Semua Bab One Night Stand with My Brother's Best Friend: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Dylan’s POV  I nodded, glancing at the neat handwriting filling the page, fabric, simple invitations, food, even small notes about who needed to be told. There was such sincerity in the way she wrote, as if she was building a small world for her brother.“He’s lucky to have you,” I murmured.Carissa turned to me, her brow slightly furrowed. “What do you mean?” “Someone is thinking of these things for him,” I said with a faint smile. “Not everyone has family who cares like that.”She chuckled softly, but her eyes were gentle. “If not me, then who else? He’s felt alone so many times. I just want him to know there’s still a home for him.”I drew in a heavy breath. Her words pierced deep. There’s still a home for him. I asked myself, would Carissa also be able to say that to me, if one day I laid everything bare? Or would I lose the

Dylan’s POV There were faces from the past still haunting me, choices I regretted, mistakes I could never erase. How could I hand all that over to her just like that?What if, after she knew, she looked at me differently?I lowered my head, pretending to busy myself with the teacup. “Not yet,” I said again.  Again, she only smiled faintly, though I knew there was disappointment hidden in her eyes.Carissa never forced me. That was exactly what made me feel even more guilty.  I often wondered, what would happen if our roles were reversed? If Carissa were the one carrying a heavy secret, and I had to wait, to hold back, to be patient.Maybe I wouldn’t be as strong as her. Maybe I would’ve already given up, demanded answers, forced the truth out.But Carissa wasn’t like that. She walked beside me with patience, even when my

Dylan’s POV “Dylan.” Carissa’s voice broke through my thoughts, “relax, okay? I know you’ve got a lot on your mind, but… we still have mornings like this. Don’t let worry steal them away too soon, alright?”I went silent. She didn’t know how deep that worry ran. But somehow, she could feel it.I nodded slightly. “I’ll try.”Her smile was faint but certain. “That’s enough for me.”I wanted to tell her that trying sometimes didn’t feel enough. But I couldn’t bring myself to ruin the peace of this moment. So I swallowed it back.  After the tea was nearly finished, Carissa stood and opened the front door. Fresh morning air drifted in. She lingered at the threshold, gazing down the still-quiet street, then drew in a long breath.I followed her, standing beside her. We were silent, listening only to t

Dusk deepened. The orange faded, replaced by creeping dark blue that swallowed the sky. One by one, the neighbors’ lights flickered on.We remained on the porch, our hands still clasped. Not many words were spoken anymore, but the silence no longer weighed as heavily as before. It felt more like a silence of mutual understanding.I knew I wasn’t brave enough yet to reveal everything. But I also knew Carissa had planted a small seed, that if I fell, maybe she would try to catch me.  When she finally stood and said she’d prepare dinner, I only nodded. I stayed on the porch, staring at the sky now speckled with faint stars.The phone on the table buzzed again. This time, I picked it up with trembling hands.A new message appeared. [Your time is almost up. We’ll meet sooner or later.]I closed my eyes, my chest tightening. Then I set the phone back down, lifting my gaze toward the d

Carissa's POVI opened my eyes slowly. My shoulder was still resting on Dylan's arm, but he felt tense, as if his thoughts were somewhere far away. I pretended to still be closed, just so I could hear his breathing, long, heavy, different from usual.I knew he was anxious. I knew he was holding something back.Sometimes I wanted to shake him, force him to talk, so he wouldn't have to bear all this burden alone. But another part of me knew that if I was too harsh, the fragile bridge we were crossing could collapse.I chose silence.My head remained propped up, but my thoughts raced. About Raihan getting married, about Amira I'd never even seen, about the new life he was building. There was happiness there, but also a vague sense of loss, like I would soon be abandoned.Maybe that's why I wanted Dylan to be more honest with me. Because if one day my brother had his own home, I wanted to know if I would still have a home here, with him.I glanced at Dylan. His face was in shadow, only a