When My Ex Cheated, My Brother Confessed

Chapter 2

The next day, I headed back to the Calder residence for lunch, and I stood frozen in front of my wardrobe for ages.

That blue dress was still hanging there. Three years ago, I'd worn it to treat Reese to dinner, paying the bill with my very first paycheck. But when he showed up at the restaurant, he'd brought his mom with him.

That night, she asked me what kind of person I liked. My eyes drifted automatically to Reese, who was refilling my water glass at the time. He just said I'd find someone who was right for me.

After that, every time I tried to ask him out, he always had some excuse to turn me down. Until that night, when he turned down the hot soup I'd saved for him yet again.

"We're never going to happen. If you've got those kinds of feelings for me, you should leave."

That night, his words crumpled my pride and my silly little crush into dust. I locked myself in my room and cried for so long. So long that the sun was already peeking over the horizon when I finally stopped.

That was when Arlan started pursuing me. He waited for me to get off work in the pouring rain, brought me little gifts, and put up with all my messy moods. He gave my fluttering, heartbroken self a safe place to land.

When I first said yes to dating him, I really was just trying to get over Reese. But as time went on, I'd seriously thought about marrying him, too.

Three weeks after I brought Arlan home to meet the Calders, Reese left for Boston.

Before he left, he hugged his mom, then told me to take care from across his rolling suitcase. I still remember that ice-cold look in his eyes clear as day.

Even now, when I think back on it, a sharp, sour ache bubbles up in my chest.

I slammed the wardrobe shut and pulled on a plain, ordinary sweater instead.

Reese was the one who answered the door, and his gaze lingered on my face for a couple of beats.

"Sleep well last night?"

"Yeah, pretty well."

Truth was, I'd barely slept a wink. Before he'd left my place the night before, he'd washed out his coffee mug and even unplugged the toaster oven.

One tiny trace of him in my kitchen was all it took to send my mind spiraling into a million what-ifs. I hated how useless I was. Even after three whole years, one look at him still made my heart race out of control.

I hung my coat on the rack, noticed Reese's hand hovering mid-air, and gave him a polite, distant smile.

After lunch, I reached for the plates to clear them. Reese plucked them right out of my hand, then stacked the other one on top.

"Leave those. Don't get your wound wet."

He rolled up his sleeves and stepped in front of the sink. I was rummaging for a dish towel nearby when he nudged a chair out toward me with his elbow.

"Sit down for a bit. I've got this, no need for you to help."

I had no choice but to sit, watching water trickle down his wrist and soak into the edge of his cuff.

Back in the day, I'd daydreamed about this exact scene all the time: the two of us in the same kitchen, him washing dishes while I rambled to him about my day.

"Your sleeve's getting wet," I said.

He glanced down, his hands covered in soapy suds. I stood up to roll the cuff higher for him, and my fingers brushed against his warm skin.

The fine hairs on his arm stood straight up. The splash of the running water faded into the background, and all I could hear was our breathing, loud and clear.

I snatched my hand back immediately when Mrs. Calder walked in.

She draped a soft shawl over my shoulders and smiled. "Now that your brother is back, there's someone to look out for you. That takes a weight off my mind."

I dropped my head and pulled the shawl tighter around me.

'Right. Brother. He was just my brother.'

That was the unshakable truth, and it tasted like bitter ash in my mouth.

"You should come for dinner next Saturday," she said, turning to Reese. "My friend's daughter is coming over. I want to introduce you two. Aura, you come too, okay? Help your brother vet his future girlfriend."

Reese shut off the tap. "Why didn't you talk to me about this first?"

"Oh, it's just a dinner, no one's making you walk down the aisle tomorrow."

When I heard that, my chest squeezed so tight I could barely breathe.

He didn't come back for me. I didn't even know what stupid little thing I'd been holding out hope for. All I wanted right then was to bolt straight back to my own apartment.

"I think I'll skip that."

Mrs. Calder looked slightly surprised. "Do you have to work on Saturday?"

"No." I paused for a beat. "I'm really not the best person to help him pick a girlfriend."

She was about to say more, but Reese had already pulled off his rubber gloves.

"I'll talk to you about this myself later."

Hearing his answer, I spun on my heel and walked out of the kitchen right away. He didn't turn the idea down. That meant he actually wanted to meet that girl.

I didn't stay to watch the movie like we'd planned. Before I left, Mrs. Calder packed me a box of pastries. I gave her a quick hug like I always did, pointedly ignoring Reese.

Reese followed me right to the front door. "I'll drive you home."

"I already called an Uber."

"You've been avoiding me all day."

My hand froze mid-way through buttoning my coat. The question had been sitting heavy on my tongue for years, sharp and bitter. I'd replayed that line a hundred times in my head, but when it finally came out, it was barely a whisper.

"Isn't this exactly what you wanted from me back then?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His ears flushed bright red all the way to the tips.

Honk! A car horn blared from the curb outside. I walked straight past him without waiting another second.

Once the car pulled out of the intersection, my phone lit up. He'd texted me, asking if I still needed an extra pair of hands at the studio on Sunday.

I'd mentioned over dinner last night that my coworker had sprained her ankle, so we might need to find someone else to help move the exhibits on Sunday.

I stared at his text for what felt like forever, then typed back only one line.

Aura: No need to trouble yourself. I've got it covered.