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2026-05-13 13:43:00Mia sat on the porch steps the next afternoon, sketchbook closed beside her. The lake was calm, but her mind wasn’t. Aunt Lisa came out with two glasses of lemonade and sat next to her without asking.
“You’ve been quiet today,” Lisa said, handing her a glass. “Not the usual ‘I’m enjoying the peace’ quiet. Something else.”Mia took a sip. “I don’t know. Everything feels… in between. Ethan’s trying back home. He talked to my dad. Worked out with Jake. But our calls are getting
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Tempting My Brother’s Best Friend 53
The festival was alive.Strings of colorful lights hung between trees and stalls, glowing warm against the night sky. Music thumped from a stage near the water where a local band played upbeat country-rock. The air smelled like grilled corn, fried dough, and lake breeze. People laughed loudly, kids ran around with glowing necklaces, and couples walked hand-in-hand between game booths.Mia felt the energy hit her the second they stepped into the main area. Riley grabbed her arm and pulled her toward a food truck line.“First things first — corn dogs and beer,” Riley declared.Alex stayed close on Mia’s other side, occasionally brushing against her as the crowd moved. “You good?” he asked, leaning in so she could hear him over the music.“Yeah,” Mia said, forcing a bright smile. “Let’s have fun tonight.”They did.They ate greasy food standing up, played a ring toss game where Ben won Riley a cheap stuffed frog, and danced
Tempting My Brother’s Best Friend 52
Mia spent the next two days avoiding her phone as much as possible. She went running in the mornings, helped Aunt Lisa in the garden, and threw herself into whatever Riley suggested. Anything to stop replaying that fight with Ethan in her head.On Thursday afternoon, she was at the café with Riley when Alex finished his shift and joined them. He looked at her with that gentle concern again.“You’ve been powering through activities lately,” he said, sliding into the seat beside her. “Everything alright?”Mia stirred her drink. “Just trying to stay busy.”Riley raised an eyebrow. “Translation: she had a fight with the complicated guy back home and now she’s pretending she’s fine.”Mia shot her a look, but Riley just shrugged. “What? I’m observant.”Alex didn’t push, but he stayed close the rest of the day. They walked along the shore later, just the two of them after Riley left. The sun was setting, painting the lake orange and pin
Tempting My Brother’s Best Friend 51
Mia woke up with a heavy feeling in her chest. The argument with Ethan kept replaying in her head — his sharp tone, the mention of Alex, the way he’d thrown her happiness back in her face. She stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally picking up her phone.No new messages.She typed anyway.Mia: I didn’t appreciate how that call went last night.She sent it, then immediately regretted the dry tone. But she didn’t delete it.Ethan replied twenty minutes later.Ethan: Yeah. Me neither.That was it. No apology. No “can we talk.” Just three words that felt like a door closing.Mia tossed her phone on the bed and went downstairs. Aunt Lisa was already up, humming while making coffee.“You look like someone kicked your dog,” Lisa said, glancing at her.“Rough night,” Mia muttered. “I don’t want to talk about it.”Lisa simply nodded and slid a mug toward her. “Alright. But don’t si
Tempting My Brother’s Best Friend 50
Mia was sketching on the porch when her phone rang. Jake’s name popped up. She stared at it for a second, surprised. They hadn’t spoken much since she left.She answered. “Hey.”“Hey,” Jake said. His voice sounded tired. “You good over there?”“Yeah. I’m okay. How’s home?”“Same.” There was a pause. “Saw some pictures from the lake. You look like you’re having fun.”Mia sat up straighter. “You’ve been checking my stories?”“Sometimes.” Jake cleared his throat. “Look, I’m not calling to fight. I just… I don’t know. I had a decent practice with Ethan today. First time in a while it didn’t feel like shit. But then I saw you out there with new people and… I don’t want you getting hurt. Or making things more complicated.”Mia frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”“It means be careful. Ethan’s actually trying to fix stuff here. With me. With Dad. Don’t make it harder for him. Or for you.”She felt irritati
Tempting My Brother’s Best Friend 49
Jake sat on the hood of his truck in the empty parking lot long after practice ended. The high from that one good quarter had worn off, leaving him with a knot in his chest he couldn’t shake.He kept replaying it — the no-look pass from Ethan, the way he’d cut without thinking, the high-five after the dunk. For twenty minutes it felt like nothing had changed. Like they were still the same two idiots who used to stay up all night playing video games and talking shit about girls. Like Ethan was still his brother.Then reality crashed back in.He slept with my little sister.The anger came fast, hot and familiar. But it wasn’t as clean as it used to be. Now it was mixed with something else. Guilt. Doubt. Exhaustion.Jake rubbed his face hard.Mia was his baby sister. He’d taught her how to shoot a free throw. He’d beaten up that kid in eighth grade for making her cry. He was supposed to protect her. And Ethan — the one person he tru
Tempting My Brother’s Best Friend 48
The gym was loud. Shoes squeaking, Coach yelling plays, the ball echoing off the floor. They were running scrimmages — full court, game speed. Ethan and Jake ended up on the same team for the first time in weeks.At first it was awkward. Passes were stiff. Eye contact minimal. But then the game took over.Jake cut hard to the basket. Ethan saw it instantly and fired a no-look bounce pass. Jake caught it mid-stride and laid it in clean. A few plays later, Jake kicked it back out when he got doubled. Ethan drained the open three. They started reading each other again, the way they used to — no words needed.For almost twenty straight minutes, it felt like old times. Jake hit Ethan on the chest after a good screen. Ethan high-fived him hard after a fast break dunk. They even trash-talked the other team together, laughing when one of the freshmen got crossed over badly.Then the whistle blew for a water break. The moment snapped.Jake’s smile faded. He took his water
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