My mom sent me on an errand to my brother’s place, to drop something off for his girlfriend. So I did what any sister would do: I barged right in. And was greeted by the sight of a half-naked god with abs so sharp they could cut glass. My brain short-circuited. But, hey, love is love. With a quavering voice and tears welling in my eyes, I managed to stammer, “So… you’re the lucky lady? Hi!” My brother’s voice, dripping with venom, echoed from behind me. “Full points for politeness, Ellie. But my actual girlfriend is standing right behind you.” Me: ??? 1. Oh. My. God. I whipped around to meet the gaze of my brother’s actual girlfriend—a woman with stunningly beautiful eyes. My face instantly went supernova-hot. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole, to randomly teleport me to another dimension. Anywhere but here. My brother, Ethan, grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, his voice a furious whisper in my ear. “Ellie, what in the hell is going on inside that head of yours?” Then he bent down, snatched a white T-shirt from the sofa, and chucked it at the guy. “Put this on, man. My girlfriend can’t stop staring.” A pang of grief shot through my heart. I couldn’t speak for his girlfriend, but my eyes were definitely glued. And I hadn't gotten a good enough look yet! The man just let out a low, amused chuckle. He casually pulled the shirt over his head, and a few drops of water from his damp hair flicked onto the back of my hand. They felt cool against my skin. “What are you doing back so early?” he asked Ethan. Ethan shot him a glare. “Mom called and said my little sister was on her way. I was worried her overactive imagination would conjure up some home invasion scenario, so I came back to make sure you were safe.” He paused, his voice dropping an octave. “Turns out, she imagined a boyfriend-in-law instead.” The last words were ground out between clenched teeth. I was being publicly shamed and didn't dare utter a single word in my defense. The guy, however, looked completely relaxed. He sized Ethan up with narrowed eyes. “Ethan, buddy,” he said, his tone laced with amusement. “Even if my tastes suddenly took a sharp left turn, you’re not exactly the kind of prize I’d be after.” “So, relax.” 2. Clearly, this was just their normal brand of banter. I’d actually heard about this Adonis before. He was my brother’s best friend and roommate from all four years of college—Raymond. After graduation, Ethan had proudly joined the 9-to-5 grind, while Raymond, thanks to his stellar academic record, landed a coveted spot in the graduate program at Bridgewater University, the top-ranked school in our state, which just happened to be near our home. Originally, Raymond had just asked Ethan to help him apartment-hunt. But then, as they were passing a coffee shop, some girl apparently “accidentally” twisted her ankle and stumbled right into Raymond’s arms, spilling her latte all over his jacket. She’d looked up at him, all apologies. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry about your jacket! Let me get your number, I’ll totally pay for the dry cleaning.” Her intentions were as transparent as glass. But Raymond was a walking, talking heart-shredder. He’d deadpanned, pulled out his phone, and opened his Venmo QR code. “That’ll be eight hundred and fifty-seven dollars.” The girl’s face went pale. “For a jacket? Are you kidding me? That’s robbery!” So Raymond simply pulled up the online receipt. After confirming the price, the girl decided to play dumb, turned on her heel, and practically sprinted away. Ethan recounted the story with theatrical flair, clearly enjoying every second of Raymond’s romantic misfortune. “The guy’s a total clean freak, so he was losing his mind over the coffee stain. My apartment was close, so I brought him up to take a shower. I even generously offered him one of my own shirts,” he said, puffing out his chest. I shook my head with a sigh. “That was a close one. He almost got a girlfriend.” It just goes to show, when God builds a man that perfect, he’s got to leave a screw loose somewhere. It was so obvious the girl wanted to hit on him, not pay for damages. Ethan put on a deep, thoughtful voice. “You don’t get it. This kind of thing happened to him constantly in college.” “He’d start the semester with a full wardrobe, and by the end, half of it would be ruined by coffee, wine, you name it.” That actually made sense. There are a million ways to show someone you’re interested. Damaging their property has to be the dumbest one. I nodded in agreement and muttered under my breath, “That’s got to be the oldest trick in the book. If it were me, I’d never do something so lame.” But my quiet little comment didn’t go unheard. A glint appeared in Raymond’s eyes. His smooth voice drifted down from above me. “So how do you do it?” “Me…?” I was at a loss for words, my gaze locking with his dark, intense eyes. His expression was curious, and genuinely serious. Staring up into that perfectly sculpted face, a face without a single flaw from any angle… My heart did something funny. It skipped a beat. 3. Raymond ended up renting the apartment directly above my brother’s. It was only two miles from the university campus and two miles from my