Page 18 of I'd Never Date my Best Friend's Brother

Her mouth falls open a bit, and her eyes widen. A smile creeps up my face, emboldened by her response, which has her scowling at me again. I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face or the words that fall from my mouth.

“You know I can’t help but fall a little bit more in love with you when you’re angry, right?” The scowl falls from her face as her eyes widen in surprise. “I can’t help but fall in love with you more every day. I am in love with you, Evelyn O’Connell. I think I always have been. I know I’ve been a complete fool, but I promise I will make it up to you.”

My palms start to sweat and my heart pounds against my ribcage. That is not how I intended to tell Evie I’m in love with her, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Just before I walk out of the office, leaving Evie staring at me with a look of utter shock, I wink at her. Her expression doesn’t change, and if anything her mouth gets closer to her desk.

I close the door behind me and slide my phone from my pocket. The bells chime overhead as I walk out of the bakery and dial. The smile on my face expands as I feel just a tiny bit of excitement and terror at what I’m about to agree to.

“Sean. I just told Evie that I love her. What was I thinking?”

“What?!” Jessica shrieks, then claps her hands. What is up with her and the hand clapping? “That’s perfect! Evie needs to know how you feel!”

“You put me on speaker?” I blow out a big breath and shake my head back and forth. My stomach clenching.

“I don’t have any secrets from my bride!” I can hear the smile in his voice. “And Jess is right, you telling her is perfect!”

“Ugh.” I rub my hand up and down my face feeling completely exposed. “So I guess that means I no longer have any secrets from my sister?”

“Nope!” They say together.

“Wonderful.” My attempt to sound angry falls short, and I hear them laugh. “So what is the first part of this plan?”

“You’re in?” Jessica squeaks.

My stomach churns like a volcano as I start to second guess putting my love life in their hands. No one knows Evie better than Jess, and for all of Sean’s quirks, he is pretty good at the whole matchmaking thing.

“Yes, but don’t make me regret it,” I respond, pointing at no one. “I was foolish to leave her like I did. I lost her once; I don’t want to lose Evie a second time.”

“Evie was miserable while you were away, Jamie. She loves you just as much as you love her.”

“Are there no secrets in this family?”

“I’m sure there are—you just don’t know them.” Jessica giggles, and I groan. “Look, Sean and I got the two of you under the mistletoe, right?”

“We’ll set up all the scenarios; you just need to play them right. Got it?” I roll my eyes at Sean and Jessica, finishing each other’s sentences.

What have I gotten myself into?

Then I remind myself that desperate times call for desperate measures and letting Sean and Jessica play matchmaker for me and Evie tells you exactly how desperate I feel.

“Got it.”

Chapter 11

Evie

The wind blows outside, and I am glad I decided to bring a hat and scarf. I can see the ice rink in the distance from the parking lot. Jess sent me a text earlier saying to make sure I was on time. I couldn’t help but laugh because Jessica is usually the late one.

I look at my phone and let out a sigh as I don’t see anyone else here yet; I’m a few minutes early.

I slowly take a deep inhale and exhale, trying to calm my racing heart.

How do I handle things now that Jamie told me he’s in love with me? There was a time that I would’ve died to hear those words from him. So many times before he left, I thought he would say them. Moments that I could see how he felt when he looked at me and at the little things he did for me.

But instead of telling me he loved me, he left me.

“UGH! That man.” I rub my hands up and down my face, making my hat move and messing up my hair. I blow out a breath and will my pounding heart to calm down. I pull down the sun visor to see my reflection.

The eyes staring back at me are not the composed ones of Evelyn O’Connell; they are this new person that I’ve become since Jamie has been back and messing with my emotions. I see a spark of anger flare and I settle into this feeling. Anger is so much easier to handle than the desire to throw myself in Jamie’s arms and kiss him senseless.

---