LOGINSora
The most dreadful day of my life couldn’t come any sooner, and while it burns me to practically help Daisy organize her surprise engagement party, I still go through with it for Cameron. “Howdy.” Sandy brushes my shoulder, offering me a sad smile. This is an engagement party for crying out loud, not a funeral. Though it sure as hell feels like one. Because tonight means finally burying every feeling I’ve ever had for him. “I’m good. Never felt better,” I lie through my teeth before waltzing toward the changing room, hoping to escape before Sandy calls me out on my bullshit. No such luck. She follows hot on my heels as I shove the door open, but she doesn’t come in. For the past week, all she’s done is beg me to stop this entire proposal nonsense, confess to Cameron, and walk away with my dignity intact. But I can’t. I love him too much to ruin his shot at happiness. “I miss you too, babeee.” A voice coos from one of the stalls, syrupy sweet and painfully familiar. I nearly gag at how hard she’s trying to sound seductive. Breathe, Sora. Your best friend comes first. I turn to leave, but the next words glue my feet to the floor. “I’m already tired of being around Cameron. He sickens me to the bone,” Daisy scoffs softly. “He’s not nearly as rough as you are. You know that, baby.” My eyes narrow into slits as I slowly turn toward the stall. I fucking knew it. That conniving bitch is using him. Every fibre in my bone felt it from the start, but Cameron is too blinded by love to see it. Daisy always plays sweet and innocent so perfectly that no one ever questions her. But now? Now I have proof. A soft laugh escapes her lips. “Just endure a little longer, okay? Once we get married, the company is basically ours. Cameron’s stupid enough to hand me anything I ask for.” My stomach drops to my feet, and not because I’m heartbroken but with rage. Pure, blinding rage. “And what about Sora?” the muffled male voice on the other end asks. Daisy snorts. “Please. That pathetic loser worships Cameron. If I told her to jump off a cliff for Cameron’s happiness, she probably would.” I clench my jaw so hard I hear it crack. This fucking bitch. Cameron has been nothing but an angel to her, giving her everything she’s ever wanted and what does she do instead? She fucking cheats. I fling the door to the stall wildly, it slams open with a deadening bang, making Daisy shriek as her phone nearly slips from her fingers. Her eyes widen the second she sees me standing there. “S-Sora?” For half a second, Daisy looks like she’s seen a ghost. Bitch. I force my features into a teasing smile, leaning lazily against the doorframe like I didn’t just hear her entire disgusting confession. “You planning on celebrating your anniversary in that stall or what?” I drawl. “You’re the guest of honor, well you and Cam.” Relief crashes over her face so quickly it almost makes me sick. “Oh my God,” she laughs shakily, pressing a hand to her chest. “You scared me.” Did I? I shrug. “Relax, princess Daisy, it wasn’t in plans to.” Her shoulders loosen immediately. The fake sweetness returns to her expression like a switch has flipped. “I’ll be out in a minute,” she chirps. “Mhm.” I turn toward the mirror, pretending to fix the ruffle on my gown. “You should hurry though. Cameron’s waiting for you.” “Aw,” she sighs dramatically. “He’s so clingy.” I catch her eye through the mirror and smile faintly. “Yeah,” I murmur. “He loves you a lot.” If she notices the sarcastic edge in my tone, she doesn’t show it. Instead, she steps out of the stall, smoothing down her dress while typing something rapidly on her phone, no doubt texting the asshole she’s cheating with. “You think I look okay?” she asks, spinning slightly. I stare at the woman Cameron chooses to spend the rest of his life with, the same woman who made my life a living hell and mocks him behind his back without a shred of guilt. There’s nothing basic about Daisy, she’s an epitome of beauty, curves in the right places, and proportions. Her boobs aren’t any bigger than her ass. She’s just THAT girl. Unlike me, who has to wear big shirts to stop my tits from spilling out of my dress. Or avoid v-necks because they’re never decent enough for the male gaze. I offer her a smile, “You look perfect.” My calms response scares the shit out of me, I. Do. Not. Feel. Calm in the least. The second Daisy disappears out of the changing room, i blow out a breath of relief griping the edge of the sink to steady myself at my reflection. I need to cook up a plan to stop this mistake waiting to happen. My stupid impulsive self forgot to record the conversation and all I have now is my word. He won’t doubt me, right? I mean he’s whipped on her, but not stupid enough to not believe me. My stomach churns, a new wave of panic settling in the pit of it. I really should’ve taken Sandy’s advice. What’s the worst that could’ve happened? Being uninvited, that’s all. ‘And losing your best friend.’ A small voice in my head chimes, making me groan. Without wasting another second, I leave the room and head straight for Cameron’s suite upstairs. The hallway buzzes with excitement, staff rushing around with flowers and champagne while guests laugh downstairs completely oblivious to the disaster waiting to unfold. I push the suite door open without knocking. “Cam—” The words die in my throat. Cameron stands in front of the mirror adjusting the cuffs of his black suit, looking unfairly handsome in a more mature way. His blond hair is still slightly damp, a few strands falling over his forehead while he’s practically shivering like a wet dog. This is going to be harder than I calculated. His entire face the second he catches my eye in the mirror. “There you are.” He grins. “I was wondering where the hell you disappeared to.” My throat dries up like the Sahara, because he looks too fucking happy for me to hurt. Not just happy, nervous and excited all in one. “You okay?” he asks, brows furrowing slightly. “Yeah.” The lie comes out smoothly. “I just need to talk to you.” “Can it wait like… ten minutes?” He laughs breathlessly, turning back to the mirror. “I swear my hands won’t stop shaking and sweating.” He stretches them out show me and sure enough, they tremble. “Soy, man, I think I’m gonna throw up,” he admits with a nervous laugh. “What if she says no?” She won’t say no. Not when your money is attached to the ring. The thought is so vicious it startles even me. “She’ll say yes,” I mutter. A slow smile spreads across his face. “Yeah?” I swallow hard. “Yeah.” He exhales deeply, running a hand through his hair before suddenly looking at me again. “Wait.” His eyes narrow playfully. “You’re acting weird as hell. Did Sandy put you up to some emotional speech or something?” “No.” “You sure?” “Cam—” A knock interrupts me before I can continue. One of the event staff peeks inside. “Sir? We’re ready whenever you are.” Cameron’s entire body stiffens. “Oh God,” he whispers. “It’s happening.” I watch him reach into his pocket and pull out the velvet ring box. “Sora?” Cameron looks over at me softly. “You’ll stand beside me, right?” Always. The answer lives and dies in my throat. Instead, I force a smile that nearly kills me. “Yeah, idiot,” I say quietly. “I’m right next to you.” The moment we step into the hall, an applause welcomes us in. If this whole arrangement wasn’t for a bimbo, I’d give myself a pat on the back for putting all this together in such a short period of time. The second Daisy spots Cameron, her entire face lights up with affection. She presses a hand dramatically against her chest. God, she deserves an Oscar. “There she is,” Cameron whispers beside me, smiling so softly it nearly shatters me. I look at the way his eyes hold nothing but love for her. I can’t stand there and watch him destroy himself for someone who doesn’t deserve him but doing this in front of the whole school and press? Yes, press. Cameron had decided last minute it’d be a great idea to invite few people from the press and a couple of our friends. “You’re really going to let him propose to her?” Sandy questions from beside me as Cam reaches into his pocket while Daisy is waiting on the knife to cut the cake. No, no, no. Cam slowly goes on one knee, throwing me a nervous smile, Daisy’s hands fly to her mouth in shock while tears instantly gather in her eyes on command. “Sora?” Sandy whispers sharply beside me, noticing the panic on my face. Cameron opens the velvet box with shaking hands. “Daisy, this past year with you has been the happiest—” “Don’t.” The word rips out of me before I can stop it. Cameron chokes mid sentence, slowly turning toward me while confusion spreads across his face. “What?” Every eye in the room snaps to me. My heartbeat thunders violently as I step forward. “Don’t propose to her.” A collective gasp sweeps through the guests. Daisy’s expression cracks for half a second before she quickly recovers, staring at me like I’ve completely lost my mind. “Sora…” Cameron laughs nervously. “What are you doing?” “She’s cheating on you!”Kade “Bro, I need your advice.” Shawn’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I turn to look at him. He looks disheveled and weary, his shoulders slumped like the weight of the world has decided to make itself comfortable on his back. Yeah, this is definitely what I need to keep myself from storming upstairs and dragging Sora out of Cameron’s reach. I’ve been sitting here trying to respect her request for privacy, but every minute she spends alone with that idiot makes my patience wear thinner. An uneasy jolt runs down my spine, and I shift in my seat, forcing myself to focus on Shawn instead of imagining all the ways my brother could piss me off in the next five minutes. “What’s good, bro?” I snicker, clapping him on the shoulder. “Trouble in paradise?” I point toward Sandy, who has her head buried between her thighs as she sleeps. Even Jackson looks like he’s attending a fucking funeral, sitting there with a face so long I’m tempted to ask who died. Shawn doesn’t laugh
