Chapter Three: Your Boyfriend Is My Brother?

Sora

“Look, I get that you don’t like Daisy, but lying like this?” Cameron says, disappointment flashing across his features.

“Why the hell would I lie about your girlfriend being a cheater?!” I yell, frustration nearly choking me.

This outcome sat right at the top of my list of possible actions, but it still stings realizing my best friend thinks this low of me.

He doesn’t answer my question, instead, he turns toward an already crying Daisy.

“Baby,” he says softly, “what is she talking about?”

Beside me, Sandy rushes over and mutters under her breath, “When I said ruin the proposal, I didn’t exactly mean like this.”

I scoff, rolling my eyes before stepping forward anyway.

At this point, none of this even matters anymore.

Not Daisy cheating, and sure as hell not him proposing to her.

“I overheard her in the changing room when I went to get her,” I say, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I didn’t want to tell you like this, but you were too distracted in your suite and I didn’t want to make things worse.”

I pause, “But I’d be a terrible person if I stood there and watched you propose to her knowing what I know.”

Daisy lets out a broken sob so dramatic it nearly makes me laugh.

“Oh my God,” she cries, clutching Cameron’s arm. “I can’t believe this is happening right now.”

Cameron immediately reaches for her, the sight sends ripples of chills down my spine.

“She’s lying,” Daisy whispers tearfully. “Sora can’t forgive me for what I did in fucking highschool and this is how she chooses to take revenge.”

I roll my eyes, if I wanted revenge I’d have made sure they broke up in their first week. “You know that’s bullshit.”

“No,” Daisy snaps suddenly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “What’s bullshit is you trying to ruin our relationship because you’re obsessed with him!”

What in the excuses?

Cameron’s expression hardens slightly. “Daisy—”

“She’s in love with you!” Daisy screams.

Her words take out the air in me and my eyes widen, how the fuck did she know?

Sandy mutters, “Oh dear God.”

A loud gasp erupts from behind me and I squeeze my eyes shut, this will make a fine heading.

Cameron slowly turns to me, his expressions shifts from confusion to disbelief to denial.

Oh… great.

“Sora…” he says quietly, in an almost pitying tone and my heart completely shatters to pieces.

It’s clear now, he’s never loved me. He doesn’t love me more than just a ‘sister’ and no matter what I do it wouldn’t change.

Daisy lets out another sob, hiding her face against his chest. “She’s been obsessed with you forever,” she cries. “I tried to ignore it because she’s your best friend, but she keeps crossing boundaries and I—I can’t do this anymore.”

“You manipulative bitch,” Sandy snaps.

“Sandy,” Cameron warns sharply.

“No!” Sandy throws her hands up. “Are you seriously buying this right now? Sora would never—”

“She admitted she overheard Daisy in private,” Cameron cuts in, visibly overwhelmed. “Maybe she misunderstood—”

“I didn’t misunderstand shit!” I snap, ignoring the pang spreading in my chest.

Everyone is staring at me now, like I’m such an obsessively crazed best-friend trying to ruin her friend's love life.

I can feel bile crawling up my throat, burning hotter and hotter with every second Cameron refuses to look at me the way he always does, like his fucking best-friend.

Instead, he’s standing there protecting her.

“She called you pathetic,” I say, my voice shaking despite my efforts to steady it. “She said you make her sick. She said she’s only staying because of your father’s company.”

Daisy gasps dramatically. “Oh my God—”

“And she was talking to another guy!” I yell over her. “You seriously think I’d make all this up for fun?”

Cameron drags a hand through his hair, looking completely torn apart.

“I just…” He exhales shakily. “I don’t understand why you waited to tell me here.”

A hollow laugh leaves my mouth.

“I’m sorry, how exactly was I supposed to do it?” I snap. “‘Yo Cam, you know the girl you’re about to propose to? Yeah, she’s fucking another dude.’”

His face falls slightly, his gaze darting everywhere except me.

“Are you in love with me?”

The question comes out strained and hurried.

God.

He’d rather believe I’m a jealous liar than admit his precious Daisy might actually be cheating.

Is the thought of me loving him really that disgusting?

Fine then.

“God, no,” I lie through my teeth.

