Craving the Wrong Brother

Elle has loved Liam for as long as she can remember. He was her first friend, her safest place, her secret dream. Everyone said they were meant to end up together. So did Elle—until the night Liam asked her to help him win another girl’s heart. She smiled, nodded, and pretended it didn’t break her. Because that’s what best friends do. But in the quiet corners of her heartache, someone else started to show up. Aiden—Liam’s older brother. Quiet. Sharp. Intense. He wasn’t warm like Liam. He wasn’t soft. But he noticed. The missed meals. The fake smiles. The way her laughter didn’t quite reach her eyes. Through hushed late-night rides, guarded conversations, and the kind of silence that feels louder than words, Elle finds herself drawn to the boy who was never supposed to be hers. Until the night of Liam’s big confession—when Elle helps him say the words she once wanted to hear. And walks away. But she doesn’t walk alone. Because Aiden follows. “You were never invisible to me,” he says, voice low and certain. “Even when you were looking at Liam… I was the one falling.” And suddenly, every unnoticed gesture makes sense. Every broken piece of her heart—was already being held by someone else. But the real twist? Liam knew. He always knew how Aiden looked at Elle. That’s why he let her go—because sometimes loving someone means giving them to the one who sees them completely.