Page 35 of Sweet Twins For My Brother's Best Friend

More than I had ever considered it with anyone else.

I had been on the edge of asking him to take me. I’ve been imagining it, and I don’t know how long I can pretend I don’twant it anymore. Even now, having his body against me is shortening my breath.

In the dimly lit room, the weight of Chris's pain hangs heavy in the air. I search for something, anything, that might offer him a semblance of comfort in this moment of heartache.

"Would you like something to drink?" I offer gently, hoping to distract him momentarily from his grief.

He shakes his head, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the walls of the small room. "No, I'm okay," he replies, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Are you sure? I might not know how to cook, but I can mix liquor with mixer,” I joke, squeezing him against me.

He shakes his head without comment. I nod, respecting his silent request for solitude as I remain by his side, offering silent support in the face of his pain.

Minutes pass in silence, the only sound the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional rustle of fabric as Chris shifts. I resist the urge to speak, knowing that sometimes, the greatest comfort comes from simply being present.

Eventually, Chris breaks the silence, his voice barely audible as he speaks.

"I didn't think it would hit me this hard," he admits, his words tinged with regret.

“I never expected to know what happened to Noodle, but I also didn’t expect it to be that she doesn’t even have her anymore.”

My heart aches at his anguish. Even more than that, I’m filled with anger thinking of Julie inflicting this pain on him without care.

"It's okay to feel this way, Chris," I assure him, my voice gentle yet firm. "Noodle meant a lot to you, and it's only natural to grieve her loss."

He nods, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I just wish I could have done more," he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion.

I pet his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” I wait a moment before asking a potentially painful question. “What did she say happened?”

Chris laughs bitterly. “Oh. Noodle was peeing on her floor, so she just…got rid of her.”

“Got rid of her where?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. I guess I should have asked.”

“No, no, that’s okay. I’m sure it was hard to think.”

“Well, that, and she practically ran away from me when we started talking about Noodle.”

He pulls away from me, pulling me into him by my waist. I feel my skin light up at his touch as he does.

“Why didn’t you tell me Julie was in town, by the way?” he asks, looking me right in my eyes, looking to see a hint of deception, I know.

The question catches me off guard, and I feel a knot form in the pit of my stomach.

"What do you mean?”Wrong answer.“No, I’m sorry. I know what you mean. But how did you know?”

A small chuckle escapes his throat. “Hannah, Julie hasn’t been in town in five years, and you reacted like I said I saw Tyler. You saw her, didn’t you?”

Busted. “I did. At a bookstore.”

“So, why didn’t you tell me?”

He pulls me down to sit on his lap. His arms wind around my waist, and he props me up against his shoulder so he can look into my face.

I feel strangely off-guard in his lap, like he could ask me anything and I’d have to tell the truth.

Swallowing, I say hesitantly, “I... I didn't think it was important," finding that I can lie after all, my mind racing to find the right words.

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