The WRONG Brother: A Friends to Lovers Romantic Comedy (Love You Forever Book 1)

by Alexis Winter

  I place my arms on the table and lean in. “So, you two seem just as friendly as ever.”

  He offers up a smile and nods. “Why wouldn’t we be? I’m not the one who ran off to St. Louis for three years.”

  I shake my head. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

  “You’re jealous of our friendship. You always have been.”

  I laugh and rub my hands over my face. “What? I am not. I’m just confused is all.”

  “Confused about what?” His dark brows pull together.

  “Last I checked, she was completely in love with you, and you were desperately trying to avoid breaking her heart and having to tell her you don’t love her the way she wants. Is that still the case?”

  He lets out a long breath that causes his cheeks to balloon out. “Pretty much.” He leans in and talks softly so no one overhears. “I love her to death, Calvin. You know that. I just . . . I don’t—no, can’t—I can’t see her as anything other than my best friend. I tried. Today we went to the beach and hung out, and as much as I wanted to see if we could work, I couldn’t. All I see when I look at her is my best friend. Is she beautiful? Yes. Is she hot? Hell yeah. But would I ever touch her?” He shakes his head as he leans back.

  That’s all I needed to know. He doesn’t love her in that way. He’s not going to try to make anything work between them. That’s the permission I needed to not feel bad about checking her out

  “All right, got the darts and the board is ready. Calvin, you get the red ones.” She hands me three red darts. “Preston, you get blue because you’re stupid and think that’s your lucky color.” She hands them over with a breathtaking smile. “And I’m yellow because I’m bright and cheery.” Her smile beams.

  Preston snorts but stands up and gets himself in front of the board. He pulls his arm back and sends the dart flying, but it misses the board completely. Piper giggles and slides into the booth across the table from me.

  “So, what’s been going on in your life, Cal? Any new women I need to hear about?”

  I laugh and pick up my glass, taking a sip. “Nope, still just as single as always.”

  “What’s the holdup?”

  I shrug. “I’m just waiting for the right girl to notice me,” I say, hoping I haven’t given away too much, but she’s been drinking and it flies right over her head. I’m not sure if I’m glad or disappointed.

  “Well, I bet she’ll find you soon and then wonder how she’s overlooked you for so long.” She offers up a smile but it quickly falls away when Preston is back at the table. She grabs her darts and stands to throw.

  We all take turns throwing darts between taking sips of our drinks. I sit back and laugh when Piper makes Preston get up and embarrass himself by dancing stupidly on the dance floor, singing karaoke, and giving random women his phone number. And it’s only women he would have zero interest in.

  “Thanks a lot. Now I’m going to have to change my phone number,” he complains as he sits down and she hands him another shot. He cocks his head to the side. “Are you trying to give me alcohol poisoning again?”

  She lets out an adorable giggle like she has no idea what he’s talking about. “To be fair, I didn’t give it to you the first time. I told you not to drink that homemade shit those guys were giving you on the beach. I mean, it was literally in a Mason jar. Who in their right mind would drink that?” She looks from him, to me, and back. “I want to dance. Who’s volunteering?”

  This is my chance, but is now a good time to make a move? I mean, she’s drunk and still completely in love with Preston. Even if I did reveal my feelings, she’d probably turn me down.

  “Okay, no volunteers, so that means you have to dance with me, Pres. Come on. Let’s go.” She stands up and takes his hand, pulling him to the dance floor as he groans and pleads.

  Almost on cue, the fast, upbeat song turns to a soft, slow one. Instead of walking back to the table, she pulls him against her. I watch as he places his hands softly on her hips. She wraps hers around his neck. He’s looking everywhere but at her while her eyes are locked on his face. There’s a big smile on her lips. I can’t do anything but shake my head and order another glass.

  Why does she do this to herself? Doesn’t she see that she’s only setting herself up for heartbreak? I mean, there’s no way he’s going to let anything happen between them. Maybe this was her plan all along: get him drunk and see where things lead.

