The Wrong Brother

Chapter Ten—Nova

The evening air felt heavy, as though the summer sun had refused to let go even though it was already dipping below the skyline. I had just finished a walk down the quiet streets of North Wilmore, earbuds in, pretending the outside world wasn’t buzzing with my name tied to Adrian’s. Pretending that I was still just Nova Ashton, ordinary college freshman on break, not… whatever this thing was.

Ariana had gone out with some of her friends, leaving me alone. I wasn’t sure if I liked the silence. It left too much room for thoughts I didn’t want — Adrian’s words replaying, the sparks in my stomach, and the whispers online that made me feel both untouchable and exposed at the same time.

I stepped onto the porch, about to head inside, when I saw him.

Bruno Castellane.

Leaning against a sleek black car like he’d been carved into the twilight. Dark hair combed back, easy smile flashing like nothing between us had been broken. He was dressed in a casual button-down, sleeves rolled up, expensive watch gleaming — as if he wanted me to remember the luxury he represented.

My breath hitched, not because I wanted him, but because my body betrayed me. Once upon a time, that sight had been my everything.

“Nova,” he said smoothly, pushing off the car. His voice was soft, honeyed, carrying the same charm that had once fooled me. “You look… better than I remember.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Cut the crap, Bruno. What are you doing here?”

His smile widened as if my hostility amused him. “I came to see you. Is that such a crime?”

“Yes,” I snapped. “Considering you’ve lost the right to.”

He tsked softly, stepping closer, and I had to fight not to retreat. That was Bruno’s game — make you give ground before you realized you were cornered.

“Nova, come on. Don’t be like this.” His eyes softened, too practiced to be real. “We were good together. You know that. Whatever happened…”

“Whatever happened?” I laughed, sharp and bitter. “You mean you cheating on me with someone I thought was your cousin m?”

For a flicker of a second, his smile faltered, but then it was back, stronger, as if my anger was a hurdle he could leap over. “I made a mistake. I was stupid. And I’ve regretted it every day since. But you… you’re different with him.”

I feigned ignorance. “With who?”

“Adrian.” He said the name like venom, but dressed it in silk. “You think I didn’t see the news, the pictures, the way he parades you around the city?”

Parades. The word stung because it hit too close to what I’d feared.

Bruno leaned in, voice dropping low, intimate. “He’s using you, Nova. That’s what he does. He’s not interested in you… not the way I am. He’s making a point. Hurting me. You’re just the weapon.”

The anger that flared in me burned hot, but under it was something worse — doubt. A whisper of insecurity that I tried to shove down.

“You don’t get to say that,” I hissed. “You don’t get to stand here and pretend you care after the way you threw me away.”

His expression shifted, smooth into sorrowful, like he could conjure regret at will. “I didn’t throw you away. I was scared. You were… too much. Too good for me, and I panicked. But I never stopped wanting you.”

He reached for my hand, and for one reckless moment, I didn’t move. My heart stuttered, memories crashing in — late nights in his car, the way he’d once made me laugh until I cried, the warmth of belonging. Then, just as quickly, the vision of him locking me out when I had wanted closure — the betrayal, the humiliation.

I yanked my hand back. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Nova…”

“No.” My voice shook, but I forced steel into it. “You don’t get to rewrite history. You cheated. You lied. And you left me bleeding while you smiled. Don’t stand here and tell me you want me back just because you can’t stand that your brother treats me better than you ever did.”

For the first time, anger flickered across his face, the smooth mask cracking. His jaw clenched, his tone sharpening.

“Better? Adrian doesn’t do better. He controls. He manipulates. That’s all he knows. And if you think for a second that he’s going to choose you over his own plans, you’re even more naïve than I thought.”

The insult dug deep, but I held my ground. “At least with him, I know where I stand.”

“Do you?” His smile curved again, cruel this time. “Because from where I’m standing, you’re just the flavor of the summer.”

The words stung, hot and humiliating. I opened my mouth to retort, but another voice cut in, low and lethal.

“She’s not yours to talk about.”

I spun, and there he was — Adrian.

Standing at the edge of the driveway, tailored shirt open at the collar, eyes dark as obsidian. He carried authority in every line of his body, quiet and unyielding. His presence filled the air like a storm rolling in.

Bruno’s smirk didn’t falter. “Speak of the devil.”

Adrian moved closer, not rushing, but with the calm surety of someone who knew he would always win. His gaze flicked to me, softening just a fraction, before returning to Bruno with enough cold fire to burn.

“Leave,” Adrian said simply.

Bruno chuckled, shaking his head. “Of course you’d swoop in. Always cleaning up messes. Tell me, brother, do you actually want her, or do you just enjoy taking what’s mine?”

Adrian’s jaw tightened, but his voice stayed even. “She was never yours. You broke her. You don’t get to claim what you ruined.”

The words hit me harder than they should have. Because for once, someone said it plain.

Bruno’s eyes narrowed, venom seeping through the charm. “Careful, Adrian. You play this game, and you’ll regret it.”

Adrian stepped forward, just enough that Bruno had to look up slightly. The tension between them crackled, old wounds resurfacing in the way they stared each other down.

“This isn’t a game,” Adrian said, his voice like granite. “Not for me.”

My chest tightened.

Bruno looked at me then, searching, but I refused to meet his gaze. Whatever spell he had tried to weave, it was broken.

“Fine,” he said at last, stepping back toward his car. “Play house. Pretend this means something. But when he’s done with you, don’t come crawling back.”

The car door slammed, and in seconds, the taillights disappeared down the street, leaving behind silence heavy enough to crush.

I let out a shaky breath, realizing my hands were trembling.

Adrian turned to me, his expression softening. “Are you alright?”

I nodded too quickly. “I’m fine.”

But I wasn’t. Not when his words ‘This isn’t a game, not for me’ echoed louder than Bruno’s venom. Not when standing this close to him made my stomach twist and my knees weak.

I looked up at Adrian, his gaze locked on mine, protective, fierce, and something else that scared me more than Bruno ever could.

Desire.

And the terrifying part?

I wanted it.