Try to smile more today.
They’d been our language when words were too much, and now, just thinking about them makes my chest ache. Brad lets out a quiet snort, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he’s remembering. “And I definitely knew the night of my birthday,” he says. “The way he couldn’t keep his eyes off you—it was obvious. Then that surprise party you pulled off? Yeah, that pretty much confirmed it.” He pauses. “You know, even Amelia mentioned something. But I was the one who denied it. Saying it out loud didn’t feel right. Not then.”
“I’m sorry, Brad.”
“Why areyousorry?”
“Because he’s your best mate. I should’ve known better.”
My brother’s expression hardens, though not at me, at whatever thought popped into his mind. “No, Liv. He should’ve known better—” His voice drops even lower. “When he let you go.”
My breath catches.
“He may have broken his promise to me,” Brad says after a beat, “but if there was anyone in this world who would be deserving of you, Olivia, it’d be him.”
I stare at the floor, eyes blurring. “Does Xavier know?”
“Probably,” he admits. “I think he may have suspected something around the time I did.”
“Then why didn’t you both say something?”
He leans back against the wall. “Because you’re a grown woman, Liv. You don’t need your big brothers interfering anymore.” His tone gentles, the edge giving way to something raw. “I now know I was definitely in denial. Because deep down, I didn’t like the idea of my little sister growing up—of you being strong on your own, and even worse, of another man standing beside you. Letting you be independentwithhim.”
My brother’s words catch me off guard.Independent with him.They echo in my chest, heavy with truth. He’s right. With Sebastian, I was. He never once made me feel small or less than. He just let me exist—loud, messy, unapologetically me. A tear slips down my cheek before I can stop it. Brad doesn’t hesitate. He reaches forward and pulls me into his arms, his chest solid beneath my palms, his hand warm and grounding against the back of my head. I melt into him, and the dam breaks all at once. Every ounce of guilt, every ache that’s been festering in my ribs, spills out in shaky breaths. For the first time in weeks, I let myself cry.
It hits me then that this is the longest, most honest conversation we’ve had in years.
Xavier’s always been easier to talk to, his humour breaking through where words failed. But Brad and me? There’s always been something in the way. An invisible film between us, thin but stubborn, keeping us from ever really reaching each other. Until now.
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I murmur against his chest. “I can’t be with someone who doesn’t know what he wants.”
He exhales through his nose, slow and heavy. “He’s got big responsibilities, Liv. A son. A demanding job.” His handsmooths over my hair, offering quiet comfort. “But that doesn’t make it okay. If he wants you, he’ll have to prove it.”
I nod, my cheek still pressed against his chest.
“And if he doesn’t,” Brad continues, “then he’s a bloody idiot. Because you’re one of the strongest women I know.”
My throat tightens.Strong.I don’t feel it. Not sitting here, with swollen eyes and a heart that won’t stop aching. I think about Mum and Dad, how they’ve always expected me to land on my feet. How, every time I fall short, I feel like I’m proving them right to worry. He must sense it because he continues. “Mum and Dad see it too, even when you don’t. You’ve got so much to offer. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.”
I lift my head, blinking through the blur of tears. “How did you even know?”
He gives a small shrug. “That’s what big brothers are for. To know everything.”
I sniff, laughing softly. “You’re insufferable.”
“Yeah, well,” he says, smirking. “It’s part of the charm.”
Before I can answer, Xavier’s voice booms down the hallway. “Oh, group hug!”
I barely have time to turn before his arms engulf us both, squeezing tight enough to make me wheeze.
“Get off me, Xav!” Brad groans, laughing despite himself.
“No chance,” Xavier declares, hugging us tighter.
Mum’s delighted voice cuts through the chaos. “Aww, my beautiful babies!”Click.The loud, unmistakable snap of her phone camera fills the air.
“Mum!” Brad and I groan at the same time, as I do my best to face her.