  The waitress drops off another glass and I take a sip before looking back over at them. My jaw nearly drops when I see them kissing. It’s not a gross, going-at-it kind of kiss. It’s a soft, slow kiss it seems they’re both enjoying. Anger fills my chest. He just sat here and told me he couldn’t ever let anything happen between them, yet he’s kissing her?

  I want to be mad at both of them, but deep down I can’t. I can’t be angry with her for kissing him in front of me, because she doesn’t know how I feel about her. And I can’t be mad at Preston for kissing her, because he has no clue either. They’re drunk and being stupid. Who’s to say they haven’t done this kind of thing before? Maybe that’s why she can’t get over him. He keeps her dangling—always waiting for him to give her more.

  I pretend I don’t notice their kiss as I finish off the fresh glass I was just handed. When they make their way back over to the table, I stand up. “I really need to get going. I have to leave early in the morning for a late lunch with a client. Mind taking me home?”

  “Yeah, sure,” Preston agrees.

  Piper doesn’t seem happy that I’m ending their drunken time together, but she doesn’t say anything as we walk out. When we get to the car, I hold out my hand and Preston gives me the keys. Piper climbs into the back seat and Preston takes the passenger seat. On the way home, I go a different way so we’ll pass Piper’s house first. That way, I can drop her off before pulling into the drive. That means she won’t have to walk across the street to go home . . . and won’t have any excuse to stick around with Preston.

  I pull up in front of her house and Preston opens his door.

  “You didn’t have to drop me off, Cal. I could’ve walked,” she says as she tries climbing out.

  “It’s fine. You’re drunk. Didn’t want to take the risk of you getting hit by a car while trying to cross the street.”

  She smiles but holds up a middle finger. I hear her say something to Preston softly, but then she walks to the door. Preston climbs back in and we both watch as she walks to the door and steps inside.

  “What was that kiss about?” I ask as I maneuver the car into our driveway across the street.

  He holds up his hands and lets them fall into his lap. “I don’t know, man. Drunken fun is all.”

  I park and hand him the keys. “She still kiss as good as she did in high school?”

  He rolls his eyes. “Better. If I didn’t fear ruining our friendship, I would have gladly left your ass in the bar to screw her in the back seat,” he laughs out and I shake my head as I climb out.

  I’m heading toward the door when he calls out my name and jogs up behind me. “What’s your deal? Why are you acting mad right now? What do you care if we kiss?”

  I take a calming breath and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Because, Preston, I’m the one who’s had to dry her tears every time you’ve turned her down for another girl. She’s your best friend and she loves you. You keep confusing her like this and you will lose her. You either need to step up and be the guy she wants you to be or stop the kissing and innocent flirting so she knows where she stands with you. Either way, I don’t care. Just make up your damn mind already!” I turn to walk into the house, but he grabs my shoulder and spins me around.

  “I’m sorry if us kissing pissed you off, but the truth is, she’s the one girl I’d never let myself have. Excuse me if I can’t resist the temptation every once in a while. I mean, could you? If she threw herself at you, could you resist, or would you reach out and take her already? Huh? I’ve seen the way you look at her, Cal. Som
ething tells me you wouldn’t be able to resist, either.”

  Without another word, he walks past me into the house, slamming the door behind him.

  Six

  PIPER

  My body is tingling and coming alive in ways it never has before. That kiss. I don’t even know how it happened. We were dancing, holding each other close. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Suddenly, he looked up and our eyes locked. The next thing I knew, we were kissing. And it was nothing like our last kiss. The last kiss, when we were 16, was amazing—but this kiss was life-changing. Every hair on my body is still standing on end.

  When he pulled me back to the table, I thought he was going to insist we go someplace where we could be alone—either to tell me he’s always secretly been in love with me or pick up where we left off on the dance floor. But then Calvin wanted to go home, which ruined my evening.

