission, I press my lips together to keep from smiling.

Sterling Cole had a crush on me. A real, honest-to-goodness crush. The guy I've been drooling over for years. And I never knew. What a weird feeling. It's a lot to process.

I've known Sterling all my life, and we've always been friends. He's one of the few people in my life I can talk to about anything. There's an ease to our relationship that can't be replicated with anyone else, and there's never been any pressure to impress him. We're simply two people who care about the same things. He's always been my first choice.

I let out a small sigh, my heart swelling with warmth. The whole time we were hanging out together, my mind kept going back to the way he looked at me when my brother called. It was like he was trying to say so much without saying a word.

The look was intimate and sensual, and it made my whole body feel tingly.

I smile again, truly unable to help it now. The realization that Sterling has feelings for me makes me happy. I know he's a good guy, and he's the best friend anyone could ever have. He's a total catch.

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