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Stop staring.
“Plus, I owe you one after today.” She tilts her head in confusion. “The baby shower gift. That could have been embarrassing without your quick thinking.”
“No problem. You’re welcome.” More awkward silence. “Well, goodnight, Jackson.”
“Goodnight, Brinn.” I stand frozen until the door softly shuts, leaving a subtle echo in the stillness.
***
The air is crisp as I sit on the bench, enjoying the ocean view. The sun casts a gentle glow on pelicans gliding across the water.
I'm lost in thought when I feel a tap on my shoulder. Greyson gives me a casual fist bump. It’s the first time I’ve seen him since Brinn and I came home from Malibu. “Hey, Jackson. What’s up?” he asks, sliding in beside me.
"Just needed some fresh air and a break from the chaos," I reply, gesturing toward the house.
He nods, his gaze following the birds. "Yeah, sometimes it's good to escape the noise. So… about Brinn."
I knew this conversation was coming eventually. He looks serious, which is out of character for him. Not good.
I do my best to stay casual. "What about her?”
"I don't like how long this has gone on. You said one night. Now you took her to Malibu.” Oh boy, I didn’t tell him anything about the trip. Clearly, she did.
He continues, “This isn’t fair to her, Jackson. She’s under a lot of pressure from my parents. You have no idea.”
“She told me,” I blurt without thinking.
Greyson’s mouth falls open. “What? When did you guys start talking about personal matters? You said you weren’t going to fall for her.”
I backtrack as quickly as possible. “It, uh… It was nothing,” I stammer. “She just mentioned it in passing one day.”
“She mentioned personal family details in passing. It’s nothing? If it’s nothing, why did I just see your engagement party is trending online?”
Yikes.
“Not only that, but there’s a picture of you two kissing in Malibu at the baby shower. Care to explain?”
I give him a sheepish grin. “She kissed me, bro.”
"Not funny. Are you falling for her?"
“No. No way. I’ll find to way to fix this.” I put my hands on Greyson’s shoulders. "Look, I get it. I don't want to cause any problems for Brinn. She’s helped me so much. I’ll figure this out, just give me a little more time.”
Greyson looks skeptical. I can't blame him. "Jackson, I know you mean well, but I've seen how Brinn gets caught up sometimes. She cares too much for people, always has. I don’t want her to get hurt.”
I run a hand through my hair, frustrated at the situation. "Greyson, I give you my word. I won't let anything happen to Brinn. This is just a charade, and once it's over, things will go back to normal."
He studies my face for a moment before nodding. "All right, but I'm holding you to that promise. She’s my sister. I won't let anyone or anything mess with her future."
"I understand.”
We sit in silence as the sun dips below the horizon. I just made a promise I don’t know if I can keep. If Iwantto keep. I never expected to have feelings for Brinn, but I can’t deny them anymore. I don’twantto deny them.
Her kiss has lingered on my lips since Malibu. I know what I want now: to trade make-believe for the real thing.
I want to make her mine.
***