Beside me, Sandy pinches my arm hard enough to sting, but I shrug her off.

I’m not about to let Cameron humiliate me any further.

“If I were in love with you, I’d tell you,” I continue, forcing my voice not to crack. “But I’m not. And my feelings toward you or Daisy have nothing to do with the fact that she’s cheating on you.”

For a moment, Cameron just stares at me then relief washes over him.

Relief! He’s glad I’m not in love with him.

“That’s a lie!” Daisy shrieks, pointing a trembling finger first at Sandy, then at me. “Since we’re suddenly exposing secrets, why don’t we talk about the little conversation I overheard?”

Sandy’s face pales.

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.

“I heard Sandy telling Sora to ruin this proposal by confessing her feelings to you!” Daisy cries dramatically. “That’s why she’s never dated anyone before! She’s been waiting around for you this entire time!”

A wave of shocked murmurs crashes over the room as all eyes swing back toward me.

My face burns so hot I swear I might actually pass out.

“Sandy…” Cameron says slowly, his expression darkening. “Tell me that’s not true.”

Sandy opens her mouth, closes it.

Daisy lets out a triumphant sob, clinging tighter to Cameron’s arm. “You see? Oh my God, I knew it. I knew she hated me because she wanted you for herself.”

“You don’t fucking deserve him,” Sandy snaps angrily. “I mean—shit.”

I squeeze my eyes shut.

Fantastic.

Just absolutely fucking fantastic.

“Sora?” Cameron’s voice softens this time, confusion and disbelief tangling together. “Is that why you did this?”

The question slices straight through me.

I laugh quietly, though it sounds more broken than amused.

“Wow.”

My throat tightens painfully as I look around the room full of people staring at me like I’m some pathetic girl who couldn’t handle rejection.

Maybe I am.

“You know what?” I murmur. “Believe whatever the hell you want.”

“Sora—”

“No.” I shake my head, finally meeting his eyes. “I come here trying to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life and somehow I’m the villain? Fine.”

Daisy sniffles dramatically behind him.

I point at her without looking away from Cameron.

“But when you find out I’m telling the truth, don’t come apologizing to me and for your fucking information, I have a boyfriend.”

Cameron blinks. “You… what? Since when?”

Daisy’s smug expression dies instantly. “No, you don’t.”

I ignore her completely.

“So no,” I continue, forcing more confidence into my voice. “I’m not ruining your proposal because I’m in love with you.”

I’ve lied more today than I have in my twenty-three years of being on earth, all because I’m trying to save my best friend from years of regret.

Cameron stares at me for a long moment, his brows furrowing like he’s trying to figure out if I’m lying or not.

“You have a boyfriend?” he repeats slowly.

“Last time I checked.”

“Who?” Daisy blurts out before Cameron can speak, panic bleeding through her voice. “Because everyone here knows you’re always alone.”

I raise a brow. “That sounds more like an insult than a question.”

“Answer then,” she snaps.

Before I can respond, my phone buzzes in my hand.

A text message flashes across the screen from my new client.

I’m in the building.

The universe is working in my favor. An absolutely terrible ideas forms in head. I slowly lift my gaze back to Daisy and smile sweetly.

“Instead of telling you,” I say calmly, “you’ll be seeing my boyfriend.”

I slip my phone into my clutch.

“He just got here.”

Cameron looks completely thrown off while beside me Sandy’s eyes widen in horror.

She knows exactly who I’m talking about, we’d agreed to meet with him here in one of the rooms.

“Sora,” she whispers. “Are you—?”

The hall doors open and I immediately move towards the person walking inside like he is God’s gift to man.

And holy shit, he might as well be. His voice definitely did nothing to prepare me for the six-foot-something specimen of perfectly sinful masculinity standing in front of me.

Jesus Christ.

The man practically reeks of mind-blowing sex, and every terrible drunken decision, drunken because a man like him either is already committed or would never commit to one woman.

Streak of black hair falls carelessly over his face despite it being in a face cap, while sleeves of his leather jacket—who folds leather— are filled just enough to expose his tattooed skin.

From behind me, Cameron’s stunned voice echoes through the hall. “My brother is your boyfriend?”