Page 53 of My Brother’s Best Friends Entanglement

I stop.

There's a universe out there somewhere where I walk past that tiny sliver of hope and go to my own room. But it's not this one.

Before I can stop myself, I take two steps to her door and rap my knuckles against the wood. I regret it instantly, I'm not even fucking dressed, nothing but a thin layer of terry cloth between my very naked bits and the rest of the world.

Yeah, Zachary, you've lost your mind, I tell myself. I'm already turning, already rehearsing a line about hearing a noise, checking she's all right, just in case the universe wants to assert its dominance and have her answer the door. Which she does.

The door cracks open, hardly any more light spilling out. But enough to make my mouth run dry then flood with want. She's peering out of the ajar door, enough for me to see she's in a strappy little pink top the colour of the inside of a shell, tiny plaid shorts that barely cover what needs to be covered, and her hair dragged up into a bun with two pens speared through it. She's squinting, her face bare, even of her glasses. Ink smudges along the side of one hand, a bandaid on the pinky of the other. And in this moment, if someone asked me what I would give to have her, I'd offer my last breath. Happily, gladly.

"Hey." She tilts her head, taking me in the same way I just took her in. Except she's dealing with a half-naked bartender dripping water onto her floor for no good reason. "What's up?" She's not smiling, exactly. But she doesn't look unhappy.

Good question, Zachary. Maybe that's the answer you should've prepared.

"Nothing." I clear my throat. "I... er. You up for a way-later-than-midnight snack?"

She looks at me, takes in my face, my hair, then my attire...or lack thereof, and considers it. Then she nods. "Yeah, sure." She starts stepping back into the room. "Let me change into something⁠—"

"No." It's out before I've thought it through, low and a fraction too fast. "You're — you look perfect. Don't change a thing. Me on the other hand," I say with a chuckle. "Just let me throw something on and I'll meet you in the kitchen?"

She gives me a little nod and I practically jog to my room, clutching the towel at my hips

She's already in the kitchen when I come back dressed now in navy striped pyjama pants and a white Tee. In my hands I grip a pair of socks with Highwater’s logo printed on them.

"Tea?" I ask her, plopping the socks on the kitchen island in front of her.

"Er. Sure," she says, a little apprehensive as she stares down at the socks. "But I'll make it. You've been making drinks all night."

"Nope, I want to. Least I can do for your company." I gesture to the socks. "Brought those for you — we had them printed as merch, but they're so soft the staff kept stealing them. Only a few pairs left, but I thought they'd keep your feet warm padding round this cold kitchen at night."

She picks up the socks, turns them over, and slips them on, murmuring a soft, "Thank you."

I make the tea in silence, my back to her, feeling her eyes on me, not wanting to turn around, just enjoying being near her. A few minutes later I set down a tray, with a clear teapot and then I drop a ball of dried leaves into it.

She watches it with interest.

"Have you seen one of these before?" I ask.

She shakes her head.

I smile — something about sharing this with her fills me with warmth. "It's a bloom tea." I point to slowly opening ball. "Just watch."

She keeps her eyes trained on the leaves slowly soaking in the pot, growing, unfurling into a marigold blossom. "So beautiful," she whispers under her breath.

After a few minutes, the water colours and I know we can drink it. I pour two small cups and push one over to her. I wait for her to cup hers in her hands before I pick mine up.

"This one is marigold and jasmine," I tell her.

We drink in unison, and I watch her eyes flutter closed as the tea fills her mouth with that fragrance and she lets out a little sigh.

I smile.

"Oh, one more thing." I grab the container off the other end of the island. "I brought this home for you."

Her eyes widen as I open the takeaway box and grab a knife from the drawer, laying it in front of her. "What is it?"

"It's a banana bread lava cake. Priya made it. I saved a piece for you."

Her brow furrows. "For me?"