  His tone was short and clipped and his face showed no emotion. He didn’t look mad, but he didn’t look as carefree as before, when we were all playing darts. A part of me wonders if he’s jealous, but that’s absurd. Calvin and I have never been anything more than friends. Sure, we had one kiss back when I was in high school, but I’ve always known it didn’t mean anything. I was upset and crying, so he kissed me. It was a pity kiss and nothing more.

  I’m so confused by Preston and Calvin that I’m nowhere near ready for bed. I’m primed and ready to go; I can’t just curl into a ball and drift off to sleep. I go to the kitchen, pour myself a glass of wine, and take it up to my room. I turn on the TV and flip through the channels until I land on some new game show called Reveal Your Secret. I toss the remote onto the bed and set my wine on the bedside table as I strip down and slide into my pajamas.

  I climb into bed and turn off the light, enjoying my wine while I watch TV. It only takes me a few minutes to catch on to the theme of the show. People have a secret they’ve kept hidden away from the one they love most, and they bring them on the show to finally reveal it.

  I’m watching a woman who’s secretly been in love with her best friend’s husband for years. She tells her best friend, and as you can imagine, it doesn’t go well. As the show continues, I laugh with some, I cry with some, and others are just stupid and pointless. I mean, who cares if you stole a penny candy from the corner market when you were 10? As the credits roll, the announcer gets my attention: “If you have a secret you need to reveal, go to the website at the bottom of your screen. You may just get the chance to reveal your secret!”

  Light bulb! I could take Preston to the show. I could finally tell him the secret I’ve been too afraid to reveal. Wait, let’s think this through. Why tell him this secret on the show when you’ve been too scared to tell him alone? Tonight has definitely changed things, right? I mean, we’ve never kissed before, other than that stupid game. But tonight we kissed on our own. Maybe that kiss was his way of saying, “Hey stupid, I like you!” Going on this show could be the grand gesture I need to prove to him that I’m serious. And once we’re there, I can’t back out. There’s no chance I’ll chicken out this time.

  I grab my computer and go to the website that was promoted on the bottom of the screen. Turns out, the show is filming in Chicago. How perfect is that? I quickly fill in the blanks: name, address, birthdate, and then comes the biggest part of all—the secret.

  I have been secretly in love with my best friend for as long as I can remember. His name is Preston Young and he’s been my best friend since we were five. We did everything together growing up. Preston is fun-loving, sexy, sweet, and of course, a ladies’ man. He’s dated almost everyone in our small hometown. Everyone but me. I’ve had to stand in the shadows for years, watching as every other girl got the one thing I couldn’t have. I’ve gone back and forth wondering if telling him this secret is a good idea or not, but something changed tonight that’s making me lean toward telling him. We shared a drunken kiss! It seems there’s no better time than now. But how will he feel? Will he love me too or will he turn me down? Only time will tell.

  I click the SEND button and push my laptop to the side. Sleep is starting to pull at me and I want nothing more than to give in—let it take me to a place where Preston and I can be together in every way I want.

  I wake in the morning and the hangover I’ve been putting off all weekend is making itself known again. I grab the bottle of Tylenol out of my purse and wash two down. I take a quick shower, not worrying about my appearance since I won’t be doing anything but driving most of the day. I quickly throw my things into my bag, carry it downstairs, and set it by the door. I head toward the kitchen where I smell coffee and breakfast.

  “Good morning. Aren’t you looking a little rough?” Mom says with the sweetest smile as I plop down on the barstool at the island. “Coffee?”

  “Please,” I mumble.

  She shakes her head and rolls her eyes, but eventually goes to pour me a cup of coffee. She sets it in front of me with a plate covered in eggs, bacon, toast, and fresh fruit.

  “Thank you,” I say, wasting no time digging in.

  “How was the weekend with Preston?” she asks, loading the dishwasher.

  “Good. I’m glad we decided to come home at the same time, although I feel like I wasted all weekend and didn’t get to spend any time with you guys. When are you planning on coming into the city?”

  “It’s fine, hon. You know your dad. He avoids the city every chance he gets. Plus, we’ll be having our big Fourth of July cookout soon. You’ll make it back for that, right?”

