Page 9 of I'd Never Date my Brother's Best Friend

As I near home, my thoughts stray to a few hours ago when Sean first walked into the office. Evelyn and I had been talking about him, so he looked like an apparition strolling in without a care in the world. The last time I saw him was five years ago. He was just a budding actor then, with lots of hope.

Now, he is wealthy and successful, but he still acts like the Sean I remember. I’m grateful for it, even though I’d die before I’d tell him that. I park my car in front of my house and exit, dragging my feet to the front door. The house next door is dark and empty, like always, and it adds to my loneliness. Sometimes, I wish I had a neighbor, not because I want someone who would come knocking on my door with cookies occasionally—God forbid that happens. But it would be nice to see some light and life in the next house anytime I arrive home late, like tonight.

I’m met with a dark living room when I enter, so I quickly turn on the lights, feeling a little relief when brightness floods the space. My thoughts bring me back to Sean, and my heart flips. If I was a romance writer, this might be the first chapter of a bestseller, but I’m not, so the little heart flip annoys me.

Jamie and Sean have been best friends since childhood, so I grew up seeing him around. I can’t remember the first time I met Sean because he seems to be part of my memories for as long as I can remember. I do, however, remember the first time I really saw him.

It was just after summer break. Evie, Sean, and Liam were gone the entire summer while Jamie and I were bored out of our minds, awaiting our best friends. As soon as they returned, Sean and Evelyn came over to our house. I saw them coming from the window, and unlike before, when I’d only had eyes for my best friend, I couldn’t look away from Sean this time. It was like he doubled in size over the summer, or maybe the haze lifted over my eyes, I don’t know.

I was fifteen years old when this happened, and since that moment, I’ve been unable to get over this crush. I’m twenty-eight now. With a disappointed sigh, I head for the bathroom, shedding my clothes as I go. I step into the shower. In another half an hour, I’m in my flannel pajama bottoms and a tank top, sitting at the table with my laptop open in front of me, a glass of white wine beside me.

My Word Doc is open on the screen, but my brain is empty. My phone rings, and I perk up to see Evie’s name flashing across the screen.

“Hey, bestie,” she sings into the phone as soon as I take the call.

“Hey, Evie. Miss me already?”

“Always.” I smile because I can tell she’s smiling on the other end of the phone. “Got home safe?”

“Yup. Thanks for checking in.”

“You’re welcome.” There’s a shuffle on the other end, and I hear a familiar voice calling out. My breath catches in my throat. “Sean says ‘hi’,” Evelyn says after a moment.

“Hmm.” I can feel my cheeks heating up, so I change the topic. “You going to bed?”

“Not yet. But soon. What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to write.”

“Any luck?”

“Nope. But I’ll keep trying.”

“I wish you luck. Talk to you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Evie.”

“Goodnight.” There are three beeps in my ear as the call disconnects, and I set my phone back on the table. If I thought I had no ideas before, there’s no hope for me now. I’ve been trying to get Sean off my mind enough for me to concentrate, but that simple Sean says hi has me spiraling again.

I hit random keys on the keyboard, hoping to spur more words into my head, but it doesn’t work. I hit backspace to clear my notes, and I’m again staring at a blank page. A sigh escapes my lips, and I grab the glass of wine, downing it in one gulp. As the wine works my system, I shut my eyes and give in to my thoughts.

Sometime in the past, when I was sixteen years old, I had made a decision to forget Sean and focus on someone else. At the time, I had finally convinced myself that Sean was never going to notice me, so I set my eyes on another one of Jamie’s friends, Henry.

Henry liked me right back, and I was starting to warm up to him when Sean struck again. We were at a pool party organized by Sean, Jamie, and some of their other friends to celebrate Jamie’s eighteenth birthday. As usual, Henry was by my side, talking and keeping me company. I was having a great time until Sean appeared. He tried to get in between Henry and me by changing our conversation, and when I didn’t let that happen, he picked me up and threw me into the pool.

I was so upset, especially when everyone else found it funny. What exactly was funny about being thrown into the pool in front of your new crush and potential boyfriend? Henry was the perfect gentleman in all this. He jumped in after me, pulled me out, and followed me into the house to change my outfit and get dry. But after that day, he started to avoid me. When I confronted him about it, he told me it was because he didn’t want to get in the way of Sean and me. I still remember how shocked I was at his words. I asked why he would think that, but he never did give me a reason.

I wish he had been the last person who would say that, but over the years, more people continued to say that about Sean and me. He was always teasing and badgering me, giving people the wrong ideas. Which I never really understood. We never dated, and I’m one hundred percent positive he wasn’t attracted to me, but the constant teasing gave people the wrong idea.

I sigh and forcefully corral my thoughts back to reality, with my blank screen in front of me and a deadline looming. I’m afraid that now that Sean is in town, he’ll go back to his usual teasing, and it’ll be impossible for me to concentrate enough to get any work done. I just have to avoid him and make sure we don’t run into each other from this moment on.

Chapter 5

Sean

When I turn onto my street, I slow my run into a walk, my breath coming out in gasps and my heart pumping faster than usual. Despite the fatigue causing my muscles to contract and spasm painfully, I feel invigorated and alive. More alive than I’ve felt in forever.

As I fiddle with my phone to change the music to something a little slower to match my pace, a biker bursts out from the path before me. I flinch and freeze, expecting the flash of a camera and the verbal attack of a silly question, but nothing. The biker swerves, throws me an apology, and speeds down the road without a second glance. Relief pours through me, and I laugh, shaking my head. Although I still get slight flashbacks when there’s sudden movement beside me, I’m getting used to the fact that here in Willow Falls, I’m just Sean O’Connell. Not a rom-com superstar or icon; I’m just your average joe.

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