All Chapters of My Brother's Best Friend: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

NOVA "What the hell?" My voice is a whisper even though I know Caleb is on a call and is a little bit far from where we're standing. "What do you mean... what the hell? The task? The one I gave to you? The offer to be a..." I wave a hand in front of Bethany's face. "Yes, yes. I know all about that. I don't need a reminder. I just don't... I don't get what you mean by that?" Bethany folds her hands, glaring at me. "What I mean?" She repeats. I heave a sigh. "I mean I do get you but... I just..." "Nova Graham! Are you going to talk to Caleb, make him fall for you and break his heart? The sisters want to see if you are a material for..." I can't with this girl right now. Caleb is still pacing but I'm sure at any moment from now he'll turn and see us. What if his call ends now and he walks over to us and hears what Bethany is saying? "Look, this is bad timing." I mutter. "Why are you murmuring? He can't hear..." "I don't care. He's my friend." I say, my frown deepening. Bethany

NOVA After what happened with my mom and Noah last night, and after the text I sent Caleb... I don't know. I'm feeling pretty good about myself this morning. I'm not even fucking joking. I fucking devoured the avocado toast mom made me for breakfast and I'm actually humming my head right now to a rap music blasting through mom's speaker in her car. "You feeling good baby?" Mom looks at me. Her smile is infectious. I return it with mine, nodding my head and moving my leg to the beat of the song. "That's what I'm talking about. You should feel this good everyday. I like the energy today. Anything different?" I don't know if I should tell her or not. I basically don't tell my mom everything, but I do tell her some basic things that I feel she's supposed to know. Like this. I'm sure she'd be super excited for me. I just... I just don't trust her enough to keep it from Noah and Enzo or Dad. Emphasis on my father. He detests extracurriculars and would make me change schools if he knew

NOVA As much as I need that hug from Ava right now, I'm so thrown off by what she says preceding it. That she's not supposed to? What the hell is that supposed to mean? "I don't..." I raise my hand, shaking my head. "I don't want that hug right now." She twists her lips, looking everywhere but at me. Her eyes are roaming around random things and she won't even look at me. "So, what do you want?" "What I want is for you to explain what you meant by that statement. You're not supposed to? I don't understand what you mean by that." Ava does a low whistle. "I don't want you to be upset about this. No hard feelings. But my mom saw the scandal." Oh no. This better not be what I think it is. I don't want to hear shit about Ava's mom thinking that I'm trash when I haven't done anything wrong at all. "She warned me about you and..." "I don't know what to say." Ava shrugs. "Then you don't have to say anything." "No, I think I do. I think you are the most manipulative, two-faced, b

NOVA "That turned you on?" I laugh. It leaves my mouth before I can stop it. I don't know if it's something I should be embarrassed about. When I laugh without thinking about it, it's high pitched and really funny. Caleb doesn't seem to mind. He nods, not a single trace of amusement on his face. "Honestly? Yeah." I shake my head, a half-smile lingering on my lips as we walk side-by-side down the corridor. "You're just a trouble maker. Enzo is going to be so mad." I say as I think about leaving Enzo in the class and going with Caleb. It wasn't my intention to make him mad but it is what it is. "Who cares?" Caleb shrugs, keeping his hands tucked loosely into his jacket pockets. "I do," I tell him. I really do. And I'm saying it now so Caleb knows that whatever beef he has with my brother or Enzo, I want no part in it. He slows his pace slightly, tilting his head to look at me. "You do?" "I'm not making an enemy out of him," I say, my eyes dropping to the floor tiles as we walk. I

NOVA The second his lips move from my neck to my cheek, my brain short-circuits. I know it's supposed to be this harmless, spur-of-the-moment thing because we are jammed together inside a dark wardrobe, but the physical contact hits me like an electric shock would. I flinch so hard my elbow clunks off the wooden back panel, and my hands are against his chest, shoving him back. I scramble against the wall, my whole face scrunching up as I scrape my sweater sleeve across my cheek to wipe it off. I don't know how but I turn around, sitting across from him, our legs touching. Caleb just sits there, blinking at me like I’ve suddenly grown a second head. A half-amused, completely bewildered grin tugs at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes are wide. "Whoa, okay, ouch," he says, tilting his head as he watches me scrub at my face. "Was it really that traumatic, Nova? Like, I get I'm not a professional, but I didn't even use tongue. It was literally a cheek kiss." "No, Caleb, it’s