All Chapters of Falling For My Brother's Best Friend: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Cade.Fuck, I feel like I'm in some kind of interview or something.Quinn is lying on my bed, cuddling my pillow like it's a security blanket, scowling at me with an intensity that would be intimidating if it wasn't also kind of cute.I'm sitting in the chair across from her because she literally wouldn't let me lie down next to her. Drew a line in the sand—or the mattress, I guess—and told me to stay on my side of the room.And she has a list.An actual, physical list of questions written down on paper that she hands to me like we're in a goddamn deposition."What did you do last night?" she asks, her tone sharp and accusatory.I smirk, unable to help myself. "Fuck you."Her scowl deepens. "I wrote that weeks ago. You know what I mean."I click my tongue, scanning the list. The questions are numbered, organized by date apparently. This one's old. "Depends on which night you're asking about.""The night you left at 2 AM. I heard your bike.""Went out.""To do what?"I flip to the next

CadeI stop my bike outside a club I've never been to before, pulling out the small tracker Cole gave me earlier. The red dot pulses steadily on the screen.Right place.I park Roxie and slip a knife into my shoe—just in case—before heading inside.The smell hits me immediately. My nose scrunches as the odor overwhelms my senses. People are doing drugs in the open, betting on card games in corners, drinking straight from bottles, all sorts of degenerate shit happening in plain view.I scowl, following the tracker deeper into the club.Usually, whenever I have to collect a package for Cole, I meet the delivery person at a location I choose. Somewhere neutral, public enough to discourage stupidity but private enough to avoid attention.But I had to come find them tonight because I stopped by the underground ring first. Because of Quinn hiding in my car. Because everything got delayed.This is what the phone call was about. What I was actually supposed to be doing instead of fighting and

Quinn."The Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade established a constitutional right to privacy that extends to—""But that's exactly the problem with your argument!" The girl across from me—Victoria Dunkin, top of our class and my biggest competition—cuts me off sharply. "You're citing precedent without addressing the practical implications of how that decision affects modern healthcare accessibility."I adjust my glasses, my jaw tight. "I'm establishing the legal foundation before moving to application. The theoretical framework is essential to understanding—""Theoretical framework." Victoria laughs, but there's no humor in it. "This isn't a philosophy class, Quinn. Real people are affected by these decisions. Real women who can't access care because of legal barriers created by—""I'm aware of the real-world implications," I snap, my frustration building. "But if you don't understand the constitutional basis, you can't effectively argue for change. You need precedent, you need—"

Quinn"She what?" Dad's voice crackles through the laptop speaker, sharp with fury.I'm sitting cross-legged on Cade's bed—freshly showered, hair still damp, wearing one of his oversized hoodies that smells like him. It's night now, hours after everything happened, and all I want to do is crawl under the covers and forget this day ever existed.But apparently, my father would rather have a family meeting.Beck's face fills the screen from his dorm in LA, and there's a second window open with Dad at the hockey house, pacing like a caged animal."She showed up drunk," Beck says, his voice tight even through the distance. "On campus. Started screaming about you in front of everyone.""Jesus Christ." Dad runs a hand through his hair. "Is Quinn okay? Did she—""She hit her," Beck says flatly. "Slapped her across the face. Then poured alcohol on her head."The silence that follows is deadly. They're doing that thing were they talk about me in third person like I'm not actually present with

QuinnWhat am I even doing in here?I'm pacing in Cade's bathroom, still naked, my heart racing like I just ran a marathon.This is insane. I'm insane."Quinn?" Cade's voice comes through the door, concerned. "Did something happen? Are you okay?"I bite my bottom lip hard enough to hurt, staring at my reflection in the mirror.My hair is a mess. My cheeks are flushed. My eyes are wide and panicked."Shit," I whisper to myself. "Shit, shit, shit, Quinn."A phone starts ringing somewhere in the bedroom—Cade's ringtone.I press my ear against the door, trying to hear.His voice is muffled, but I catch fragments. "...now? I can't just..." A pause. "I know, but..." Another pause, longer this time. "Fine. Yeah. I'll be there."He sounds annoyed. Reluctant. Like whoever's calling is asking him to go somewhere he doesn't want to go.'Please leave. Please just leave.'I need him to leave so I can think. So I can breathe. So I can figure out what the hell is wrong with me.It goes silent for a