parents' house. Despite the proximity, in all my time at school and around home, I had never once run into him. Zero times. The new semester started with a chaotic whirlwind of activities that left my head spinning. Among them was the soul-crushing news that I had not only flunked Calculus last semester but had just flunked the makeup exam as well. I wasn’t sure whether to question my own intelligence or blame my terrible luck. Seeing me sobbing like my life was over, my roommate, Chloe, had to physically restrain herself from laughing. To lift my spirits and pull me out of my academic death spiral, Chloe dragged me to a party her friends were throwing. It was a mix of students from all the universities in the area, a big crowd of people our age, and everyone was having a blast. Everyone except me. After losing three out of four rounds of party games and being forced to take shots, I was nearing my alcohol limit. I wisely waved the white flag and opted for a dare on the next round. One of the senior girls pointed a lazy finger toward a dark figure sitting at a corner table. “See that guy over there? The hot one. Go ask him if he wants to make out.” The dare was insane. And the atmosphere instantly exploded with excitement. I followed her finger, peering through the dim, shifting lights and hazy smoke. From this distance, surrounded by a sea of people, I couldn’t make out his face. But I could tell from his broad shoulders and the elegant, long-fingered hand wrapped around a glass that he had an… undeniable presence. Dozens of expectant eyes were on me. My stomach churned with a mix of dread and desperation. I didn’t want to be a buzzkill. It’s not like we were actually going to kiss. Steeling myself, I stood up. To hide my terror and not ruin the mood, I threw my shoulders back and marched over, my stride so determined that I could see the reflection of a soldier heading into battle on the glass cabinets. I reached his side, shut my eyes, and blurted it all out in one breath. “Hey, you’re really cute. Wanna make out?” Before he could even answer, I spoke again, my words tumbling out at twice the normal speed. “No? Okay, never mind then.” I spun around to leave. But just then, someone completely wasted stumbled past, bumping hard into my back. I lost my balance. My entire body pitched forward, and I landed, with impeccable, mortifying accuracy, right in the man’s lap. In a panic, I looked up and met a pair of eyes that were both achingly familiar and impossibly handsome. My lipstick brushed against the side of his face, leaving a faint, shimmering red mark. The dim lights swirled around us, casting his gaze in shadow as he looked down at me. We were so close I could feel the warmth of his breath mingling with mine. My heart went into overdrive. It wasn't until a large, warm hand settled on the small of my back to steady me that reality crashed back in. My heart plummeted into a black hole of despair. My face felt like stone. I was ready to say goodbye to this beautiful world. I screwed up. I screwed up big time. I just hit on my brother’s best friend. 4. Every cell in my body went rigid. The embarrassment was so total, so absolute, I just wanted to cease existing. But Raymond, it seemed, had no intention of letting me play dead. “Ellie,” he asked, his voice a low murmur. “Who exactly were you planning on kissing?” That simple question jolted me back to my senses. I shot up from his lap like a spring, pressing my palms together in a desperate plea. “Raymond, please! It was just a dare, I swear! Don’t tell my brother, okay? Please?” His eyes scanned me, his cool expression unreadable as he considered my request. But his reply had nothing to do with it. “You shouldn’t throw a word like ‘brother’ around so carelessly.” “Got it?” In the dim light of the bar, his deep voice seemed to take on a seductive, mesmerizing quality. The air around me suddenly felt thin. My heart was a chaotic mess. I nodded dumbly, but when I opened my mouth, the same stupid word came out. “But, bro, can you just…” I caught myself halfway through, cutting the word off. He turned his head slightly, extinguishing the half-smoked cigarette between his fingers. I couldn’t see his expression clearly in the shadows, but I heard it. A soft, almost imperceptible laugh. The alcohol must have been starting to really kick in, because my head was spinning faster. “You’ve been drinking,” Raymond stated. It wasn’t a question. Terrified he would report my drunken antics to Ethan, I tried to sound tough. “Just a little. Nothing I can’t handle.” He didn’t seem to get my underlying plea. “Just sit for a minute. Your brother’s on his way over anyway. You can have him take you back to your dorm or go home with him.” “My brother?” Every ounce of dizziness and that strange flutter in my chest vanished instantly. I was starting to think Raymond was threatening me. Blackmailing me. He was going to wait for Ethan to get here and then rat me out. He’d tell him how I behaved when I was drunk. How I’d shamelessly hit on him. My voice trembled. “He can’t know I’m here. I have to go, before he arrives.” I was in such a rush that I slammed my shin hard against the corner of the table. His hand shot out and closed around my wrist. A steady warmth seeped into my skin. “Don’t panic,” he said, his voice low and soothing. But then, a hint of amusement crept into his tone, the sound of someone enjoying the show. “I think you’re a little too late for that, Ellie-gator.” And right on cue, a familiar voice growled from behind me, each word dripping with menace. “Ellie. You’ve got some nerve. How is it that I run into you everywhere I go?” Oh, no. My life is over. Again. And again. And again. 