We didn’t talk about it right away.Not the fight. Not Drake. Not the way the whole apartment still felt like it was echoing with things we didn’t say.Brandon just made tea.He didn’t ask what kind I wanted—he just brought me my usual and dropped three extra sugar cubes in it like he always did when I was spiraling.I sat on the couch like a ghost, hoodie pulled over my head, legs folded up beneath me.Brandon handed me the mug and then flopped next to me, his knees knocking into mine.We sat there for a long time.Just… breathing.“I feel like I’m gonna explode,” I said eventually. My voice was so small it almost didn’t sound like mine. “Like, there’s a grenade in my chest and someone just pulled the pin and walked away.”Brandon took a slow sip of tea. “Yeah. That tracks.”I didn’t look at him. Couldn’t. “He makes me feel like I’m twelve again.”Brandon set his mug down. “Like the kid who had to be smaller just to survive the room?”That made my throat go tight.I nodded.Then I wh
Cameron POvI let him inside.Still not sure why. Maybe because I was tired. Maybe because part of me wanted the closure I was never gonna get. Or maybe I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t scared of him. Not anymore.Drake stepped in like he owned the air around him, and suddenly it was like being seventeen again—when his voice still carried weight, when I still thought maybe he cared.“Nice place,” he said, glancing around.“Don’t pretend this is a social call,” I muttered.He ignored me and headed toward the kitchen, probably expecting me to follow.I didn’t.He turned. “You could’ve told me.”“I didn’t owe you that.”“I’m your brother.”“No, you’re not,” I snapped. Drake took a step forward. “You think I don’t care? That I didn’t notice when you started pulling away? You ghosted the family.”“Because they made it impossible to breathe!” My voice cracked, and I hated that it did. “Because every time I tried to be honest, someone looked at me like I was broken!”“I didn’t!” he yell
POV: CameronI should’ve known something was off the moment I saw the notification.Not the usual kind, like Brandon tagged you in a story or your group chat changed its name to “Study Group (but unhinged).” No. This one was quieter. Weirder. A like. From Drake.On that photo.The one Brandon posted yesterday. The blurry one of me in a hoodie, curled up under a blanket, giving my best unimpressed glare while handing him tea. The caption? Classic Brandon.Grumpy nurse. 10/10 would let boss me around again. ❤️It had, for some reason, blown up. People thought it was cute. Some of Brandon’s friends from hockey commented “#boyfriendgoals” and “tell him to frown at me next 🫶.”And buried under all the chaos, was Drake’s quiet little thumbs-up. A digital ghost haunting the corner of my feed.I stared at it for too long.And then my phone buzzed again.Drake: We need to talk. Now.My stomach did that annoying twisty thing. The one where your brain tries to pretend you’re calm but your whole
POV: CameronThe movie ended with a ridiculous amount of confetti, three dramatic monologues, and a love song that absolutely did not need a reprise.Brandon sat up like he’d just witnessed cinematic history. “Tell me that wasn’t amazing.”I blinked at him. “You made me watch a three-hour musical about competitive ribbon dancing.”“Art,” he said, placing a hand over his heart. “It was art, Cameron.”“You need help.”“Help can’t teach taste.”I rolled my eyes so hard it was a miracle I didn’t strain something, then grabbed the bowl of popcorn that had somehow ended up in my lap. Half of it was now crushed into tiny crumbs. Probably from when Brandon screamed during the ribbon duel scene.“You screamed,” I said.“I was emotionally invested!”“You nearly spilled soda down my shirt.”“That’s because you jumped when Sparkle Maxx betrayed Rainbow Kyle!”I snorted, trying not to smile. “Their names were actually Sparkle Maxx and Rainbow Kyle?”“Yes, and you know it, and you care.”“I do not.
POV: CameronBy some miracle—or caffeine-fueled academic witchcraft—we survived midterms.Barely.The last exam had been a blur of scribbled formulas, half-remembered definitions, and the overwhelming desire to throw my calculator into the sun. When I stumbled out of the lecture hall, Brandon was already waiting with two iced coffees, a smug look on his face, and a stupid little sign he’d made on notebook paper that said “YOU DIDN’T DIE: ACADEMIC LEGEND.”I hated him.I loved him.It was confusing.“Victory lap?” he asked, handing me my drink.I took it. Chugged half. “No. Nap lap.”Brandon slung an arm around my shoulders like we were in a cheesy teen movie from the 2000s. “Fair. But first, I have something planned.”I groaned. “Brandon, no. You promised. No more surprises.”“I lied. Let’s go.”He was already dragging me down the sidewalk before I could argue, his hand warm against mine, and his steps way too energetic for someone who had just taken three finals in two days.“Where a
POV: CameronMovie night was supposed to be chill. Low-key. A reward for surviving hell week. But apparently, someone (cough Brandon cough) took that as a challenge.“You bought fairy lights?”Brandon grinned from where he was hanging them across my wall. “Ambiance, Cameron. Look it up.”I flopped onto the couch dramatically, arms spread like a Victorian ghost. “You are so extra.”“You’re welcome.”There were two bags of popcorn on the coffee table. Three blankets. A line-up of movies so ridiculous it actually stressed me out. Rom-coms, horror, whatever that one musical was that he swore would “change my life.”“We’re not watching the singing mermaid one,” I muttered.Brandon tossed me a blanket. “You say that now, but wait until Act Two.”“Why do you even own fairy lights?”“Why do you own seven black hoodies that all look the same?”“They’re emotionally supportive.”“Exactly. And so are fairy lights.”I didn’t answer. Mostly because the lights did kind of make the place look magical