Page 10 of Smitten With My Brother's Best Friend
“I don’t know. It was bleeding, but I don’t think it was broken.”
He cracks his knuckles.
“Guess I’ll have to finish the job,” he says menacingly.
“How about no? Like I told Maverick. He has never acted like that before. He was just angry. It’s understandable, and Terry’s a good guy.”
“Fine, but if I see him, I don’t know what I’ll do. He had better be on his way back to New York by now.
Knowing Terry, I highly doubt that. He doesn’t give up that easily, but I hope he stays away. My brother and his best friend aren’t men to be trifled with. Who knows what they would do to him?
“How come you aren’t with your girlfriend? The two of you have been glued together for days.”
Adam smiles. As he always does when Lisa is mentioned. At this point, I’m just waiting for him to propose and for them to get married.
“She had to leave town for a few days. She’ll be back soon. Which means I’m all yours for a while. Movie marathon?” he asks.
“Nice to know, I’m your backup choice. You’re a terrible brother,” I say with a sniff.
It’s a lie. Annoying antics aside, Adam’s a really great brother. We might not be close, but I know if push comes to shove, he’ll always be there for me. Anytime he can, he always makes sure to give me a call. He calls Lisa first, then mom, then me. In Adam’s life, his order of importance is probably, Lisa, then my mom, Maverick, and I are probably on the same level. I used to hate that I wasn’t his favorite person when we were younger, but I’ve made peace with it now. He followed his best friend to the damn Navy. The two of them are like blood brothers. I envy their closeness, but I’m also glad for it. We’re on different paths and always will be.
“You wound me, Tay. You know I love you, right?” he says with a smile.
I step forward and hug him. He plants a kiss on my head.
“I know, and I love you too. Despite the fact that you’re a jerk.”
He chuckles.
“Come on, I’ll get you some ice cream. That’s what girls eat when they go through break-ups right?”
I grin. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”
He stays with me throughout the night, trying his best to comfort me. The problem is that I’m not hurting because of the breakup. I’m confused because of Maverick. I can’t help thinking that I might have hurt his feelings.
*****
Two days later, when my mom asks me to take something to Donna’s house for her, I don’t even complain. I had been looking for an excuse to see Maverick. I drive up to the house, and after taking a deep breath, I walk up to the door. I knock, but noone answers. I do this three more times before getting a little frustrated. Then I turn the knob, and to my surprise, it opens.
“Donna,” I call, walking in.
I spent a lot of time in the house as a child, so I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me coming in. I hear loud music coming from the living room, which explains why no one answered the door. I head there and what I see makes me stop in my tracks.
Shit!
Maverick is there, and he’s doing push-ups. That’s not the problem. The problem is he’s currently shirtless. I am once again subjected to the sight of his bare, muscled chest, and it’s even sexier because he’s working out. A man is not allowed to look that good.
I’m embarrassed to say that I stare for a full five minutes. He’s so focused on his workout that he doesn’t notice me, or at least that’s what I think. Then suddenly, the music stops, and Maverick stands, walking towards me. I stumble back.
“H-ii,” I stammer.
He drops the remote he must have used to switch off the music.
“Hey,” he replies, his voice husky and gravelly, like he just woke up. He’s standing way too close to me.
“My mom asked me to drop this,” I say, my voice coming out tiny and a little shrill.
Maverick smirks.
