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30. Close But Not Close Enough
Last Updated:
2025-02-10 01:15:15
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Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 31. The Unexpected Distraction
Steph’s POV: “Ugh, why is it so hot?” Stella complained, combing her fingers through her hair, then getting back to the plate of tacos, Beck had just ordered for her. “Tell me about it.” I said. It wasn't just the heat. They had woken me up early in the morning to get dressed for this darn match, and my nerves were on edge today. The thought of seeing him after three years brought a pang of anxiety. My mind used to not be in my control when it came to him. I didn't want him to have that power over me again. I just needed to stop overthinking. I turned over to look at Lucy and Sarah. They were busy giggling away at a joke Zach, Beck's friend, had cracked. Zach, Stephen and Jeremy were Beck’s closest friends and they had hit it off with Lucy and Sarah immediately. “There's a party at the Moose's club. What do you say? You wanna join me after this? Zach asked Lucy. “I'd love to.” Lucy replied excitedly. I smiled at her enthusiasm. With how busy and mon
Last Updated : 2025-02-11Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 32. The Lockwood effect
Steph's POV: I rushed out through the sliding door, escaping the ensuing chaos that had taken over the basketball court. I could hear the constant clicking of cameras as the lights flashed behind the translucent sliding doors. “Mr Lockwood you seemed to be momentarily distracted, can you take us through what was going through your mind during that period?” I heard the shrill voice of a woman behind the closed door. I grabbed my hair in frustration pulling on them. Damn these reporters! They don't miss a thing do they? I snap my head back when I hear the screeching sound of the sliding door, only to find Beck rushing out of there after me. I have a sigh of relief. “Why are you here?” I look up at him in annoyance. “I came to look for you. Why did you suddenly rush out? You alright?” I could tell he was asking out of genuine concern so I tried to calm myself down a little. “Yea, no I'm okay, it just felt a little too stuffy in t
Last Updated : 2025-02-12Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 33. Collision Course
Steph's POV: “No, Zach's a really nice guy, I enjoyed myself with him.” I could hear Lucy's muffled voice in the living room. “Well obviously, he's the extravagant spoiled brat of a rich father. And a complete palyboy. I wonder how he's a basketball fan.” Sarah explained to Lucy the hundredth time why she shouldn't waste her time on Zach anymore. It had been three days and the name of that God forsaken match would still come up in one conversation or the other. I had tried very hard to not go to town on anyone. If the match and the Brian Lockwood talk began to get to my nerves, I would simply get up and leave the room. So far, everything seemed to be quite serene and I liked it that way. “Steph, we're going scrub shopping, wanna join us?” Stella popped into my room with some beetroot juice in her hand. Stella had suddenly come up with a “getting fit regiment” for herself, out of the blue. Saying she wanted to look better, apparently. But all I was seeing
Last Updated : 2025-02-13Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 34. Not The Same
Steph's Pov “So-” Beck opens his mouth to say a word but I cut him off. "Not now, Beck. I really can't right now." My voice comes out sharper than I intended, but he gets the message. His lips press into a thin line, and he nods, choosing silence over whatever he was about to say. My thoughts are relentless, clawing their way through my mind like a beast with no cage. I had gotten out of this situation once, but what if it happened again? What if it became a pattern? I just wanted peace. I wanted my life back, the one that didn’t include second-guessing my worth every time he decided I was convenient enough to chase. "It'll burst," Beck says, his voice interrupting my downward spiral. I blink at him, my brows furrowing. "What?" "Your brain," he clarifies with a smirk. "It'll burst with all this thinking. And you'll lose your fingers with all that twisting." I follow his gaze to my hands and realize he’s right. My fingers are tangled together, twisting and pulling, and
Last Updated : 2025-02-14Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 35. Hook or by Crook
Brian's POV I tied my laces tight in one swift move, getting ready for the practice match coach had assembled all of us for. Our coach was known for his devilish bark that he used to intimidate the opposing team members, but when it came to his own team, specifically me, he hyped you up so much, you'd feel bad for not doing well. “Here comes my Captain! Here comes my man. Now I know sometimes things get in the way, we end up getting distracted somehow or the other, very natural, happens to most of us,” whenever he began his speech this way, it meant it was a warning and that if the same mistake was repeated you were in for it. He began to whisper into my ear, like we were brothers, who'd been sharing secrets all our lives, “It's not you, it's these boys I don't trust. Which is why we really can't afford a distraction episode like the one in a previous match. Right, right.” He said, patting my chest with the back of his hand. “I know I can count on you, my man!” I was confiden
Last Updated : 2025-02-15Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 36. A Recipe for Disaster
