In Love With My Half Brother

Chapter Twelve: Grouped for Trouble

If there was one thing worse than a partner assignment—

It was a group one.

“Change of plans,” the teacher said, flipping a page on her clipboard. “You’ll be working in groups of four instead.”

The class reacted instantly.

Groans. Complaints. Whispering.

I barely paid attention—

Until she started reading names.

“Ava Collins… Jason Carter…”

I tensed.

Of course.

“…Liam Brooks… and Chloe Daniels.”

Silence.

Then—

The entire class lost it.

“No way.”

“That group is insane.”

“Did she do that on purpose?”

I slowly turned in my seat.

Jason was already looking at me.

Liam leaned back in his chair like this was entertainment.

And Chloe?

Chloe was smiling.

Of course she was smiling.

“This is a joke,” I muttered.

“Looks real to me,” Jason said calmly.

“I’m not doing this.”

“You are,” he replied. “It’s graded.”

I exhaled sharply and stood up, grabbing my things as the teacher waved us into our groups.

This was going to be a disaster.

We sat around one table.

Too close.

Way too close.

Liam took the seat across from me.

Jason sat beside me.

Chloe?

She didn’t hesitate.

She sat right next to Jason.

Of course she did.

“Perfect,” she said lightly, crossing her legs. “This should be fun.”

“It’s a project,” I said flatly.

“Same thing,” she replied.

Liam chuckled under his breath.

I ignored him.

Jason didn’t say anything—but I felt it.

The slight shift beside me.

The awareness.

“Alright,” I said quickly, pulling the paper forward. “Let’s just pick a topic and get this over with.”

“Or,” Chloe said, leaning slightly toward Jason, “we could actually enjoy it.”

Jason didn’t look at her. “We’ll do the work.”

She smiled anyway.

Like that answer didn’t bother her at all.

It should’ve.

But it didn’t.

“I vote social influence,” Jason said.

“I agree,” I said immediately.

Liam leaned forward slightly. “Same.”

Chloe shrugged. “Fine by me.”

Too easy.

Which meant something was coming.

It always did.

“Okay,” I said, trying to stay focused. “We should split the sections—research, presentation, slides—”

“I can handle presentation,” Chloe cut in.

Of course she could.

“I’ll do research,” Liam added, his eyes briefly flicking to me.

“I’ll help with that,” I said quickly.

Before I could stop myself.

Jason’s pen paused slightly beside me.

Just for a second.

“I’ll do the slides,” he said.

“Then I’ll help you,” Chloe added immediately.

There it was.

I looked down at the paper.

Because I didn’t want to look at them.

Didn’t want to see how close she was sitting.

Didn’t want to notice anything.

“You don’t have to,” Jason said.

“I want to,” Chloe replied smoothly.

Silence.

Liam leaned closer to me.

Not too close.

But enough.

“You always this serious?” he asked quietly.

I glanced at him. “Only when I have to be.”

“Relax a little,” he said. “It’s just an assignment.”

“I like passing.”

He smiled. “Fair.”

Jason shifted slightly beside me.

Again.

Subtle.

But there.

A few minutes passed.

Or at least, I think it did.

Because my focus wasn’t fully on the paper anymore.

It kept drifting.

To the side.

To where Chloe leaned slightly toward Jason, pointing at something on his notebook.

To the way she laughed softly at something he said—

Wait.

Did he say something?

I frowned slightly.

Then looked up.

Liam was watching me.

“You’re distracted,” he said.

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m not,” I repeated.

He leaned back slightly, studying me. “Then prove it.”

I narrowed my eyes. “By doing my work?”

“Exactly.”

I looked back down.

Focused.

Forced myself to focus.

But then—

Chloe’s voice again.

“You’re actually quiet, you know that?” she said to Jason.

“I’ve heard.”

“I think you just don’t talk to the right people.”

I felt something tighten in my chest.

For no reason.

No reason at all.

Jason didn’t answer.

And for some reason—

That bothered me more.

“Hey,” Liam said quietly.

I looked at him.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“I said I’m fine.”

He held my gaze for a second longer than necessary.

Then nodded.

“Alright.”

But he didn’t look convinced.

And that made it worse.

Across the table—

Jason looked up.

Right at me.

Like he’d heard something.

Or noticed something.

Our eyes met.

Just for a second.

Then—

Chloe leaned closer again.

Breaking it.

Of course she did.

“Focus,” I muttered to myself.

“What?” Liam asked.

“Nothing.”

But it wasn’t nothing.

Because now—

Everything felt off.

Too many looks.

Too many moments.

Too much happening at once.

And the worst part?

I didn’t know which part was bothering me more.

Seeing Liam look at me like that—

Or seeing Chloe try to get close to Jason.

The bell rang before I could figure it out.

Chairs scraped.

People stood.

Noise filled the room again.

But our table stayed still for a second longer.

“We’ll meet after school,” Jason said.

“Together?” Chloe asked.

“Yes.”

“I like that,” she said.

I stood up immediately. “We’ll figure out timing later.”

Liam stood too. “I’m free.”

“Good for you,” I muttered.

He smiled slightly.

Jason glanced between us.

Then said nothing.

Which somehow said everything.

As we walked out of class, one thought wouldn’t leave my mind.

This wasn’t just a project.

This was a problem.

Because now it wasn’t just me and Jason.

Or me and Liam.

Or Chloe being annoying.

It was all of us.

Together.

And something about that—

Felt like it was going to make everything worse.

Not better.