Best Friend’s Brother: Best Friend's Brother Romance Read online

  “Yeah, and I will. But I know you both. I’m not having my friendship ruined over some guy.”

  “Again, your brother, not just some guy.”

  Lauryn leaned back into her restful spot on the couch.

  “You know I care about her. I’m not looking to hurt her.”

  “So why not take any of the regular ‘hey let’s start dating’ steps?”

  “I’m not sure what I want right now…” Jakob let his voice trail off. He looked like he was lost in thought now.

  “Does this have anything to do with Carla Mennez?” Lauryn raised an eyebrow at him. She didn’t think it did, but it didn’t hurt to ask. The thought made her stomach tighten.

  “Why does not being sure about someone equate to ‘it’s probably because they’re thinking about someone else’?”

  “Because big bro, it usually is,” Lauryn closed her eyes and yawned again. Jakob let out a sigh, but said nothing else. He had too many things and too many people on his mind. Everyone wanted something from him, but no one had said what they wanted for him. It was a game that he remembered playing in high school when there were a bunch of Sophomores and Juniors after him.

  “Remember Jennifer Lowe?” Lauryn opened her eyes and lifted her head. She was wide awake now. She shifted in the couch so that she was facing her brother. He had to adjust his outstretched legs again. Jakob groaned at the mention of the name.

  “Yeah…”

  “And what happened with that?” Lauryn said accusingly.

  “Can we not talk about that?”

  “No, no I’m gonna talk about it. Remember she liked you, and she wanted to go out with you, and then you sent her a rose as a secret admirer. Why did you do that?”

  Jakob was scoffing and making unusual groaning noises while Lauryn spoke. He pretended to cover his ears with his hands. Lauryn reached over, and they started wrestling. She managed to pin him down and keep his arms still with her knees.

  “I know it was you who sent it to her. Why were you such an asshole?”

  “I wasn’t an asshole. I knew she liked me. I wanted her to not like me, so I turned the attention on a mystery man.”

  “Yeah. A mystery man who never came. A mystery man who she is probably still waiting for to this day,” Lauryn said dramatically.

  Jakob laughed and got one of his hands free. He tickled Lauryn til she got off, and sat in her little section of the couch.

  “Life’s not like one of your romantic comedies, Snow.”

  “I know right? And isn’t it a damn shame? Whatever happened to her anyway?”

  “Last I heard, she moved to Minnesota.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I told you. I wasn’t an asshole. I just didn’t think it would be a good idea for her to like me. I made sure she was ok after the rose and stuff. She seemed to be.”

  Lauryn smiled up at her brother. He was a different breed of human being. Track star and wide receiver for their school’s football team; he was funny and wanted by so many girls in high school. He would still get stared at once in a while if he went out. There was still magic there.

  Lauryn was proud of him for not letting his looks or his talents get to him. He was the popular guy who would talk to the nerd and invite them to the party. He was the kind of guy who would send a girl a rose to make her feel wanted, even if not by him. He was the kind of guy who could make even the saddest heart smile.

  “Don’t give me that look. How is Mr. Doctor?”

  “Dr. Mathers is wonderful,” Lauryn said with a smile. She hugged herself.

  “Go on,” Jakob raised both of his eyebrows.

  “Nothing to report. We’re good. Things are good.”

  “Yeah, but how does that work? You haven’t told me anything about him. You kind of have a head start with all the women in my life.”

  “Well, Ryan and I met on my way to the bookstore. He saw the books I had in my hand, and just made mention of them. I don’t know a lot of people who’ve read Jonathan Norrell and Mr. Strange,” she was still smiling. She was reliving the memory in her mind. “He’s so funny too.”

  “Funnier than me?” Jakob grinned wide.

  “Gross. Way funnier. He actually has a sense of humor,” Lauryn laughed.

  “Does he make you happy?” Jakob’s expression had turned serious. Lauryn stopped laughing, but she smiled and thought about it.

  “So happy. I can’t remember anyone making me this happy.”

  Lauryn had her fair share of heartbreak in her college years. In her first year, she met a Microbiology major named Sadie. Sadie seemed sweet, but she was a serial cheater. Lauryn, with her forgiving nature and her belief that everyone can change if they realize they’re hurting someone enough, let that relationship last for more than a year. She didn’t let anyone know how much it affected her. Lauryn considered Sadie to be her first love.

  “And do you make him happy?” Trust Jakob to ask something like that. He always wanted to make sure that everyone involved in a situation was ok.

  “Yeah. I think he really loves me.”

  “I’m sure he does. I can tell by the way he looks at you. You’ve got a good thing going, Snow.”

  Lauryn thanked him. They sat silently for a while, enjoying each other’s company. Lauryn was so happy to have her brother home safe. She didn’t have to worry about the next time he would be deployed.

  “I really really hope you find the girl of your dreams, Jake,” she moved closer to him, and put her head on his chest. His eyes were closed, but he nodded and said nothing more.

  It wasn’t long before the two of them passed out on the living room couch.