Steph's POV “At this rate I'm never going to pass Mitchell's class.” Rebecca, a geeky girl in our class, complained, throwing her head in her hands. Mitchell had just left class finishing off his lecture, handing another assignment to us. “No, I'm being for real, they expect us to volunteer for fifty different community hours and do academically well too. I'm sorry but then I need days to be thirty six hours long.” Rebecca pulled her hair in frustration. “Is it the upcoming football league volunteering that's stressing you out?” Lucy asked, offering Rebecca some water to help calm her down. “See that's the thing, I know it's absolutely important. There are going to be famous people around, if even one of them recommended me, or gave me shout-out on social media, I could make it big. But at the same time, it'll be so time consuming. When am I supposed to study?” “Girl, you'll do well, like you do every time. Besides, think about the fact that you get to be around sexy baske
Last Updated : 2025-02-16Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 37. The Game Begins
Steph's Pov The day had arrived. The atmosphere buzzed with energy, a mix of excitement and nerves hanging heavy in the air as the university’s football league event officially began. The gymnasium-turned-stadium echoed with the rhythmic sounds of sneakers squeaking against the polished wooden floor, the distant chatter of enthusiastic spectators filling the background. I walked into the main hall with my volunteer badge hanging around my neck, my fingers absentmindedly tracing its edges. The scent of freshly polished floors, sweat, and faint cologne from passing players assaulted my senses. I tightened my grip on my clipboard, mentally preparing myself for what was about to come. Keep it professional, Stephanie. The thought replayed in my mind like a mantra, though my heart had other plans, hammering against my ribs in anticipation—or maybe dread. I knew what I had to do: check the players’ vitals, ensure they were fit for the game, and keep my head down. But my luck had
Last Updated : 2025-02-17Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 38. A confrontation
Steph's POV Brian's team had won, but for me, the night was far from over. After the game, the stadium buzzed with post-match energy—audience cheering, players celebrating, and music blaring over the speakers. Rebecca was busy chatting with some team members, Lucy and Sarah were taking pictures with the winning players, and I, well… I just wanted to disappear. I had done my job. My volunteer duties were over. There was no reason for me to stay. But the moment I stepped into the quieter hall leading to the exit, I felt it. That presence. A shift in the air, like a predator closing in on its prey. I knew before I even turned around. Brian Lockwood. My body stiffened as his deep voice cut through the distance between us. “You’re still running, Hudson?” I closed my eyes for a brief second, inhaling sharply before turning to face him. He leaned against the wall casually, arms crossed over his chest, that familiar smirk playing on his lips. But his eyes—dark, intense—
Last Updated : 2025-02-19
Latest chapter
Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 63. Not Ready
Steph's Pov The previous week had been quite eventful, and now that things had settled down, Simon had left, the volunteer program had ended I was ready to settle down and get back into by routine and study. Studying came like second nature to me. I felt most relaxed and like myself when I studied. I slicked back my hair into a ponytail, pulled on a flannel shirt to class today. The day flew by, and in just one day I had a load of five different assignments to be submitted just this week. I sat at the cafeteria working on some practice questions while the girls went to grab some food. “D'you want something Steffie Bear?” Stella asked. “Yes please a glazed doughnut and some cold coffee would be great.” I returned back to my practice questions immediately, if I needed to stay on top of things, I couldn't afford to waste even a single moment. “Well hello there, with your nose in a book.” I heard a familiar voice and smiled. It
Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 62. The Treat
Steph's Pov “Order away friends, this broke friend of yours brought you to a place that serves delicious meals at cheap prices, so order away, it's my treat.” I had brought Simon, Rita and the girls to Mr Burger, a local fast food restaurant. The girls and I would often come to this place, to celebrate our short wins like, acing Mitchell's quizes, which to be fair weren't that small of a quest. As I placed the order, the girls took Rita, towards the photo booth, to take some cute pictures. “Hey, can we talk?” I heard Simon ask. Uh oh, here we go again. Whenever Simon asked me, before actually asking the question, it always meant trouble. It meant one of us was going to get mad at the other and the day would be ruined. And I didn't want today to be ruined, because it was our last day together. Last family time, until I don't know when we'll get to see each other again like this. I took in a deep breath and braced myself. It's ok Steph, we'll try to remain as calm a
Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 61. The Final Match
Steph's Pov The day of the final match rolled in. I couldn't believe this league was coming to an end. As much of a relief as it was, I probably wouldn't have excuses to stick by Brian anymore. Coincidentally, the final match was between Omega and Inferno. Yet again I did not know which team to root for. All I could do was pray no one got severely injured, although that sounded very hard considering that it was the last day. They'd probably plot on giving their lives up but not losing. As Omega's nurse I had checked each one of them thoroughly, to make sure they were fit enough to live up to their potential today. I had checked their vital signs, evaluated theiruacles, joints and ligaments for any signs of strains, sprains or injury. Not only that, the night before the match I had shown up at Simon's hotel door too, to inspect him. I dropped pain relievers, anti-inflammatory medicines and warm compresses at his place, and made him stretch right in front of
Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 60. The Gift
