All Chapters of Brother's Best Friend Loves Me Not: Chapter 21 - Chapter 28

Steph’s povThe weekend had finally arrived, but instead of relief, I felt an odd weight in my chest. Ever since the beach trip, Simon had been hovering, checking on me every few hours. I knew he was worried after what happened, but his overprotectiveness felt like a constant reminder of the incident I wanted to forget. The weekend had finally arrived, but instead of relief, I felt an odd weight in my chest. Ever since the beach trip, I caught cold and felt like shit, burning in fever all day long. Simon had been hovering, checking on me every few hours. I knew he was worried after what happened, but his overprotectiveness felt like a constant reminder of the incident I wanted to forget.It had all happened so fast. I had gone to the water with Kylie and Nick, their laughter filling the air as they splashed around. I tried to join in, but my heart wasn’t in it. My mind was elsewhere—on him. On Brian.I couldn’t stop replaying the day in my head. The way he had laughed and joked with e

Brian’s PovI despised myself in that moment. Every muffled sob that came from the other side of her bedroom door pierced my chest like a blade. Steph’s tears always broke me in ways I couldn’t describe, and the fact that I had caused them made me loathe myself even more.Leaning against her door, I clenched my fists, willing myself to stay put, to not burst in and hold her. But I was a coward. A coward who had ruined the one person who trusted me without question. I pressed my forehead against the cool wood, each wail behind it twisting my insides tighter. I couldn’t stay. I needed to be away—away from everyone, especially from her. But most of all, away from myself.By the time I reached my room, I was barely holding it together, the rawness of my emotions clawing at me. I slammed the door shut behind me, but it didn't stop the chaos swirling inside my mind. My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor, my back pressed against the cold wood, my breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps.

I pulled out my red dress with sequins embedded into it. Seeing him waving at his fans and smiling so bright that it had his eyes all crinkled had me all riled up. I wanted to look and feel the best. “I'll make you regret it, Brian Lockwood; I'll make you regret leaving me.” I said to myself in the mirror. Gosh, why was it still about him? Man, I really needed to get some drinks into my system to wash him out of it. My phone began to ring and it took me a while to find it under the pile of clothes heaped onto my bed. By the time I found it, it had stopped ringing. It was Simon. Brian and Simon had both qualified for the nationals together but played for different teams. Simon was part of the Inferno. I didn't really follow the game but I knew that both Omega and Inferno had been at the top of the board this year. Simon and I spoke from time to time. He had called me drunk, crying when the coach had threatened to kick him off the team. “I'm su

Steph's Pov “Man, does Mitchell never get bored of listening to his own voice? He drones on and on, giving me a fucking migraine every time. Lucy complained, slouching in her seat. We had just taken Mitchell's solid three-hour lecture. With Mitchell's, three hours meant three hours, not a minute less or more. “Who's up for some crispy fried chicken?” Stella proposed, nudging my shoulder. I was busy completing and compiling my notes. “Yes, me. I'm starving; my stomach has been rumbling throughout the class.” I chimed in. “Oh my God, guys, Meghan and Jack broke up.” Sarah began with her daily dose of gossip. “What? No way!” “Yeah, I used to think they looked sweet together. What happened?” We all leaned in, eager to hear the juicy news. “Apparently, Jack got drunk and hooked up with someone at the club.” Sarah continued, her voice barely above a whisper as if she were sharing a big secret. “I always thought Meghan deserved better; good riddance.” I