  “Of course. I never miss it. I wait all year for the Independence Day punch.” I smile at the memory until the thought of alcohol turns my stomach.

  She laughs. “One of these days you’ll settle down.”

  I snort. “Don’t hold your breath.” I push my plate away now that my stomach has decided it doesn’t want food. “I should hit the road before traffic picks up.” I stand and kiss the top of her head while she gently hugs me.

  “Call me when you get home so I know you got back safe.”

  “I will. Love you.”

  “Love you too,” she says just as I’m opening the front door and walking out.

  I toss my bag into the back seat and open the driver’s side door. I glance over at the Youngs’ home, hoping to see Preston one more time. I see his car in the driveway, but Calvin is already gone, and neither of them is outside. I climb behind the wheel to start my drive.

  With the weekend traffic, it takes me almost twice as long to get home, but I finally arrive and I’m more than excited to spend the day lounging around in silence. I take a long, hot bath in my clawfoot bathtub filled with bubbles and oils. I nearly fall asleep, but I force myself to get out and start some laundry for the workweek. I pull on my silky robe and throw all my clothes from my bag into the washer. Once it’s started, I pop a bag of popcorn and grab some water to take to the couch.

  I start a movie, and while the trailers play, I decide to check my email in case work sent me something over the weekend. The first message in my inbox is from Reveal Your Secret.

  What’s that?

  Confused, I click on the email.

  Congratulations! You’ve been chosen to come on our show to reveal your secret! Please respond within 24 hours to set up your taping date.

  What the fuck did I do? I scroll down to where it shows what I sent them. I read over the short paragraph. No! No, no, no, no, no! Why did I do that? Why can’t I remember it? Screw the why. I know why. I was drunk and high off that kiss. That kiss. Holy shit, I nearly forgot about that kiss! Shit. Shit, shit, fuck, damn, shit. Twenty-four hours? I have a day to decide. Clearly, I have to pass on this. I mean, Preston is not in love with me.

  Or is he?

  I can’t decide, so I call Riley, my best friend from work.

  “‘Sup, bitch? How was your weekend?” She sounds happy and cheerful.

  “I fucked up, Riley. I mean, I really fucked up.”

  She giggles. “Let’s hear it.”

&n
bsp; I tell her all about my weekend with Preston since she already knows about my crush. Then I tell her about the kiss and how I drunkenly sent that email to the show and how they’ve somehow decided I’d be a great guest. “What do I do now?”

  “Duh, go on the show!”

  “Seriously? You really think now is the time to tell him how I feel?”

  “Why not? I mean, you guys did kiss. Maybe he feels the same as you but he’s afraid to say it because he’s scared of what it will change between you two.”

  “I know, I thought of that too. But what if he doesn’t feel the same way? It will crush me. Do I really need that televised?”

  She laughs. “Probably not, but I bet you’d end up with a date or two out of it. Guys would see that show and be like, ‘Hey, she’s hot and I’m in Chicago. Let’s look up!’”

  “I don’t know, Riley. This isn’t just some joke. This is my life—and Preston’s life—we’re talking about.”

  “Duh, but at least this way you can’t back out. We both know if you called him right now with the intention of telling him, you’d back out at the last second. Come on, Piper. Do it. You’ve never been a chicken before. Just take that step! Put this to bed already.”

  I take a long breath. She’s right. It’s like a Band-Aid. I just need to rip it off and put it out there. If he doesn’t feel the same, fine. I’ll get over it and move on. But if he does, I’ll finally have everything I’ve ever wanted.

  “Okay, I’m going to do it!”

  She squeals with excitement.

  I hang up the phone and get back to the email, confirming I’d love to be on their show when I reveal my secret. Now that it’s set and done, the nerves kick in. I wonder how long it will take. Now that I’m ready to tell him my secret, I’m not sure how long I can wait. I keep telling myself I’ve waited all these years, so a few more weeks won’t hurt.