5. I think I’m sick. Ever since that night, I can’t get Raymond out of my head. The ghost of his smirk, the way the light played in his dark eyes, the feeling of my lips brushing against his cheek… it all replays in my mind like an endless loop of pop-up ads. And with those memories comes this strange, electric current that zips through my chest. A wild, terrifying thought surfaced: Am I… developing a thing for my brother’s best friend? The realization sent another wave of horror through me. I was snapped out of my trance by my roommate, Chloe, grabbing my arm, her voice buzzing with excitement. “Ellie! The game’s over!” she squealed. “See that guy in the blue jersey? Number 9? That’s my crush. Isn’t he gorgeous?” She sighed dramatically. “I’m so bummed we missed him playing. I bet he looks amazing on the court.” Today was the Bridgewater University intramural basketball championship. Chloe had scored us passes to get onto campus, put on a full face of makeup, and dragged me along to be her personal cheerleader. But my Calculus professor had scheduled a last-minute review session, making us miss the entire game. By the time we rushed over, it was already ending. Chloe, a lovesick smile on her face, pulled out her phone. She was trying to zoom in on her crush’s face when the frame froze on another figure. She gasped. “Oh my god, it’s Raymond!” Her voice was a whirlwind of teenage angst and awe. All my distracted thoughts immediately evaporated, replaced by a sudden, sharp anxiety. “Wh-what?” Chloe didn’t notice my strange reaction. She excitedly shoved the phone into my hand. On the screen, a guy with perfectly messy hair stood bathed in the afternoon sun. His features were flawless, his tall frame lean and muscular under a white jersey. The golden hour light seemed to set him apart from the world, making him glow. My heart hammered against my ribs. Chloe was still babbling in my ear. “You seriously don’t know who he is? He’s basically a campus legend at Bridgewater. The hottest guy in the grad program. But he’s super aloof. They say the line of girls he’s rejected could circle the track three times. He’s the definition of ‘look but don’t touch’…” “Oh! My crush sees me! I gotta go give him his water! Talk later!” The power of love. This was a girl who acted like she was dying after running a hundred meters in gym class, yet in the blink of an eye, she had vanished into the throng of people on the court. She’d even forgotten her phone. My eyes fell back to the screen. Just as the phone was about to go dark, my finger tapped it awake. I zoomed in on the picture, my thumb swiping unconsciously. His eyes, the kind that seemed full of soul even when looking at a stray dog, filled the entire screen. It was almost like he was looking right at me. And in the next second, those very eyes were right in front of me. “Taking my picture?” I spun around in a panic. My hand jerked, and Chloe’s phone went flying. Time seemed to slow down as it tumbled through the air. I lunged for it. But it landed securely in a hand with long, elegant fingers. And my hand… …had latched onto the strong, steady wrist connected to that hand. His skin was warm beneath my palm. He tilted his head down, his eyelids slightly lowered. For a second, I thought I saw the corner of his mouth twitch into a smile. “Ellie, were you trying to destroy the evidence?” The slight curve of his lips sent my head spinning. “No, that’s not it.” Chloe’s phone was the newest model, top of the line, worth more than my tuition. I was just relieved. “I would never.” The words were out of my mouth before I realized how they sounded. I bit my lip. “I wasn’t taking a picture of you.” “Oh,” he said, his tone perfectly calm. But the amused glimmer in his eyes told me he didn't believe a word of it. “Well then—” Raymond drew the word out, his expression deceptively pleasant. “—are you planning on letting go of my wrist anytime soon?” Me: !!! Seriously. I’m done. This is the end for me. I snatched the phone back like it was a hostage and bolted, my feet moving faster than they ever had. As I fled, one of Raymond’s friends squeezed out of the crowd, a water bottle in hand. He nudged Raymond, watching my frantic escape with a look of bored familiarity. “Another one bites the dust? Seriously, man, you’re a one-man heartbreak machine.” Raymond’s reply was quiet. “She wasn’t.” His friend laughed. “What, is the world ending? Did hell freeze over?” “Or did the great Raymond finally decide to show off for someone?” From a short distance away, I heard Raymond’s casual, almost lazy response. “You never know.” My frantic footsteps faltered, as if my shoes were suddenly glued to the ground. A firework of hope exploded in my once-dead heart. He didn’t deny it. He! What did that mean!?
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