Chapter 2 I like you
1225 Words
"Oh my goodness..." Brian rushed towards her. He dropped the bouquet on the table holding both Sierra's hands in his huge ones. "Are you okay? Didn't that hurt?"
Oh... It hurt.
But Sierra was too stunned by his presence to feel pain.
It was then that it clicked as to whose house this was.
It was Brian's.
She was at Brian's house. No, she slept with her best friend, at the house of the person she had had a crush on for almost half her life.
Oh God...
Sierra withdrew her hands from Brian stepping back. "I'm fine." She said quickly when she noticed Brian coming towards her. "I'm fine."
Sierra then turned to leave, but the next words that came out of Brian's lips kept her feet rooted to the floor.
"I like you."
For one endless second, Sierra forgot how to breathe. The kitchen seemed to fall completely silent.
"Huh?" She turned around. "What?"
He what?... liked her? No.
No, he couldn't.
Not after last night.
Not after what she'd seen. Not after she'd slept with his brother..
Brian let out a quiet sigh before running a hand through his messy red hair.
"I know this isn't exactly the best timing."
"Best timing?" Sierra almost laughed.
Was he serious?
She had just woken up naked in William's bed.
Her entire life had exploded before breakfast.
And now the man she'd spent years loving had decided to confess?
Brian stepped closer. "About yesterday..."
His voice softened.
"What you saw..."
Sierra's fingers tightened into a fist.
"I wasn't expecting you to be there."
Yeah...
His jaw flexed. "I'm not gay."
That was... Unexpected.
Sierra blinked. "...Excuse me?"
"I'm bisexual." He held her gaze steadily.
"The guy you saw..."
He paused. "...He's someone I used to see."
The words landed strangely.
Not because he liked men.
But because...
Because he was explaining himself.
To her.
Brian gave a small smile. "It was a dare, and I was obligated to fulfil it."
Sierra forced herself to smile back. "It really isn't my business who you date."
"It became my business," Brian replied quietly, "the moment I realized you walked away."
She frowned.
"I don't understand."
Brian looked directly into her eyes.
"I like you, Sierra."
Her heart skipped.
Three years
Three whole years she'd dreamed about hearing those words.
Now...
Now they felt wrong.
Because somewhere upstairs...
William was still in bed.
...
Twenty-four hours earlier...
"I have nothing to wear!"
A wine-colored dress landed on the growing mountain of rejected clothes.
"No."
A black one followed.
"Too serious."
A cream-colored one.
"No."
Sierra buried both hands in her hair.
"Why do I own so many clothes if none of them work?"
A familiar laugh came from her bedroom door. "I think your wardrobe would like to file a complaint."
She didn't even turn around.
"You weren't even invited," William reminded.
"I know." Now she turned.
William leaned lazily against the doorway with both hands inside his pockets.
White shorts.
Half-buttoned shirt.
Messy dirty-blond hair.
The annoying face she'd seen almost every day for the last ten years.
"My best friend, who so happens to be just my brother, was invited," She smiled sweetly before pointing to herself. "And your best friend happens to be me."
William sighed.
"So naturally, I deserve guest privileges."
"You gave yourself guest privileges."
"Exactly."
"You also invited yourself."
"Exactly."
"And somehow that's my problem?"
"Exactly." She nodded vigorously.
William pinched the bridge of his nose.
Sometimes arguing with Sierra felt like arguing with a lawyer.
A very cute lawyer.
She grinned. "My future husband deserves a proper birthday present."
William froze.
Only for half a second.
Then the smile returned.
"The delusion gets worse every year."
She threw a pillow at him. "It isn't delusion."
"It has a name."
"What? An unhealthy crush."
Sierra ignored him. Instead, she stared back into her wardrobe.
"I need new clothes."
"No."
She hadn't even asked. She didn't have to. William knew her to the point that she thought he could read her mind.
"Fine." She rolled her eyes. Then she stretched her hand towards him. "The invitation."
William stared at her hand.
Then at her face.
"No."
She blinked innocently.
"No?"
"No."
"Please?" She pleaded, but William shook his head. "William..."
No answer. "Liam?"
"...Absolutely not."
She narrowed her eyes.
Then, before he could react...
Her hand disappeared straight into his shorts pocket.
"Sierra!"
"I found it!" She proudly pulled out the elegant black-and-gold invitation.
Their fingers brushed.
William's smile disappeared.
His heartbeat stumbled. She smelled like vanilla.
Always vanilla.
His fingers loosened immediately, almost dropping the card into her palm before taking one quick step backwards.
Too close.
Way too close.
Sierra didn't notice.
She looked down at the invitation with sparkling eyes.
Then...
Without thinking...
She lifted it to her nose.
A tiny smile appeared.
It smelled like Brian. Maybe he'd sprayed his perfume before giving it to his brother.
She liked that smell.
Behind her...
William completely forgot how to breathe.
"Sia."
His voice sounded quieter this time.
She looked up.
"Don't forget Rule Ten."
The smile on her face faded.
Rule Ten.
Never date each other's siblings...
She laughed awkwardly.
"I know."
She tucked the invitation behind her back.
"It's just a tiny crush."
William almost smiled.
Tiny.
Right.
She'd only loved Brian since she was seventeen.
He'd watched every single year.
Watched her smile whenever Brian entered a room.
Watched her cry whenever Brian ignored her.
Watched himself lose without ever competing.
"Anyway..."
She waved both hands dramatically.
"Go away."
"I have to become irresistible."
"You already think you are."
"I know."
William chuckled despite himself.
He headed toward the door.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow. Seven?"
"Seven." Sierra nodded. "I won't oversleep." A small smile appeared on her lips. "I've waited years for tomorrow."
That sentence hurt him far more than she realized.
Just before opening the door, William remembered something.
"Any update on those job applications?"
She shook her head.
"No."
Another rejection.
Then another.
And another.
"I applied to companies in your city too."
She didn't tell him which one.
That was a surprise.
"I figured I'd try my luck there."
William nodded once."I'll ask around."
Sierra stared at him, a smile dangling on her lips. "I seriously don't deserve you."
William looked at her for a second longer than he should have.
No.
You don't.
But I'd still choose you.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Instead, he only smiled.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
...
The ballroom glittered beneath thousands of crystal lights.
Music thundered through expensive speakers.
Champagne flowed like water.
Everywhere Sierra looked... She noticed the same things. Power, money, and luxury.
Exactly what she'd imagined the future CEO's birthday would look like.
Her fingers smoothed invisible wrinkles from her wine-colored dress.
Tonight.
Everything would change.
William had disappeared to greet business partners.
For the first time all evening...
She was alone.
Perfect.
She searched the crowd. Then she found him.
Brian Twist.
Time stopped.
His red hair caught the lights beautifully.
His smile was effortless.
Every woman nearby watched him.
Sierra understood why.
He looked... Perfect.
Then he turned slightly.
The smile on her face froze when she saw it.
A bright red lipstick stain, high on his neck.
It looked... Fresh.
The smile slowly disappeared from Sierra's face.
Something inside her...
Cracked.
- Writer