  Chapter Six

  This summer was proving to be hotter than the last. By the middle of July, most of the people in town were outside of their homes. There were sprinklers out in almost every yard. It was shorts and tank top weather.

  Zooey and Lauryn had spent the most part of the last few weeks catching up and spending time together. They would go out with Jakob and Ryan sometimes. It felt like nothing had changed since they were younger. And Ryan fit in with them so well. He could have grown up with them too with the way he got their jokes and knew how to hold his own around them.

  “Morning sunshine!” Lauryn was at Zooey’s door with Ryan. Jakob was in the car. He was the chauffeur for the day. Carla had invited the people from their high school who were in town to a day by the lake on her property. Lauryn and Zooey were skeptical when they got the invite, but Jakob was all smiles. He thought it would be a great opportunity for all the women he cared about to finally have a chance to get along.

  “Hey guys, gimme a sec,” Zooey had on bright yellow sunglasses. She picked up a large tote bag.

  “Wait, I’m here for some yogurt,” Lauryn moved past her and into the house. She jogged to the kitchen and got a cup of yogurt from the fridge. She didn’t bother to get a spoon. Lauryn had a bright pink straw in her hand, and she pushed it through the lid.

  Ryan helped Zooey with her bag, and put it in the trunk of the car. He and Lauryn sat in the backseat, and Zooey got into the front. Jakob took off his seatbelt to lean over and give Zooey a kiss. Lauryn “Ooooooed” childishly from the back. She slurped her yogurt when the two in the front gave her a dirty look.

  Jakob put his seatbelt back on and started the car; they made their way to the Mennez house.

  *

  “You guys made it! Great,” Carla greeted all of them with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She held out her hand to formally greet Ryan, and he took it and gave it a squeeze. Zooey relaxed. Carla did seem like a nicer version of herself. She didn’t want the past to dictate how she felt about someone.

  There were a few other friends from high school. Some came with their significant others or their kids. Most of them were from the same grade as Carla and Jakob, but a few remembered Lauryn and Zooey.

  Zooey moved over to her spot under the oak tree. She took a blanket out of her bag and spread it out. Lauryn and Jakob j
oined her, and Ryan was already in the lake basking in it.

  “Hi Jakob,” it was Jennifer Lowe. She had blossomed out of an awkward stage from high school. She was now a meteorologist on a popular network in Minnesota.

  “Jennifer hey,” Jakob got up from the blanket and gave her a warm hug.

  “Oh wow, I didn’t even realize that that was your sister. Hi Lauryn,” Jennifer said. Lauryn waved from where she was sitting. “And Zooey. Hi.”

  Zooey was a bit more polite than Lauryn. She stood up next to Jakob and gave Jennifer a hug. They talked for a bit, catching up. Jennifer was mostly interested in Jakob and how he had been since the war. It was obvious that there was a little bit of a crush still there.

  “What about love? Are any of you married?” Jennifer asked. She had a drink in her hand, and she twirled her swizzle stick around in it nervously. The ice clanked together in the little cup.

  “Well, my man’s Mr. Michael Phelps over there,” Lauryn pointed out at the water. Ryan had just done a somersault into the water from a dock. He looked up at them to see if Lauryn was watching. Lauryn clapped and waved at him. “He’s a pediatrician.”

  Zooey didn’t know what to say. She shot Jakob a nervous glance. When their eyes met they smiled and both looked down.

  “Zooey and I are…” Jakob started. He put a hand on the small of her back and flashed her a smile. Zooey blushed and kept her head down.

  “Oh, oh!” Jennifer said. She nodded her head vigorously and smiled. “That’s great! I always knew you two would end up together.”

  Jennifer was really nice. She didn’t let anything get to her. She even joined them on their blanket and spent a lot of the afternoon talking to them.

  The majority of the people were either in the lake or closer to the house. Carla was doing her job of being hostess and was mostly inside bringing out food and other refreshments. Jakob left everyone on the blanket for a bit to go inside to help.

  “So, Zooey, how long have you and Jakob been an item?” Jennifer asked.

  “Since the 6th grade, they just didn’t know it,” Lauryn laughed.

  “We’re not officially an item. We’re kind of just seeing how things work out,” Zooey admitted. That was when Ryan joined them. He introduced himself to Jennifer, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He sat on the blanket beside Lauryn and kissed her on the head.

  There was loud laughter coming from the direction of the house. Jakob and Carla both had trays of food, and they were talking and laughing for a while before going to the picnic tables to put them down. Carla laughed again, and playfully pushed Jakob. He blushed and laughed too. Zooey could feel her face getting hot, but she didn’t say anything or act like this was something bothering her. She had no right to be upset. Jakob didn’t belong to her, and he clearly was a good enough person to want to be friends with his ex-girlfriend.

  Jakob was coming back over to them, and Carla was with him. She linked arms with him. Lauryn looked over at Zooey, who was looking down and playing with her fingernails. Lauryn knew that Zooey had seen them.

  “Hey,” Lauryn tapped Zooey on the shoulder and whispered in her ear. “Don’t let it get to you.”

