Page 16 of Branded Hearts

As she pauses, I can’t help but feel a wave of uncertainty wash over me. What am I doing?

“Are you sure?” she asks, her voice soft and unsure.

“Yeah,” I say, more confident than I feel. I tear my gaze away, my eyes scanning the darkened surroundings.

She sits on the chair beside me, her body swaying slightly. I furrowmy brows deeper as a thought crosses my mind. Has she been drinking? She’s underage—she shouldn’t be.

“You haven’t been drinking, have you?” I ask cautiously.

Amelia’s eyes widen, surprise and embarrassment flickering across her features. “No,” she says quickly, shaking her head. “Neither has Liv. I made sure of it.”

Her response brings a sense of relief, surprising me.

But who am I to lecture her?I think to myself, reflecting on my own past.

I was once the same, influenced by my older brother, Xavier. We did everything together. Whatever he did, I did, too. It’s not my place to tell her what to do, but she’s surrounded by horny, drunk seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds.

“Okay.” I nod, easing up slightly. “Smart move.”

After a moment, she chuckles softly, and I raise a brow at her. “Something funny?”

“That was such a ‘big brother’ thing to say,” she says with a smile.

A comfortable silence settles between us. Yet, her words linger in my mind.

‘Big brother.’

The phrase coming from her lips just sounds... wrong. Is that how she sees me? Like a big brother to her? She should, shouldn’t she?

After all, she’s practically family. There shouldn’t be anything else between us.

But why does that thought disappoint me?

Breaking the silence, she asks, “How was school for you? Besides the obvious,graduating and all. Did you enjoy it? What was your favourite subject?”

“It was alright,” I reply nonchalantly. “I’d say PE was my favourite. I enjoyed playing sports.”

As I talk, her eyes flicker down to my chest, then up to my biceps. My muscles tense in response, and I wonder why I’m so nervous about her admiring my body. I watch as she struggles to catch her breath, the rise and fall of her chest becoming more rapid.

She looks back at me and clears her throat.

“Why are you out here alone? Shouldn’t you be with your girlfriend?” she asks. Huh?

“Girlfriend?” I repeat, puzzled.

“Oh, the girl you were with earlier. Aren’t you two together?”

I shake my head, trying to hide my surprise. “Jennie? Nah, she’s just a friend,” I reply quickly. “Nothing more.”

Despite my attempt at nonchalance, her observation lingers in my mind.

Why did she notice that? Does she think there’s something between me and Jennifer? Or is she just curious?

Either way, the fact that she paid attention enough to ask surprises me.

“I see. Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I just assumed,” she mumbles, looking apologetic. I can’t help but smirk at her reaction.

“No need to apologise. It’s fine.”

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