Brother’s Best Friends Are My Mates novel Chapter 18

Lia

I was mad at my brother. He knew it, I knew it, and the entire world knew it. Since he left a few days ago, I have been ignoring his text messages but finally, the guilt started to get me. One morning, about a week after he left, I decided to respond to one of his text messages. My brother just wanted to know how I was doing so I should do that for him.

But god I was tempted to leave him on read or something. It was easier to ignore him than have any type of serious conversation. My brother was just doing what he thought he needed to do. However, I missed him. Why couldn’t he just stay here?

My phone vibrated again, reminding me that I had to answer the text or at least swipe it off my screen sooner rather than later. Hey, how’s it going? Settling in with the guys okay? -M

Do you mean the four people you invited to move in with me? -L

Oh, come on, Lia. They’re your mates. -M

Future mates. Not mates yet. Significant difference. -L

Semantics. -M

It’s not semantics when they’re all trying to figure out how to live together without killing each other—and now I’m the one caught in the middle. -L

You’ll handle it. You’re great at managing people. -M

Because I had you here as a buffer! -L

Wait, what? -M

You heard me. I relied on you to keep the peace. -L

You’re saying I was your buffer? -M

Yes, Michael. That’s exactly what I’m saying. You made it easier for me to handle all of them. And now you’re gone, and I’m drowning. -L

Lia, that’s not fair. You’re stronger than this. You don’t need me to hold your hand. -M

It’s not about needing you to hold my hand. It’s about you dropping this whole situation on me and bailing. -L

Bailing? Are you serious right now? I stayed as long as I could. You knew this was coming. -M

Did I? You never actually asked how I felt about you are leaving. -L

You didn’t say you wanted me to stay, Lia. -M

Because I shouldn’t have to! -L

I had to move on, Lia. You know that. -M

I know. -L

Then why are you so mad? -M

Because you’re my brother, and I feel abandoned. But also? I get it. You deserve to live your life. -L

Lia… -M

No, it’s fine. Really. I’ll figure this out. -L

I’m sorry if I made this harder for you. -M

You did. But I forgive you. Just… don’t disappear completely, okay? -L

I won’t. I’m always a call away. -M

You better mean that, Michael. -L

I do. -M

Good. Now, do you have any advice for getting Matt to not take over every group decision? -L

Good luck with that one. -M

Wow. So helpful. -L

What can I say? You’ve got this, Lia. -M

The two of us were going to be okay, but it was difficult without my brother here. I would be lying that if I didn’t admit having him here made things easier. How was I going to handle having these four guys here with me alone?

It wasn’t like I thought they would hurt me, but I was still nervous.

What was I going to do?

I sighed and forced myself out of bed. Right now, I was going to take it day by day, choosing to fight my battles depending on the day. This was the easiest way to survive living here with these four men who were my mates.

Today was Saturday morning. I didn’t have to go to school so the only thing I could do was leave my bedroom and head downstairs.

It smelled like something was burning when I first got down the stairs. I panicked, rushing into the kitchen to find Rain pouting and Matt glaring at him.

This guilt was making it impossible for me to handle the fact that we were now mates. I had to get past that because letting myself overcome this guilt wasn’t going to help anything. It was going to do nothing but make things more awkward for us.

“I don’t know if I can forgive and forget, but I can try to move forward,” Lia said after a while.

The table was set and the food was almost done. I turned towards her, a hesitant smile playing on my lips.

“I can work with that.”

I reached for one of the plates, our hands brushing against each other. This warmth followed through my body as I took in the first touch I had taken of my future wife. Neither of us had so much as laid a hand on one another. The other guys probably had touched her in some capacity, but I was trying to avoid it.

It was easier to avoid touching a future mate even though my body had ached for it. Lia froze, looking at me with a mixed expression on her face. But I made myself smile, trying to make myself non-threatening as possible. She relaxed a bit.

“We should finish setting the table and then call Rain down. He’s probably starving to death.”

I snorted. “Yeah, he’s probably starving. The guy hasn’t eaten in what four hours?”

“He eats in the middle of the night?”

“I’ve shared a room with him before, Lia. Trust me when I say that it’s entirely possible that he grabbed something to eat in the middle of the night. The guy gets hungry at random moments so don’t be surprised by that.”

She sighed softly. “Well, why don’t you go tell him? I’ll finish setting everything out.”

When I got upstairs, Rain was already waiting at his door. He opened it up, grinning at me. I didn’t even have to knock!

“Rain, you scared the crap out of me!” I muttered, glaring at him.

“Is the food ready? I think I heard the toaster ding, which is good. It means I didn’t ruin it.”

I sighed. “I’m sure the household could afford a toaster. If you haven’t noticed Lia and Michael are well off.”

Not that I was bragging about this. It was true, but none of that mattered to me. She could have no money and I wouldn’t care.

“Okay so is it ready…?”

“Rain, yes it’s ready.”

I rolled my eyes as he rushed past me, shaking my head in amusement. The guy could sometimes act like a kid, but that wasn’t a dreadful thing. It kept all of us amused.