Page 11 of Loving My Brother's Best Friend

NATALIE

Iarrive at Micomonicos at 6:50 pm, and the host, dressed in all black, leads me over to the table. The place is incredibly familiar—I worked here for a whopping five weeks about six years ago—but thankfully, the staff has entirely turned over, and no one recognizes me.

Our table is in the center of the dining room, surrounded by dozens of other tables, all with a single burning candle in the center. The chatter of the other diners is soft, and the lights are low. Very romantic, indeed.

I’d gone with a sheath dress, midnight black and form-fitting. I even opted for contacts so he could see how careful I was with my makeup. As soon as I sit, my phone buzzes with a text.

Ethan: I'll be five minutes late. Stuck in traffic. Order whatever expensive wine you want as an apology. See you soon.

I sigh and put the phone back in my purse, signaling a server. It's totally understandable. Boston traffic is a nightmare, but I'm just so anxious to see him.

The wine gets delivered, and I'm in the middle of a sip when someone sits across from me. The glass obscures my vision at first, so I assume it’s Ethan, and I smile as I set the glass down.

That smile dies the second I recognize Jason. Holy shit. He must have followed me.

He leans forward, resting his forearms on the table. I try to sit back to get more distance from him, but it's pointless. One wrong move, and I'm going to make a scene because anything is preferable to being near him.

"Natalie."

I swallow. "Jason. How did you even find me?"

His lips curl up in a smile. It makes me uncomfortable because he seems too calm. I'm looking around, wondering where the staff are, but he grabs my hands before I can get up. "Don't you miss me, babe? You've been avoiding me all this time."

I want to retort, but his hands tighten. "You're hurting me," I say softly. He looks down and releases me.

"I just want to talk," he insists, "but you keep ignoring me. I thought I'd show up and see what was going on." He leans back, studying me. "I saw him leave your place this morning. That prick from last night."

My eyes narrow. "That's none of your business. Get the hell out of here."

"It is my business! We had a connection! We had a relationship!" He's shouting now. A couple of the other tables look over. "You didn't want to give me a second chance, but now you'll give it to that guy?"

Before I can respond, a hand lands on Jason's shoulder, and he freezes. I look up, relief pouring over me when I see Ethan's face, even if it is contorted in anger. His fingers tighten, and I see Jason flinch.

"I think it's time for you to leave." Ethan's voice is calm. Quiet. Dangerous.

"It's none of your business." Jason's jaw is set, his hands clenched into fists on the table.

"I'm making it my business. If you don't walk out the door in five seconds, I'll personally drag your ass to the police station and file a restraining order."

Jason doesn't respond, his gaze flicking over to me. I try to keep my expression even, but I'm terrified he'll lash out, and it feels like all eyes are on us now. "Four cameras on you, asshole," I whisper, glancing around, and I see several phones pointed at Jason, recording him. The color drains from his face, and he slowly gets to his feet. Jason turns to leave, but before he can, Ethan grabs his shoulder again, his voice low and ominous. "Apologize to Natalie. Now."

His grip tightens, and Jason winces. "Fine. Natalie, I'm sorry," he mumbles.

Ethan squeezes even harder. "Like you fucking mean it."

I can't believe it, but my heart warms. Ethan has never looked so protective, so scary, or so hot.

"I'm sorry!" Jason blurts, pulling away and leaving. I exhale as soon as he's out the door. The room returns to its former quiet murmur. I see Ethan's jaw is still tense, and I stand, going up to him and resting my hand on his arm. His muscles relax beneath my touch, and he pulls me into a hug, kissing my forehead. Never has a man stuck up for me like this ever, and knowing it's my Ethan, my childhood friend, my forever crush, has me reeling.

I feel hot all over, and even just the gentle touch of his lips on my forehead has me coming undone.

I grab his hand, pulling him towards the back of the restaurant. "Follow me." He doesn't question it. His fingers squeeze mine as we duck into a side hallway used for storage. There's a coat room in the back of the hallway that wasn't used when I worked here six years ago, and must be basically abandoned now.

It's the perfect place to show him my appreciation because my mind isn't on dinner anymore. It's on Ethan, and there's no way in hell I can wait until we're back at my place to show him how much he means to me.

Nearly kicking the coat room door down, I drag him inside and shut us in. As soon as the door clicks shut, I’m on him, kissing him like I’m starving, and he’s the only sustenance I need.

"You're insane," he laughs against my lips but doesn't pull away.

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