Twenty
943 Words
Marissa
A heavy silence settled in the room.
Stunned, Brian sat frozen. His blank stare shifted as he realized what I was talking about.
"I don’t understand."
"That makes two of us," I muttered . "I found out at the festival. The moment I saw him, the bond slammed into me. I felt everything. But something is wrong."
He leaned closer. "What do you mean?"
"He refuses to acknowledge it," I sighed, frustrated. "He won't reject me either. It’s like the bond doesn't exist for him.”
Brian’s fists crashed against the table, rattling the dishes. A glass nearly tipped over. He shoved back his chair, pacing like a caged wolf, barely keeping his anger contained.
"Why the hell didn’t you say something sooner?" he snapped.
"Because I needed to be sure!" I shot back. "And because I didn’t want to humiliate myself! Can you imagine if I confronted him and he dismissed me? That would be worse than rejection."
He stopped pacing for a moment, exhaling sharply, as if forcing himself to think.
"But now you’re sure? You really believe he can't feel it?”
"I don’t know,” I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "His sister is the one acting like I’m her mate."
"That’s f****d up," he said without hesitation.
I let out a dry laugh. "Tell me about it."
Silence stretched between us. Brian dropped back into his seat, his voice quieter now.
"You should confront him. Demand answers. Or we could involve Dad."
"Absolutely not." I pointed a finger at him.
Brian raised an eyebrow, daring me to explain.
"He’ll twist this into a business deal just to get on their good side. Justin might be avoiding this because he doesn’t want to be tied to a failing pack."
"That doesn’t even make sense," Brian snapped. "Who rejects a bond? Who in their right mind would do that? The bond is f*****g powerful. I feel it every day with Sydney. I could never reject her, no matter what crap people say about her being an Omega."
"There’s something else," I said quietly. "He’s getting married."
Brian’s body went rigid, disbelief shadowing his face.
"What?"
"In less than two months."
I saw the sympathy flicker across his eyes. "Why does everything keep happening to you?" He counted on his fingers. "First, Alan, your high school boyfriend, cheats with your best friend. And now your mate is marrying someone else?"
"Go ahead, rub it in," I said, forcing out a bitter laugh.
It cracked.
I swallowed hard, but the lump in my throat refused to go away. The tears came before I could stop them.
Brian swore under his breath and crossed the room in an instant, wrapping his arms around me in a fierce hug.
"We’ll fix this. We’ll find a way. I swear."
"Time is running out," I said , my voice muffled against his shirt. “I'll be twenty-six. If he rejects me… who will want me?"
Brian pulled back, gripping my shoulders, sincerity blazing in his eyes.
"Listen to me, sis. Even if it’s not the love you want, I love you. And I would die for you. Do you understand?"
________
I cried until no more tears came, then wiped my face. I hated crying. It made me feel weak, but I needed to let it out.
Brian held my hand, watching me. I met his gaze. "You can't tell anyone about this, not even Sydney."
He groaned. "Why? People should know. It would force Justin to act—at least acknowledge the bond."
I pulled my hand away. "Dad and Lilith are greedy. If they find out, they'll be halfway to the Lycan pack before I can blink, shouting it from the rooftops."
He grimaced. "Damn, you're right."
I stood and moved to the window. "I need to handle this myself. I'd rather Justin say nothing than reject me, and I—"
A noise from inside the house cut me off. My pulse pounded. I turned toward the door as Brian stiffened, his body tense. We exchanged glances. He lifted a finger to his lips, signaling me to stay quiet.
Moving carefully, he stepped to the door and eased it open. A moment later, he turned back and shook his head. "No one's there."
"Are you sure?" I whispered.
He nodded, checking outside before peeking through the window. "Her car is in the parking lot."
Our eyes met, and almost at the same time, we smirked.
"Look how paranoid we got," Brian grinned, shaking his head, and I snorted.
"Can you blame us? Your father's wife lives for gossip."
That night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. My stepmother had returned, but my dad was nowhere to be seen. If he had come back, he would have already knocked on my door, pressing for information.
I turned onto my side, pulling the blanket to my chin. Sleep refused to come. My mind was restless, stuck on one person.
His voice, his eyes. That sharp stare. The way he hovered over my desk, his breath warming my neck. The brief brush of his fingers against mine when handing me a file. The way he had looked at me in the sports bar. That kiss in the parking lot. The heat of his mouth on mine.
"This is stupid ," I muttered, pressing a pillow against my face.
I hated missing him.
He wasn’t even good for me. Cold, detached, engaged to another woman. Yet here I was, stuck in my head like some lovesick fool.
I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling again.
Monday couldn't come fast enough.
- Writer
