The Wrong Brother

1: The Wrong Brother 

What do you do when your heart burns for a man who is just your friend ?

A man who doesn’t even see you as a woman?

What do you do when you have to bury every feeling deep inside… because you’re now engaged to his brother?

“I can’t believe my little puppy is getting married,” Levi said from behind me pulling me out of my thoughts 

I didn’t have to turn around to know he was smiling.

I scoffed under my breath.

Levi and I were best friends.

To everyone else, he was the tough, cold, annoyingly confident man who didn’t care about anything.

But to me?

He was just a confused adult who still acted like the boy who used to pull my braids in middle school.

He always protected me.

Even when nobody else did.

Not my father, not my stepmother, not my stepsisters.

But Levi did.

Not even his brother, Tommy the man I was now supposed to marry , the one who only came into my life because our mothers arranged a cute little “family dinner” last year. One month later, we were dating. One year later, we were planning a wedding.

Just like that.

A relationship built on arrangement.

Tommy wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t what I wanted.

“I heard you have a date with my sister,” I said, finally turning to face him. “What are you doing here?”

Yes, you guessed right.

My stepmother decided to set Levi up with her daughter. She saved the best for her own child.

She loved mixing things like we were pieces on her family chessboard.

“I had to see you first,” Levi said with a shrug. “My date is in the car… but I still can’t believe you’re getting married.”

He chuckled.

I forced a smile.

My eyes dropped to the engagement ring on my finger.

Tommy bought the wrong size.

It pinched my skin every time I moved, almost like it simply wasn’t meant for me.

“Are you okay?” Levi stepped closer, lowering his voice. “You don’t look happy.”

“I’m fine,” I answered quickly. Too quickly.

I straightened up and avoided his eyes. “You should go. You know my sister doesn’t like waiting.”

“Call me if you need anything…” he said, but another voice cut in from behind.

“Why should she? She has a man!” Tommy said.

Levi stepped back immediately.

“You guys need boundaries now that she’s about to get married. She’s no longer your little puppy,” Tommy added.

“Oh, she’s not?” Levi frowned.

Tommy wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his lips to mine. I couldn’t even close my eyes. My gaze drifted to Levi, but he was already walking away.

I didn’t know why it hurt so much.

Why I felt so sad.

I still couldn’t wrap my head around the feelings I had for Levi. My heart burned for him… but was it love?

“Why are you sitting here alone?” Tommy asked, letting go of my waist.

“It’s noisy outside. I just wanted to clear my head.”

“ People expect us to be together.” Tommy grabbed my wrist, and I pulled slightly.

“What?”

“Tommy… I don’t want to do this. Don’t you think it’s too early for us to get married? We were literally talking about breaking up months ago. You telling our families that we’re getting married out of the blue especially when you know I can’t go against my father and his wife…”

“Pause.” Tommy narrowed his eyes. “You don’t want to marry me? Why?”

He did that thing with his eyes, the look that guilt-trapped me so badly I wished I hadn’t spoken.

“I don’t mean it like that… I just mean marriage is a big deal. We’ve been struggling while dating. Going into marriage, don’t you think that’s too much?”

“I’ve changed. I’m not the old Tommy.” His voice softened. “I promised you I’ll be a good husband. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you so much, and you know that.”

He stroked my hair over and over, and I folded.

My relationship with Tommy started as a joke, but I grew fond of him. I still can’t say if I had real feelings or if I was just attached to the idea that someone wanted to date me. He was my first boyfriend, and my family added so much pressure.

“Tommy is a good guy.”

“Someone in his class wanting to marry a college dropout like you? You should consider yourself lucky.”

Those were my stepmother’s words.

And that was it, I started dating Tommy. Our relationship had its ups and downs. Mostly downs.

It always felt like I was never enough.

Him suddenly wanting to marry me, and our families accepting immediately… it just didn’t sit right with me.

“Don’t you love me?” he asked.

I faked a smile.

“I do. I love you…”

But did I really love him?