Page 40 of I'd Never Date my Brother's Best Friend

“Thank you. You don’t have to. You can watch me since I live next door.”

“Doesn’t matter. I need to be sure you get in safe.” He walks me across the fence, up my porch, and stops before my door.

“Thank you, Sean,” I manage, even though I feel ungrateful right now. “Thank you for organizing this. Thank you for walking me to my door.”

He smiles. “You’re welcome, Jess. Have a wonderful night.” He steps down. “I hope Rick calls.”

“Are you okay, Sean?” I ask, picking up on something in his tone.

“I’m fine, Jess.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes,” he smiles at me again.

I’m not sure I believe him but whatever is bothering him, he’s not going to tell me. I smile back and wave one last time before stepping into my house and shutting the door behind me.

Chapter 16

Sean

What about you? Did you meet anyone interesting? Jessica’s words ring in my head.

Of course not. There was no way I would meet anyone interesting—or anyone at all, for that matter—because I was watching Jessica the entire night! I realize I’m getting upset and take a deep breath as I reach my door. There’s no point getting upset, especially since this entire debacle was my idea. I was the one who came up with plan Get Jessica a Man. I convinced Evelyn and Jamie to get Jessica to agree to it. I co-organized the event. Invited Rick and every other guy who participated. There’s really no need to get upset that she did everything I asked and found herself someone she would like to get to know better.

I unlock my door and step inside, flipping the switch on as I walk into the kitchen. At first, I reach for a bottle of cold water, then decide against it and grab a beer instead. As I reach for the bottle opener, I pause. This isn’t healthy. It’s past eleven, the worst time to drink alcohol. I push that thought aside, grab the bottle opener and take a swig.

When Rick and I were talking, conversation just seemed to be easy. Plus, our shared love for thrillers? Sign me up!

On a whim, I fling the bottle of water into the trash. I grab the bottle of beer and I take two swigs.

I believe Jessica when she says she and Rick clicked and had a good time. I watched her all night, and while she was friendly and having fun with everyone she engaged with I could tell that with Rick there was a spark. He had her attention and made her laugh, so I must commend him.

The most annoying part is that I can’t even hate Rick or discredit him because he’s a nice guy. From what I’ve gathered of him in our most recent encounter, he hasn’t changed. He’s always been a great guy, never bullies anyone, stands up for what is right, and does his fair share of charity and community work. Heck, the guy is a firefighter, for heaven's sake. He runs into burning buildings to save lives. A hero! He has everything! I should be happy for Jessica. It was her first night out, and she picked the best of the bunch.

Yet, I don’t understand this weird burn in my chest. I don’t know why I keep reliving the smile on Jessica’s face when she talked about Rick and hating that it wasn’t for me. Maybe I should have ignored her throughout the event and made new friends of my own. I put the beer down and head to my room. As soon as I walk inside, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I look and see it’s Jamie.

“Hi,” I breathe into the phone. “What’s up?”

“You home?” He asks.

“Yes, I am. What about you? And Evie?”

“I dropped her off. She’s fine. I also just got in.” There’s a pause. “Did Jessica say anything to you? Was this successful?”

I nod, then realize he can’t see me. “Yes. She met someone. You know him. Rick.”

“Forden?”

“Yes. Rick Forden.”

“Amazing.” Jamie laughs, and I’ve never felt a stronger urge to punch him before. “He’s a great guy; I couldn’t have picked someone better if I wanted to.”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t sound happy.”

“What?” I clear my throat. “I’m happy. This was my plan, remember? It’s what I wanted for her. And, like you said, Rick is a top guy. I guess I’m just tired.”

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