All Chapters of My Best Friend's Brother : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

~Aaron~“Where are they?” I asked, following the officer, who happened to be one of my acquaintances. He shook his head at my impatience as he led the way.I had arrived in Spain a few hours ago, and it was still quite early in the morning. After signing the bail papers—for both girls, of course. Not like I’d leave Joan here, knowing full well she had no one else to rescue her.I had once been tempted when she and Rhoda were arrested back in New York. I’d left with Rhoda, who cried all the way home, and eventually bailed Joan out, instructing the cops to keep my identity hidden.To her, I had abandoned her to rot, and it might just be one of a thousand reasons why she hated me. The good news was, I didn’t care.Rhoda immediately stood up when she saw me. She had been curled at the far end of the prison room with a few brutal-looking women. Joan, however, remained seated. Her knees were drawn to her chest as she watched us quietly.I paused for a second, taking in the expression on her

~Joan~“Hey, you want to go for a walk?” I asked, sitting on the bed next to Rhoda, who had pulled the blanket over herself like it might shield her from the world.She stared at me for a second before shaking her head, her lips pressed into a tight line.Her bad mood was starting to affect me. We were supposed to have fun —not the jail kind of fun—but the kind where we could let loose and just be ourselves. Then Aaron had to ruin everything.“Come on, Peach, you can’t be like this all day,” I nudged her lightly, trying to draw her out. She pursed her lips, the same way she always did when weighing her next words.“He froze my accounts, Jo. I’m so mad at him right now,” she muttered, her voice low and bitter.I blinked. “Permission to kill him?” I teased, and for the first time all day, she laughed—a soft sound, but enough to loosen the tight pressure in my chest.“Unfortunately, no. I still love him,” she said with a shrug, sitting up abruptly. “Besides, he’s the only family I’ve got

~Joan~I kept tossing on the bed, unable to find a position that felt right. Had it always been this hard to sleep?Rhoda was already fast asleep. She’d crashed the moment we got home from the long walk—our mistake.We’d told Aaron not to bring his car because it was supposed to be a walk, not a drive. Besides, he wasn’t exactly great company.Throwing on a pair of shorts and a top, I slipped out of the room, carefully shutting the door behind me. Rhoda was a deep sleeper. Once she was out, she was out.The house was dark, but I managed to make my way to the living room without bumping into anything. A small accomplishment, but I celebrated it in my head anyway.Light was spilling faintly into the living room, and I wondered if Rhoda had forgotten to turn off the kitchen lights. Both siblings seemed to thrive in darkness, especially at night.I changed course, heading to the kitchen. I’d switch off the light and grab a drink while I was at it. But I froze when I saw him.There he was—

~Joan~I’d been holed up in my room since morning, my eyes glued to the screen of my laptop as my fingers flew across the keyboard.Letter after letter turned into words, and words morphed into meaningful sentences. I was writing again.After weeks of writer’s block, the dam had finally broken, and all it had taken was a late-night moment of bliss with Aaron.Ideas were flowing now, pouring out so fast I didn’t dare stop. If I had them coming, I might as well write them all down before they slipped away.As much as I hated to admit it, Aaron had become the muse I’d been searching for. It was baffling how one man could irritate me endlessly while simultaneously sparking my creativity. A mystery I didn’t want to dwell on for too long.The door creaked open, and soft footsteps padded across the floor. Rhoda.“Hey. Thought you might need this,” she said, holding out a steaming mug of coffee.I let myself pause, glancing at the mug before looking up at her. A small smile tugged at my lips.

~Joan~The ideas I thought I had coming suddenly stopped. It was like my mind had hit a wall. And that was one of the many reasons I was sulking around the house in a foul mood.Rhoda had asked me countless times if there was a problem. I’d told her I was okay —well, partially.I stared at my laptop screen like it was the root of all my problems. Turns out it was true: Aaron was my muse.I hated that. I really did.Because he was a cheat, and I’d been stupid enough to get involved with him. I hated men who cheated. After what my last boyfriend had done, I’d promised myself I’d never get romantically involved with another man. Until Aaron.We weren’t an item. We’d just slept together once. And, sure, he brought me to an orgasm a few days ago, but now I felt filthy.The thought of being a tool in causing another woman pain burned me with guilt.Angelina was his girlfriend in every sense of the word —and, honestly, I hated her.Slamming my laptop shut, I stared out the window, my mind ru