Jake is five years older than me, but I never called him "Brother." I watched him date girl after girl, dutifully calling each one "Sister-in-law." On my 22nd birthday, I waited all day, but Jake never showed up. That night, I made a wish: to stop loving him. When I went downstairs to take out the trash, I saw a familiar figure. It was Jake’s best friend, Wes. "Wes? What are you doing here?" "Jake got caught up. He asked me to drop off your gift." "Oh. Thanks. Where's yours?" He smiled. "I prepared two options. You answer my question first, then I'll decide which one to give you." "Summer, loving him is exhausting, isn't it? Why not try someone else? How about being my girlfriend?" 1 I stared at Wes in shock. When did he figure out I liked Jake? I thought I hid it perfectly. I never showed a hint of jealousy in front of Jake. "Wes, I don't know what you mean." He pressed his lips together. He was smiling, but his eyes looked nervous. "Let me rephrase. "Summer Lin, I like you. "I'm asking if you'd give me a chance. Will you go out with me?" But he's Jake's best friend. The first time I met Jake when I was five, Wes was right there next to him. Technically, I've known Wes for seventeen years too. I stared at his face, suddenly remembering the wish I made tonight. Wes chuckled under my gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that? "Am I causing you trouble?" I shook my head. Not trouble, just... surprise. Wes is different from Jake. In all the years I've known him, I don't think I've ever seen him date anyone. For a while, I even thought he might be my rival for Jake's affection. Meanwhile, Jake never had a shortage of women. Thinking of that, my heart stung again. After the sharp pain faded, I looked at him and said: "I literally just wished to stop being single tonight, and here you are, delivered to my doorstep. "Wes, you must be sent by fate. "So I'll follow destiny. Let's date!" Wes froze, seemingly surprised that I actually agreed. After staring at me for a moment, he smiled. He turned to his car and pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift box. He handed it to me. "This one is for my girlfriend." 2 I opened it right in front of him. It was a necklace encrusted with small diamonds. It looked expensive. "This is too much, isn't it?" I knew his family was wealthy, but usually for birthdays, his gifts were on par with whatever Jake gave me. When it was his birthday, I'd return the favor with something similar. Wes stepped closer and ruffled my hair. "For you, it's not expensive." As he got closer, a faint scent of cologne drifted over. It was different from Jake's scent. His was colder, like bitter lemon filled with ice. I quietly stepped back, creating some distance. Just as I was thinking about how to return the gift, Wes's phone rang. "Wes, did you deliver the gift?" The night was quiet, so Jake's voice came clearly through the receiver. Along with the laughter of a girl next to him. "Yeah, delivered." Wes kept his eyes on me while he spoke. I felt inexplicably awkward. I looked away, but my ears were still tuned to the call. "Good. I called Summer earlier and she didn't pick up. Thought she might be mad." Wes chuckled low. "No, she went downstairs to throw out the trash and didn't bring her phone." "Makes sense. She's soft-hearted, never stays mad at me. "Wait, how do you know she didn't bring her phone? Is she right there? Put her on." I turned around immediately, terrified Wes would hand me the phone. I just agreed to be his girlfriend. Talking to Jake right now felt wrong on so many levels. Unexpectedly, Wes turned his back to me and lowered his voice: "She can't talk right now. If you have something to say, tell me, I'll pass it on." "Just wish her a happy birthday. Tell her to try and find a boyfriend this year. Every time I take her out to eat, I have to explain she's my little sister so people don't misunderstand." Jake's teasing voice casually voiced my deepest embarrassment. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. Wes laughed softly into the phone. "That won't be a problem anymore." Jake paused for two seconds, his voice turning cold. "What do you mean? She's dating someone?" Wes stepped forward and with his free hand, took mine. I froze, wanting to pull away, but he interlaced our fingers tightly. Wes looked down into my eyes and said quietly: "Yeah. She's with me. She's my girlfriend now. If that's all, I'm hanging up." 3 After hanging up, Wes didn't let go of my hand. "Any plans for tomorrow?" I stared at the ground and whispered no. "Then I'll pick you up tomorrow. We'll go out. It's getting cold tonight, you should go up." I nodded. When he finally let go, I practically fled towards the building. Wes called out from behind me: "Summer, you won't regret it, right?" I stopped, but didn't dare look back. "I won't." "Good. If you do, I'll have to start pestering you." My face heated up. I walked into the elevator without turning back. When I got home, sure enough, there were missed calls from Jake. And a barrage of texts. [Happy Birthday, Summer.] [I was busy, so I asked Wes to drop off the gift since he was passing by.] [Are you guys together?] [When did this happen?] [Why didn't you tell me?] [I never saw you two talking much, how did you end up dating?] [Did he pressure you? Are you afraid to say no? Don't be scared, I'll talk to him.] I looked at the messages. My chest felt tight. I couldn't describe the feeling. The satisfaction of revenge? Guilt towards Wes? Or was it unwillingness, grievance... After