Page 9 of Baby For My Ex's Brother

He's always been able to tune out the world when he's gaming. It used to be endearing. Now, it's just another reminder of how different we are—how different our paths have become.

The kitchen feels like a safe haven compared to the living room. The fridge hums softly as I open the door and grab a hard lemonade, the cold bottle a small comfort in my hand. I pop the top, the sound sharp in the quiet apartment, but even that fails to snag his attention.

"Whatever," I mutter under my breath, not sure if I'm more relieved or irritated by his indifference. I guess ignoring me is better than yelling at me.

I take a long swig, letting the tartness sting my tongue, and then decide I've had enough of sharing space with ghosts of my past. Without a backward glance at Chris, I step into the guest room and close the door softly behind me.

I kick off my shoes, sending them skittering across the wooden floor with more force than necessary. They hit the wall with a thud, and I wince at the sound, but it's too late for regrets now. I flop down on the futon, the cushion accepting me in a soft embrace that I'm grateful for.

With my phone in hand, I unlock the screen and start scrolling through social media, the glow illuminating my face in the dim room. It's a mindless activity, one that usually helps me unwind after a long day of feeling like I'm barely treading water—but today, after an underwhelming first day of work, it feels like all I’m doing is swiping past the life updates that scream about everyone else moving forward while I feel stuck in the same place.

Then, amidst the clutter of happy faces and filtered lives, I pause.

There she is—my best friend Nadia, covered in dirt, grinning from ear to ear next to a half-excavated artifact. The lush green of Ireland stretches behind her, and the caption reads:Living the dream at Trinity College! #ArchaeologyLife #DiggingHistory

A pang of longing hits me square in the chest. Nadia is living out her passion, doing what she loves. And here I am, so far from where I hoped I'd be. I can't help but envy her freedom, the way she's embraced her path without looking back.

Chris got me so down that I let my grades slip… and then I missed the deadline to apply with her. I remember her being so mad at me last winter that I’d missed my chance to go to Ireland with her—we’d had so many plans, and I let Chris convince me I wasn’t good enough.

Liam was right all those years ago.

Chris was bad for me.

Looks like you're having the time of your life! So proud of you.

I type quickly, my thumbs tapping against the screen. My comment isn't just a platitude; I mean every word. Despite the twinge of jealousy, I genuinely love seeing my friend succeed.

It's just hard not to compare their highlights to my behind-the-scenes.

The whole situation makes my heart hurt. It's like the world spun on its axis, flinging everyone forward into their futures, and I'm still here, anchored to a life I never wanted. Personal assistant to a billionaire isn’t what I envisioned for myself. The money's good, sure, but money can't buy back lost time or dreams deferred.

And Liam.

God, he was such an asshole today. All business, no pleasantries, his voice sharp enough to slice through steel. Hedoesn't even see me—not really. Just another cog in the machine that is his empire.

But then there's that memory, refusing to be boxed away—a kiss that shouldn't have happened but did. A kiss that lingered longer than it had any right to. Even now, with his jerk behavior fresh in my mind, I can't shake off the sensation of his lips against mine.

It's infuriating.

I've thought of him too often since that single meeting two years ago. And I hate that I remember every detail—the way his eyes darkened, how my heart raced, the heat between us at odds with the snow falling down.

I even had a dream about Liam the very night after Chris and I split up, after crying myself to sleep on Nadia’s sofa. Liam had been between my legs, those dark eyes looking up from the juncture of my thighs, my hands tangled in his thick curls, his tongue—

The shrill ring of my phone slices through the haze of my daydreams, startling me back to reality. The screen flashes Nadia's name, and a swarm of butterflies takes flight in my stomach. I hesitate for a moment, caught between wanting to hear a friendly voice and dreading the inevitable comparison of our lives.

"Hey," I answer after the third ring, my voice betraying none of the turmoil inside.

"Shy! How are you?"

"Surviving," I reply with a half-hearted chuckle. "How's Dublin treating you?"

"Ah, it's amazing here! The city, the history—I feel like I've stepped into another world." Nadia’s excitement is palpable even through the phone, and a genuine smile tugs at my lips.

"Sounds like you're settling in just fine then.”

"Absolutely. But enough about me. Tell me about the new job!" she probes, and there's a note of eagerness in her voice that tells me she's been dying to ask.

"The new job's... interesting," I hedge, not quite ready to dive into the details of working for Liam—the older brother of my ex, the source of my frustration, and the man who kissed me senseless two years ago.

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