  “Is everybody having a good time?” Carla smiled at each of them when she was within earshot. She put a hand on Jakob’s stomach and rubbed it before letting go of him and unlinking their arms.

  “It’s great. Thank you for inviting us,” Jennifer said pleasantly. She took a sip of her drink from her straw, oblivious when it came to the tension that hung heavy in the air.

  “Yeah, it’s a beautiful day. Thanks,” Zooey said. Her voice was low, but she tried to sound as genuine as she possibly could. Jakob held out both hands, and Zooey took them and stood up. He kept hold of her hands even when she stood.

  “Wanna go for a walk with me?” he asked like there was no one else around them. Zooey stared into his blue eyes. He didn’t take his eyes off of her. Lauryn grinned like a dope from the blanket, but didn’t say anything. Zooey nodded.

  “First stop, hot wings. Excuse us ladies. And Ryan,” Jakob saluted everyone. Ryan saluted back. Carla’s smile was plastic, but she wished them a good walk. She insisted they didn’t go too far away because there would be games later.

  “You’re really proud of your hot wings huh?” Zooey giggled. Jakob kissed one of her hands.

  “I was proud of my hot wings at the barbecue. These are all Carl. She still makes them the best.”

  “Did she teach you?”

  “She sure did. Have one,” Jakob pinned a wing down with a plastic fork and brought it up. Zooey used her hand to take the piece off of the fork, and she took a bite. Her eyes widened. It was the best thing she’d ever tasted. She grabbed Jakob’s fork and a styrofoam plate and took up a few more wings.

  “I’m glad you guys can still be friends,” Zooey said.

  “Me too. She’s probably the best friend I have now,” he turned to look behind him. Carla was sitting on Zooey’s blanket, and she looked like she was having a conversation with Lauryn. Lauryn didn’t look like she was about to throw a punch, so that meant that things were going well. Zooey really didn’t have anything to worry about. She trusted Jakob, she even trusted Carla; what she wanted to figure out was if she trusted herself and her own emotions.

  “That’s so weird,” Zooey admitted. Jakob laughed.

  “How so?”

  “I dunno. Look at me and Lauryn.”

  “I had no idea you guys were the poster girls for best friendship,” Jakob laughed again.

  “We should be. I look racially ambiguous too, we should have our own poster.”

  “Or sitcom,” Jakob shook his head and rolled his eyes. He picked up a chicken wing from Zooey’s plate and took a bite. They continued with their walk.

  Zooey felt a bit more at ease now. She felt like there was at least a label for what she and Jakob were, if only she knew just what that label actually was.

  They walked in the opposite direction of the barn. Zooey wasn’t feeling anxious anymore. Jakob never made her nervous. She would always be grateful for him for that. They were about to step into the miniature orchard. There were peach and apple trees in rows along the way. The trees were bearing fruit, and there were large wooden fruit baskets under the trees. Some had fruits in them, and others were empty.

  Jakob picked up a peach and took a bite. He closed his eyes to take in all of the flavor. He reached into another basket and took a peach out for Zooey too. She was busy with her last hot wing, but she took the peach happily.

  “Give me a song,” Jakob said.

  “Give you a song? How does one give one a song?” Zooey’s mouth was half full and she paused for a second to lick hot sauce from her fingers.

  “I meant sing me something. Or at least give me some new music.”

  “Does new have to mean 2014 or just new to you?”

  “New to me.”

  “I’ve been listening to Gregory Porter lately. He’s a jazz musician. I think you’d like On My Way to Harlem. It’s a bit fast paced,” Zooey started snapping her fingers and humming along to a beat that only she knew.

  “Brave enough to sing it?” he’d never heard her sing. She only really let Lauryn hear anything she’d ever recorded or worked on, but Zooey rarely tried public singing.

  “I’d feel more brave trying to sing Painted On Canvas, which is arguably one of Gregory Porter’s best. The drum beat is soft, and lazy, and inviting.”

  Jakob watched Zooey intently when she spoke. Her eyes lit up when she was talking about music. She was so passionate about it. Jakob loved to watch her explain songs or describe musicians. He urged her to give a little sample. She’d been talking about Gregory Porter for the last few weeks; he wanted to see if she could do him justice.

  Zooey started to snap her fingers and hum the intro of the song. Her face was red, but she didn’t look too worried. She sung out the first notes, being sure to keep up with the beat with the snap of her fingers. She turned to look at Ja
kob when she got to the chorus.

  “Step back and admire my view. Can I use the colors I choose? Do I have some say what you use? Can I get some greens and some blues?” her eyes were closed now. She was completely enraptured with the song. Her voice sounded like it was floating. It was beautiful. Jakob applauded when she stopped.

  “Amazing. I loved it. I’ll definitely check him out,” his words made her smile. Zooey took him by the hand, and moved closer for a kiss. Just before their lips met, from across the lake, came a bloodcurdling scream.

  Chapter Seven

  “How did I know I was actually gonna puke on her?” Lauryn whined. They were on their way back from Carla’s house.