บททั้งหมดของ The Brother I Shouldn’t Want: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 5

𝓣𝓲𝓶“First a toast to the bride and to the groom, my best friend.”The words came out smoothly, practiced and calm. If my voice betrayed me, no one noticed. Or maybe they did and chose not to care. Either way, all eyes were on me, and I had nowhere to hide.I raised my glass slightly, the champagne catching the warm glow of the chandelier above us, the hall was packed. White flowers lined every table and soft music played somewhere behind me. Everything looked like it belonged in a Wedding of the century magazine.Eric stood at the center of it all, tall and confident in his tailored suit. Laura stood beside him and her hand resting lightly on his arm, her smile flawless. They looked perfect together. I forced my lips into a smile.“I’ve known Eric for ten years,” I continued. “We met back when we were both just trying to figure out what we wanted to do with our lives. I never imagined that one day I’d be standing here, giving a speech at his wedding.”Soft laughter rippled thro

𝓣𝓲𝓶“Oh good, you’re finally awake.”A stranger’s voice reached me the moment I opened my eyes.It wasn’t Eric’s voice. I knew that instantly, even though my head was pounding and my thoughts were slow and heavy. Eric’s voice was familiar, safe in a way that had nothing to do with comfort and everything to do with habit. This voice was calm, low, and too steady for someone who was not supposed to be there.My heart jumped hard in my chest.I blinked against the light and stared up at the ceiling, trying to place myself before I moved. This was the apartment Eric had rented for the wedding. It was inside one of the big hotels in Switzerland. Everything looked clean and expensive, like no one had really stayed here before.The ceiling was smooth and white. The walls were plain. The curtains were thick and heavy, blocking out the light from outside. The furniture was neat and cold, placed carefully, like it was meant to be looked at, not used.I turned my head slowly.A man was sitti

𝓣𝓲𝓶The engine roared to life beneath me, low and powerful, and before I could think twice, Frank pulled onto the road. I wrapped my arms around his waist out of instinct, my body reacting faster than my thoughts. The city fell away quickly, buildings thinning out, traffic fading, until the road curved upward and trees closed in around us. The further we went, the more it felt like I was being pulled out of my own life, out of everything that had been weighing on me since the wedding. The grip around his waist tightened without me noticing, like my body was afraid to let go.The wind was strong, cool against my face, carrying the smell of dirt and pine. It rushed past my ears, loud enough to drown out any thought that tried to surface. The road twisted and turned, narrow and steep, climbing higher with every bend. I leaned with Frank without thinking, trusting him to handle the sharp curves, trusting that he wouldn’t let us crash even though a part of me was very aware of how eas