Craving My Brother's Best Friend (Bailey and Kaleb) novel Chapter 14

**The Night We Borrowed Fire from a Broken Star by Selvin Arlo Crest**
**Chapter 14**

**Bailey’s POV**

Perched on the edge of the beach, I curled my knees up to my chest, my gaze fixated on the relentless waves that rolled in, crashing against the shore with a thunderous roar.

The rhythmic sound should have offered some solace, a soothing balm for my troubled heart, but instead, it only intensified the turmoil within me.

My throat burned from the tears I had shed, a testament to the emotional storm I had just fled from—my own birthday party. I had barely mustered the courage to return home, only to pack my bags in a daze, my mind racing with thoughts I couldn’t quite articulate.

Tightening my embrace around my knees, I couldn’t shake the memories of last night that flooded my mind, each one more painful than the last. I had wanted to see the beach one final time before leaving, to etch this moment into my memory.

The sand shifted beside me, a subtle disturbance that I didn’t need to look at to identify. I already knew who it was.

Kaleb.

He settled down next to me, our bodies so close that I could feel the warmth radiating from him. It was both comforting and infuriating.

“Bailey…” he began, his voice tentative, like he was walking on eggshells.

“Can you leave me alone?” I shot back, my head snapping in his direction, my tone sharper than I intended.

Why did he have to have this power over me, this ability to manipulate my feelings with just his presence?

“Can you fucking get away from me?” I added, my voice dripping with frustration.

I could see his jaw tighten, his dark eyes fixed on me, as if he believed he had every right to invade my space and my thoughts.

“David said you’ve packed up,” he stated, his voice low and almost accusatory. “That you’re going home.”

I turned my head back to the ocean, refusing to meet his gaze, the weight of his words pressing down on me.

“And what’s that to you?” I yelled, the anger bubbling over.

“Why the hell are you leaving?” he pressed, leaning in closer, his breath warm against my skin.

The audacity of him to ask, when he already knew the answer.

I sprang to my feet, brushing the sand off my shorts, my heart racing as I prepared to storm off, desperate to escape before I said something I would regret. But, of course, he wouldn’t let me slip away that easily.

“Bailey!” he called out, standing up quickly to grab my arm.

I spun around, my breath coming in quick, uneven gasps.

“Kaleb!” I shouted back, my voice echoing across the beach, filled with frustration and hurt.

“Because of you! Because you fucking confuse me!” The words tumbled out, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. Hot tears blurred my vision, and I could feel the dam within me breaking.

He held my gaze, his grip on my arm unyielding, grounding me even as my world felt like it was spiraling out of control.

“I know it sounds foolish but… what are we?” I cried, my voice trembling.

“I didn’t want to ask. I swore I wouldn’t, but I can’t keep pretending. One moment we’re kissing, doing things, and the next…”

I lowered my voice, barely a whisper. “The next someone is blowing you in my room on my birthday.”

Tears streamed down my face, each drop a testament to the agony I felt, but I didn’t care.

In a fit of frustration, I struck his chest with both hands, again and again. “What are we? Tell me!”

He caught my wrists in a firm grip, holding them against his chest, his breathing heavy and uneven.

“You’re Bailey,” he finally said, his voice rough and raw.

“My best friend’s sister.”

The words hit me like a slap.

That’s it? Was that all I was to him?

My lips parted, but no sound emerged. I was too stunned, too hurt to articulate the turmoil swirling inside me.

“That’s it,” he repeated softly, as if trying to soften the blow. “What were you expecting? That I’d date you?”

My stomach churned at the implication.

He shook his head, his expression resolute. “Of course not. I’d never do something like that to someone who’s… like my little sister.”

I recoiled, my body trembling as his words echoed in my mind. Little sister.

Was that truly all I was to him?

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