Chapter 5: Breakfast Tensions

The next morning, Carter looked gloomy at breakfast.

He sat across from me at our little kitchen table, poking at his eggs like a kid who didn’t want to go to school. The sunlight made the bruised circles under his eyes look even darker.

"Soon I won’t be able to have breakfast with you anymore."

"Honey, will you ever think of me?"

But I doubted his illness.

Thinking about my ruined nightdress made me mad.

Not only did I refuse to comfort him,

I even nodded indifferently.

"I’ll remember you—along with my next husband."

Carter choked on his orange juice, eyes suddenly red.

He coughed desperately, looking fragile but stubborn, like a battered willow.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, blinking fast, like he was fighting tears. But there was a stubborn tilt to his chin.

"It’s my fault, making you think about someone new already."

"I won’t blame you, you don’t need to care about me—"

His voice was cut off by the ringing phone.

It was my adopted younger brother.

I answered, and Jamie Brooks’s lively voice came through:

"Sis, I’m coming back to the States. Is your husband still kicking?"

"If not, I’ll check again tomorrow."

Awkward.

I had it on speaker.

Carter’s face darkened instantly.

He looked up, and the bullet comments went wild:

"You guys don’t get how spicy fake brotherly love is. 😂"

"Young hunk is back, the old faker’s about to be exposed."

"Oh my god, the other guy’s stats also start with 2!"

"Only kids pick one—just take both..."

According to the comments,

The so-called other guy is Jamie?

But the timid boy who once grabbed my hand and called me sis still lingered in my mind.

We’re not blood related,

But he’s always been like a real brother to me.

How could little Jamie—

Have other feelings for me?

My stomach twisted. Was I missing something all these years?