Our eyes meet for a beat too long, and I’m the first to look away.
Parker’s warning echoes in my head:Stay away from my sister. She’s vulnerable, and you’re desperate.
Am I desperate? Maybe. But with Brittany, I don’t feel desperate. I feel … calm. Like the constant buzz of anxiety that follows me on dates has finally quieted.
There aren’t uncomfortable silences, or desperate searches for the next topic. It’s like we’ve known each other for years. Which I guess, technically, we have, though never like this.
We cross the street, our shoulders occasionally brushing in a way that sends electricity shooting through me. The conversation flows naturally between us.
“Gosh, I still can’t believe I’mlivingwith my grumpy brother,” she says, her voice softening. “But I don’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t offered me a place to stay.”
“Parker acts tough, but when it comes to people he cares about…”
“I know,” she says. “It’s just … weird. It feels like I’ve regressed somehow. Three weeks ago, I was starting to plan my wedding, and now I’m sleeping in my brother’s guest room.”
I want to tell her she deserves better than Cal. That any man who would let her go is an idiot, but that feels too forward.Too desperate, as Parker would say.
“I just don’t understand what I did to deserve all this.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” I say firmly.
She glances at me, surprise flickering across her face. “You can’t know that.”
“I know Cal’s an idiot,” I say, and am rewarded with a small smile. “Anyone who would kick you out of their life with an hour’s notice doesn’t deserve you in the first place.”
“Parker told you about that, huh?”
“He might’ve mentioned it,” I admit. “Sorry if that’s overstepping.”
She shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. It’s not like it’s a secret. The whole thing was just so … humiliating. He even had the nerve to ask me for the ring back as I packed everything I could carry into my car.”
My jaw tightens at the image. “What a class act.”
“Right?” She lets out a laugh that’s half-sigh. “I dropped the ring on the sidewalk; I couldn’t bear to hand it to him directly.”
“Good for you,” I say, meaning it.
We pause at an intersection, waiting for the light. The wind picks up, sending her hair dancing around her face. She tucks a strand behind her ear, and I find myself memorizing the gesture.
“Can I ask you something?” She looks up at me with curious eyes.
“Sure.” I shrug.
“How the heck are you still single?”
I groan. “I don’t know. I keep thinking I’ll meet someone and it’ll click, you know? But it never does.” I hesitate, not sure if I should admit the next part. “My longest relationship lasted six months. And even that was…” My voice trails off.
“Was what?” she insists.
“Mostly me trying to convince myself it was working when it clearly wasn’t,” I admit. “She was perfectly nice, but we had nothing in common. I think I just didn’t want to be alone.”
The light changes, and we start walking again. The street is quieter now, less crowded. Our voices seem louder in the relative stillness.
“I get that,” Brittany says softly. “Being alone is … scary.”
“Terrifying,” I agree. “Though maybe not as terrifying as being with the wrong person.”
She looks at me, her eyes searching mine. “You’re probably right.”