Steph's Pov I slowly tugged on the golden ribbon of the box to untangle the gift wrap. I found a black velvet box inside. I looked at Brian, unsure, but his eyes encouraged me to open the box. I took in a deep breath and slowly opened the box, as my curiosity piqued. It revealed a beautiful silver necklace with a small, delicate pendant."I wanted to get you something special," Brian said, his voice filled with emotion. "Something that would remind you of...of what we shared.”I narrowed my eyes as confusion etched onto my face. "What do you mean?”Brian scooted closer taking my hand in his, "I went back to the hospital, Steph. I asked them if they still had the records from...from when you were expecting.” The second, he said it, the necklace began to feel very heavy in my hands. Tears began to well up in my eyes, falling into the necklace. "Why would you do that?" I whispered."Because I wanted to honor what we had," Brian replied, his voice cracking. "I wanted to h
Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 59. The Birthday
Steph's Pov “Steffie Bear, you still have time to inform me, if you want something in particular for your twenty-second birthday.” Lucy hugged me and asked while rocking me. “Luce, I swear I hate this name so much and second, no I promise, I do not want anything for my birthday, I don't want y'all, wasting your time, worrying about my birthday gift. We have RN’s to prepare for and hospital duties to perform.” I said to all three of them. As soon as September had rolled in, I knew they were up to something. My birthday was in the second week of September but we also had exams in the first week of December. “Jesus, grandma, live a little, you're turning twenty two, it's supposed to be young and fun.” Sarah said. I wanted to. I wanted to live and enjoy life, but honestly, I had lost the will, I’d busied myself enough to get through the daily mandatory chores, without overthinking. Besides, I knew the girls wouldn't let me sit quietly in the apartm
Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 58. The Store Room
Steph's Pov I rushed down the hospital corridor, a stack of files clutched tightly in my arms. As a nurse, I was no stranger to the chaos of hospital life, but today felt particularly hectic. I had stayed up all night preparing for the Registered Nurse exam and had rushed to the hospital for my long shift on the ward. All night I had been running around, doing errands for the senior nurses, bringing food for them. Then I was also asked to stay up at night and keep an eye for them while they went to bed at eleven and woke up at six in the morning. So, I was looking forward to handing the stack of files at the nursing desk and taking a well deserved break when I felt a sudden pull, and before I knew it, I was being dragged into the storage room. The door slammed shut behind me, and I found myself face to face with the last person I expected to see – Brian. My heart skipped a beat as I stared at him, my mind racing as he held me in his arms. What was h
Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 57. Decisions
Steph's Pov I pull my hand away from his. It burns where his hand had been. However, we're still sitting quite close to each other on the couch, so close that our knees are touching. “Is there no way for me to fix this?” he says, as his eyebrows scrunch up. I can tell he's trying to stop himself from crying and my heart goes out to him. I wipe his eyes with my thumb, shaking my head. I wish I could answer his question, but neither do I have the answer, nor do I have any energy left in me. I watch him run his long fingers through his hair, in agitation. He then picks up the bottle of alcohol from the centre table and takes another swig from it. How has he not passed out from so much alcohol, I think to myself. A searing pain rushes to my head, maybe I could do with a little alcohol too. So I take, the bottle from his hand and put my mouth to it. When he sees me, he tries to pull it away from me. “So, you're the only one who can get drunk?” I ask him and he slowly
Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 56. The Emergency
I call for an Uber and rush outside, my phone vibrates against my palm, notifying me of a text. It's from Kevin, Brian's team mate. I didn't know what exactly was happening, but Kevin had begged me to hurry up and come to the texted address, as Brian really wasn't okay. I kept hearing sounds of things breaking in the background. At first, I was afraid Kevin was hurt, but he had assured me that was not the case. 786, Oaks street. The text read. I immediately entered the address on Google maps, it said, it was a ten minute drive. I explained the address to the driver. My hands were shivering slightly with all the panic. I hoped Brian was okay. He had always managed to hurt me, but my heart still couldn't bear seeing him in pain. I had received two texts from Beck too. Please keep me updated And if you need any help, do not hesitate before calling me Steph.He'd called me Steph, not Hudson. That showed how concerned he was. Honestly I didn't like leavin
Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not 55. At Your Service
Steph's POV I walked out of my dorm building, taking determined steps towards my Uber ride that I had called for. The clickety-clack of my heels, added to my confidence, which I was very much in need of today. I had woken up early today, meditated and convinced myself that this was going to be easy. At the back of my head, I knew, even if it wasn't easy it had to be done. My Uber ride stopped in front of a brown, ruggedy stoned building. I took in a deep breath and got out. Beck’s father asked him to attend court cases with him in the afternoon to help him. We had planned to sneak out together, the second the trial ended. Beck needed an escape from his tyrannical father, and I needed a favour from Beck, a huge one too. I walked inside the trial room and quietly found a seat for myself in the fourth row. Beck sat next to his very serious and stern looking father in the first row. Beck looked really attractive in his formal attire, taking down notes att