SoraTears prick at the corners of my eyes, and I blink rapidly, refusing to let them fall. This is humiliating. So darn humiliating. This isn’t how I imagined him finding out about my feelings, with me standing in front of him, desperate to snatch back a journal I never intended for him to read.A tiny spark of hope flickers in my chest, and I hate myself for it. Some stupid part of me wants to believe that knowing how long I’ve loved him might change something between us, but I can’t afford to hold on to that hope anymore. Not when I’ve finally decided to give Kade a chance, not when I know how much I’ve hurt him already.“I love Kade,” I lie through gritted teeth, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “And whatever you read in that book was just pure fiction. I don’t have feelings for you, Cameron, so get off your high horse.”I scoff, turning my face away before he can see how badly my hands are trembling. The words taste bitter on my tongue, and my chest aches as though I’m physical
Sora I snap my head toward the door, but all the words in my throat die the second I see Cam’s disheveled face. His hair is a mess, and there are dark circles beneath his eyes, making him look like he hasn’t slept properly in days. What is he doing here? I thought they hated being around each other? I turn to Kade, who is already glaring daggers at Cam, his jaw clenched so tightly that I can see the muscle twitching beneath his skin. “I told you to wait outside, you'll talk to her when she's ready.” I look between the two brothers, my heart pounding loudly against my ribs. “Why’s he here?” I ask Kade, tightening my grip on his hand. Kade lets go of my hand and shoves his into his pocket, his expression suddenly unreadable. “He’s your best friend, you’ve been pitching for us to work things out. So here we are.” He looks everywhere but at me, and Cameron’s presence is already beginning to irritate me. It’s always like this with him. Just when I think I’ve finally managed to move o
Kade“I don’t want Cameron. I just told you I wanted to be with you. To work this out.” She screams at me before dropping onto the bed, the mattress dipping beneath her weight. “I don’t get this.”But I do.I get that she sees me as a safety net. The one who is always going to show up for her, no matter how many times she pushes me away. She said it herself. She’d rather be with Paxton than me. Anyone but me. Any man who isn’t me.And now she suddenly wants to work things out.I rub my jaw, still feeling the sting from her slap against my cheek. I should be angry, but all I can think about is how badly I want to believe her.I’m prideful. Maybe stupidly in love with her, but I’m not blind enough to ignore what I think she’s doing. I need to know that she wants me because she actually wants me, not because I’m the person who keeps showing up whenever she needs someone.Until she proves she wants me just as much as I want her, I’ll keep my distance from my pretty Shadow.“I’m not trying
Sora“You wanted to speak to me?” His eyes stay fixed on the floor as he scratches the back of his head, looking almost uncomfortable. “What’s up?”I close the space between us and wrap my arms around his waist.Kade jolts at the contact, his body going stiff beneath my arms. He tries to step away, but I hold on for another second before finally looking up at him, blinking like a cat.“I’m sorry.”“What?” He looks down at me, and this time he actually tries to pry himself away from me. “Sorry?”I reluctantly let him go, my hands falling to my sides as I meet his eyes.“I screwed up, I agree, but please just listen to me for a second.”He scoffs and turns away from me, walking a few steps around the room. A quiet, humorless chuckle leaves his lips as he rubs the back of his neck.“You don’t have to do all this because I saved you.”His words sting, and I swallow the lump forming in my throat. Maybe I deserve that. After the way I treated him at the hospital, I can’t exactly blame him f
Sora“What do you mean, feelings?” she shrieks, shooting to her feet so quickly the chair scrapes against the floor. She starts pacing around the room, her hands flying through the air as if she can physically make sense of what I just told her.I raise a hand, trying to calm her down, but she’s clearly not having it.“I was joking when I suggested that, for fuck’s sake.” She throws her hands up, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. “God, do you know how scandalous that will be? Falling for two brothers?”Wow.I really didn’t expect her to be this horrified by the fact that I’m moving on, but shit, this still stings. Something tightens in my chest, and I turn my face away before she can see it.“Gee, I wonder how the world would take it too,” I say flatly, shifting against the pillows and turning toward the other side of the bed.“So, that’s not what I mean.” Her footsteps stop behind me, and when she speaks again, her voice is softer. “You know I’m not judging you, not in t







