Page 16 of Never Kiss Your Brother's Best Friend

I shake my head. "No, and I haven't reached out to him, obviously. It was just so awkward. Can you believe he accused Sterling of gawking at me during the ceremony? What was he thinking? That was the most embarrassing part of it."

"Well..." Zoe trails off, biting her lower lip.

"What?" I challenge.

"He kind of was," Mia points out. "And you were staring at him pretty hard, too."

"Was not.”

"Okay, sure," Mia says with a nod. "If you say so."

"It's true. We're just friends. He sees me like a little sister, guys."

"Nope. Pretty sure no one looks at their sister that way," Zoe adds, grinning.

I give her a playful shove. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've always had a thing for him." Zoe flips her hair over her shoulder. "You never acted on it back in high school because of your brother. But let me tell you, Em, at the wedding, sparks were flying between you. Like, fire hazard kind of sparks. You two were practically burning a hole in the carpet with all that intensity."

"You're exaggerating," I scoff.

"Are we?" Mia asks.

"All right, fine. I’ll concede that he’s handsome. And yes, I may have stolen a few glances at him, but that’s it. It was a childhood crush. We’re adults now.”

"Got it, stolen glances mean nothing." Mia says with a thumbs up.

"I just told you guys that I'm not interested in pursuing anything with anyone. Least of all Sterling. That would complicate things way too much. He's been way too good to me through everything. I don’t want to screw up our friendship."

Mia places a comforting hand on my shoulder. "We get it, Emma. Dean was a jerk, and you're still healing. But you can't close yourself off forever. Life goes on, and sometimes, unexpected things happen. You never know what might be waiting around the corner."

I sip on my iced tea, contemplating their words. They don't understand the complexity of my relationship with Sterling. He's practically family like he said. My brother's best friend. The thought of anything romantic actually happening between us feels like crossing an invisible line.

Zoe nudges me. "You know, I just have to say one last thing, then I'm done. We saw the way Sterling looked at you at the festival, too. It was more than just concern for a friend. There's something there, Emma. And maybe you're not ready, but that doesn't change the electricity in the air."

I sigh, "I can't risk ruining our friendship."

Mia raises an eyebrow. "And what if he wants more than friendship? Are you willing to risk not finding out?"

The question hangs in the air, making me uneasy. Mia and Zoe are right. Life is short. But can I really take that leap, especially with someone so intertwined with my past?

Mia leans back, her expression serious. "You can't live your life in 'what ifs,' Emma. Sometimes, you need to take a chance. Sterling clearly cares about you, and maybe he sees some kind of future between you two."

Zoe adds with a knowing smile, "And maybe you do, too. You can't deny the connection you have with him. It's obvious to anybody with eyeballs. In the end, we only regret the chances we don't take."

I look down, tracing the rim of my empty glass with my fingertip. "I just don't want to mess things up, you know? Sterling is important to me."

Mia nudges me playfully. "Well, if it doesn't work out, at least you won't spend the rest of your life wondering what could have been. Have you ever noticed how may country songs they write on that subject?"

Geez, she's right. I can think of a few right now. I don't want my life to turn into a country song that's for sure.

I'm feeling torn between the safety of what I know and the uncertainty of what could be.

"Let's talk about something else, guys," I say, shaking my head. "I can't deal with this right now. Mia, how's the bakery doing? It's been ages since you opened it. I've been meaning to get down there and check it out."

"It's doing really well, thanks for asking," she beams. "Business has picked up, and I'm considering expanding. Maybe a new location in another town, or maybe even a franchise."

"Oh, that would be so cool." Buddy crosses my mind, and I ask, "Have you ever thought about making some dog treats?"

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