Dirty Cravings; Big Bad Brother

~~Indigo~~

I’ve been in love with Braxton since I was a four year old girl who accidentally bumped into him with my swing and sent him flying. Since those sad blue eyes transitioned into electric ones. It's always been us two for as long as I remember.

Even our families joke about us getting married. That was before death took my parents when I was in my sophomore year in school. We bonded closer than ever. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend…or lover, if he’d have me.

The only problem is that my thoughts are kept as close to my chest as possible for fear of ruining this wonderful bond we share.

“How does this dress look for tonight?” I ask aloud to the man whose face is on the screen of my tablet, propped up against a pillow.

His eyes twinkle at the sight of the black sequined dress, hugging my physique and having a hem that barely brushes my ankle. “Perfect,” he grins.

Just like that, the butterflies in my belly set off fluttering, successfully turning me into a nervous mush. If only this man knows how much effect that grin has on me. I turn away quickly before he sees the blush creeping up my face.

“You should also wear that red peep toe heel along with it. You know I love how good it looks on you.” He adds, nodding when I reach for the shoe.

It is the gift he got me a few weeks ago and I’ve only worn it once since then. Turning to the mirror, I see what he means. It does look good on me with the black bottom peeking when I walk.

“I want tonight to be perfect.” I whisper to myself, slipping on the choker necklace with tiny diamonds which he’d also gotten me.

“Okay, babe. I’ll see you at the restaurant in an hour. Look pretty as always. Love you.” He announces. Then his face disappears from the screen as my homepage appears.

As usual, he doesn’t wait for me to say it back. No matter how fine I think I am with it, I’m impatient for the day I will and something tells me it might be today.

A few months ago, he told me his friend needed advice for a proposal surprise so he sought my opinions on it. Being the expert in this field as a wedding planner, I set to work.

Days after, all we’d done was go on dates and plan this surprise. Now as I stand here and admire my reflection in the mirror, I can’t help but add two and two together.

Has he been planning something behind my back?

A grin nearly splits my face in half. This is definitely a dream. One I’ve had since I was four.

I’m getting proposed to by the man of my dreams: Braxton Fallon.

~~

The driveway is very familiar. The night of my birthday last year, Brax had brought me here and made a side comment about the ambience being perfect for a proposal.

My intuitions are always right. This is for me.

I bring out my phone from my purse and for the eleventh time try to text Emily who still hasn’t replied to the previous other messages. Her line is switched off which leaves me with the guess that she is inside with the others.

Stepping into the restaurant, I find the place almost empty except for a few familiar mutual friends Braxton and I share.

With my favorite song playing softly in the background, I glide across the trail littered with pink petals with a smile that stings my cheeks and my heart thumping faster than I care to control.

There he is, standing at the end of the trail, silhouetted by the electric sign whose words I’m unable to focus on at the moment. You can’t blame one overwhelmed with joy.

Braxton, in a dapper navy blue suit, grins when he spots me. His gaze roams over me appraisingly and my body lights up at the emotions in his eyes.

When I finally get to the end of the trail, he takes me into his arms in a bear hug I’m familiar with, scent and all, then kisses my cheek. “Thank you for coming.”

“I–” I clear my throat to push down the bundle of knots lodged there, then try again. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I whisper, getting lost into the most mesmerizing pair of blue eyes that can only belong to him.

The world around me swims into a blur and all I ground myself on is his essence around me.

His face drifts closer…like…holy shit, he’s about to kiss me. Or I’m about to kiss him?

That doesn’t matter! We’re going to–

“She’s here.” Someone whisper yells, breaking the spell suddenly. “Places, everyone!” And people start to shuffle around, almost turning it into a chaos.

“Here,” he says gently, brushing a stray hair out of my face and handing over the bouquet of flowers. He then tries to fix his perfect tie. I watch his hands tremble a little and my brain kickstarts to reality, shaking out of my daze.

She’s here? Who is she that he is nervous about?

“She?” I echo to him, confusion fogging my brain.

He holds my arms and levels his gaze to meet mine. “Yes, Indie. Do me a favour and hand the flowers to her when she gets here. Can you do that for me?”

I nod, trying to mask my grave disappointment and appear cool. No, I’m not cool. I’m dying on the inside. If Brax isn’t asking me to be his girlfriend, then who is she?

No sooner had I thought that did my answer arrive in a chorus of “SURPRISE!”

Automatically, my head turns slowly to the entrance to find another woman with her eyes wide open and fingers over her mouth in shock.

Despite the sprinkles in the air, I find that face very familiar. She draws closer, collecting stems of pink roses from each person standing by the aisle.

Envy swirls in my chest as she displays perfect dentition, waving at people before finally resting her gaze on Brax with a sweet smile that eats at me like poison.

My Braxton.

“Even Indie is mesmerized by her beauty.”

The moment those words float to my hearing, I snap out of my thoughts with a smile which doesn’t reach my eyes. The woman is in front of Brax and both are speechless as they stare at each other.

“Hand over the flower to her, dear,” a dark haired lady beside me says.

I stretch it out without a single enthusiasm. “Congratulations…Bianca?”

She dares to appear shocked as she throws her hands over me to reel me into a hug. “I can’t believe you showed up. You really have a heart of gold.”

I can’t believe how well I’m able to hold myself up despite the shock I’m in. Bianca? Brax is getting married to this woman who did nothing but antagonize me during my days in college?

My heart does more than shatter into a million pieces as I manage a peek at the letters behind him. I was wrong to have assumed this was a girlfriend proposal.

Brax drops on one knee after his long speech of how much he adores her, including how she’s been there for him when no one ever was. The words feel like a slap on my face.

I have always been by his side and now all of a sudden, it’s Bianca he’d choose over me? This isn’t the dream I thought it’d be. My best friend is finally on one knee in front of me like I’d fantasized.

But…

He’s proposing to my bully. And worse? She just screamed, “YES!”