Page 47 of Crushing On My Brothers BFF

“You’ll like this. It’s the first time I’ve said this publicly.”

“Ooh, Idolike that.” Maxine rubs her hands together. I don’t like the way she’s looking at him. It’s like she thinks he’s a piece of meat for her to drool over. He’s hot as hell, but onlyI’mallowed to drool over him.

“That video didn’t tell the entire story. It doesn’t show me doing what I did before Sophie threw the phone. I told her to do it. She didn’t want to. She tried to fight me on it, but I didn’t give her a choice.”

I glare at him, my mouth falling open. What thehelldoes he think he’s doing?

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Kaleb

I don’t look at my woman. She was so determined to do the right thing, but I can’t let her, can’t hurt Paul, can’t have people seeing our future relationship that way. What am I thinking, a future relationship? Can we ever really have that? If we do, I don’t want this tarnishing it. Or maybe she’s right. Perhaps I shouldn’t care. No, I’m doing the right thing.

“I didn’t hear you say anything,” Jane Larson says.

Is this woman anidiot? Clearly, the answer is yes, as cruel as that might be. This is a much better story for her. Now, she gets to take down the big bad CEO instead of just another woman. Not that I could ever realistically think of Sophie asjust another woman.

“I whispered it to her,” I snap. “I told her to break your phone because you deserved it.”

“No, I won’t let this happen.” Sophie sits up, looking so dignified, so confident. “Kaleb is lying to protect me. The truth is?—”

“Sophie.”

“The truth is,” she continues, looking at me stubbornly, “I’m being blackmailed. Somebody has illegally gotten hold of a silly video I made when I was thirteen. Now, they’re trying to use it against Kaleb and me.”

“I don’t understand,” Maxine says. “What sort of video could do that?”

There’s nothing for me to do. Dammit, my woman is too good. Her heart is too pure.

“I’m Paul Taylor’s sister. That means I saw Kaleb a lot growing up. I…” She looks down, seeming to doubt herself, but then she pushes through it. It’s so impressive because I can see how difficult it is for her. Not that Iwanther to do this. “I had a silly crush on him. Somebody found a video of me talking about the crush. They said they’d show my brother unless I got Kaleb to say it was him, but it wasn’t.”

She stands up, suddenly filled with passion. She looks so fierce, so capable, so experienced despite her age. There’s so much to admire about her in this moment.

“It was me, and I did it becauseshe…” She points a finger at Jane. “… thought she deserved her little brush with fame more than Kaleb deserved to be there for his best friend. We thought he mightdie—my brother—and you didn’t even care. All you wanted was your little video. I bet you hope to get a reality show from all this drama.”

Jane flinches, and I’m sure Sophie has struck a nerve.

“You can make any excuses you want,” Sophie says, “but we both know you were wrong. Try to pull on people’s heartstrings. Sayyou needed it for emotional support or whatever. It’s bullshit. You’re a liar, and you know it.”

Sophie turns and marches off the set. I stand, adjust my cufflinks, nod to Maxine, then turn and follow my woman.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Gwen

“This is so wrong,” I whisper, running my hand softly through Paul’s hair.

He yawns and leans against me, breathing softly. He’s typically got a smile on his face, but he somehow seems more content than usual. It’s the pills, I know that, but it still feels nice.

“You always say that,” he murmurs after a pause.

My body gets stiff like a knife of betrayal has just sliced through me. That’s what it feels like every time I come here. I’ve never told Sophie about my crush on her big brother Paul, all the times I’d dream of him holding me, kissing him—all the times I was over here, watching, praying I could have him.

Then, last year, when I turned nineteen, we ran into each other on a hiking trail. My boyfriend had just broken up with meonthe trail, leaving me to walk back alone. When Paul heard what happened, he left his friends and walked with me. One thing led to another… okay,manyothers.

We’ve been trying to figure out how to tell her for weeks.

“But it is,” I say, kissing his cheek again.

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