deliberating for a long time, I replied with a simple "Yeah." Jake immediately tried to call. But I didn't want to answer, so I declined. Jake sent another message. [Summer, have you really thought this through?] I have. I don't want to like you anymore. Another message popped up. [Do you like him?] I don't know. The Wes I knew always seemed distant at gatherings. But that superior face and cold temperament always attracted attention. Tonight, he was the one who confessed. Besides the surprise, I was a little panicked. Now that I've calmed down, I feel like agreeing was a bit impulsive. But maybe Wes isn't a bad choice. Jake called again when I didn't reply. I accidentally answered. "Summer, are you really with Wes?" Jake sounded anxious over the phone. So he can panic too? I gave a low "Mmhmm." I heard him curse in frustration. "Did Wes force you? That bastard knows you're like a sister to me, and he still made a move!" "Summer, you don't have to be afraid of him, I'll talk to him—" I cut him off. "I'm not afraid of him. He said he likes me, so I said yes." And you never said you liked me. So, why are you angry? Jake's anger cut off abruptly. Then came the sound of something shattering. A woman's frightened voice screamed, asking what was wrong. Suddenly, all my complicated emotions vanished. Jake belongs to any woman. But he will never belong to me. I should have seen that clearly a long time ago. I looked at the necklace Wes gave me. I whispered: "Jake, I thought you would be happy for me." I used to just call him Jake. He said it was rude. Why did I call Wes "Brother Wes" but not him? But now that I called him Brother, he wasn't happy either. Rustling sounds came from the other end, Jake's voice sounded tight. "Summer, wait for me. I'm coming back now. We need to talk face to face." The call ended, and a message from Wes popped up. [Summer, if Jake comes back for you, don't be soft-hearted, okay?] [Give me some face. Date me for at least a week.] I imagined the expression on Wes's face as he typed that. Probably helpless, with a hint of indulgence. I couldn't help but smile. I replied with a "Okay." 4 The next morning around nine, Wes called to ask if I was up. I hadn't fully woken up yet. "What's up, Wes?" I heard a soft chuckle on the other end. "Forgot as soon as you woke up, huh?" I suddenly remembered I agreed to go on a date with him last night. I sat up immediately. "Ah, I haven't forgotten. I'm getting up now." Wes's smile deepened in his voice. "It's okay, no rush. Let me know when you're ready." After hanging up, my heart pounded. I buried my face in my hands, regretting everything. Every time I met Wes before, Jake was there. Oh right, speaking of Jake. He said he was coming back to find me today. The more I thought about it, the messier it felt. I didn't know what kind of crazy fit he was throwing, getting so agitated at the news of me and Wes. He doesn't like me. Why does he care who I'm with? Last night on the phone, I clearly heard a woman's voice next to him. I adjusted my mood and set Jake's notifications to "Do Not Disturb." I forced myself not to think about him. Since I agreed to be with Wes, I should focus on that. When I got dressed and went downstairs, I saw Wes's car parked outside. He was leaning against the car door. Wearing a cashmere coat, standing lazily. His indifferent face broke into a smile the moment he saw me. He walked towards me. "Wes, sorry, I overslept." He hummed an acknowledgement. "So how do you plan to make it up to me?" I didn't expect him to say that and froze on the spot. "Uh, I'll buy you dinner?" He smiled and came over to take my hand. "Sure. But I'd prefer if you agreed to another condition." I didn't know what condition Wes would propose. But being late for the first date was indeed rude. I could only bite the bullet and agree. "Okay, name it. As long as I can do it." "Change how you address me. Don't call me Brother Wes anymore." "Huh? Then what do I call you?" "Just Wes." After he said it, he looked down at me. There was a faint expectation in his eyes. I said the name in my heart. When I tried to say it out loud, it felt foreign. "W-Wes." My voice was tiny. But he heard it. The smile on his lips deepened, and he responded seriously. "Yeah, I'm here." Leaving aside our relationship status... Wes's face really was lethal when he smiled. Especially knowing that smile was because of me. It made me even shyer. I blushed and changed the subject. "Let's go eat. I'm starving." Wes took my hand without a word. He seemed to really like interlacing fingers. He held my hand like that last night when I agreed to date him. But I wasn't used to it. After lunch, Wes dragged me to an art exhibition. "Wes, aren't you here on a business trip? If work is busy, we don't have to go to the exhibit. You should go back." His family wanted him to go back and manage the company. But he said he wanted to start his own business before he turned thirty. Before, whenever there was a gathering, he would sit for a bit and leave. During the meal, he'd be constantly answering calls and emails. In my impression, he was a CEO busier than a workhorse. But during lunch today, he didn't look at his phone once. And now he wanted to take me to an art exhibit. Wes casually said he finished his work last night. Today's time belonged to me. I blushed, pretending to be calm. "Wes, I'm not a child. I don't need you to accompany me." "Oh. Well, I'm a child. I need you to accompany me." Help, my face is burning.
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