Filed To Story: Craving The Wrong Brother Book PDF Free by Elysian Sparrow
Silence.
I lean my head into my hand, rubbing at my temple with the heel of my palm. I don’t have the energy to reopen wounds or unearth years of therapy work
“Tell you what,” I say. “Why don’t I think about it?”
“That’d be lovely, Sloane. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Have fun in Asheville”
“I’ll try.”
“I love you, Sloanie-bug”
I pause. Like I always do. I can hear her breathing on the other end of the line, waiting, like she always does too, hoping today would be the day I say it back.
“Bye, Mom.”
I end the call.
I exhale and reach for some toilet paper, finish my business, and shuffle toward the sink. I look like a washed-out goth mermaid in a horror movie-smudged mascara, frizzed-out hair, and eyes that scream bad decisions.
Time to shower, eat something, and then casually rip Finn a new one for agreeing to a blind date for me.
I freshen up, towel off the shame, throw on denim shorts and a T-shirt with a sarcastic “404: Motivation Not Found” logo, and head out of the room.
I don’t get far.
Because I slam straight into a very broad chest.
I look up-and for a brief, gut-wrenching second-I think it’s Knox.
Am I hallucinating him now?
His face is just as chiseled. Just as handsome. Except… the eyes. The blueness is different. Lighter. Sharper.
And the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes tell me this man is older. Much older.
He stares at me with suspicion.
“Uhh… who are you? Did you break in?”
Excuse me?
“Break in?” I echo. “How would someone break into this house?”
Just then, a loud female voice comes from down the hall. She’s laughing. A door swings open, and out walks a vision of grace. A stunning woman with elegant curls and a silk robe, smiling as she clings to Finn. I recognize her instantly. Finn’s mom, Victoria Hartley. Guess this means his parents are back from their vacation. Which would also imply that the brooding man who just called me a burglar is Finn’s father, Julian Hartley.
Victoria Hartley pulls away from her son and spreads her arms wide.
“Sloane! It’s been too long.”
I grin awkwardly. “Mrs. Hartley-“
“Nonsense. Call me Victoria.”
She wraps me in a warm, lavender-scented hug, while the man behind me continues to scowl.
He crosses his arms. “Finn’s got a new girlfriend now?”
Victoria laughs. “No, honey. This is Sloane. His best friend. I told you they were coming.”
Julian raises one skeptical brow. “Best friend? Is that the woke word for girlfriend?”
“No, silly,” she chides.
“Friends with benefits then?”
“NO!” Finn and I both shout at the same time.
Julian looks between us like he’s trying to solve a conspiracy theory. Then turns to his wife. “Men and women can be best friends?”
Breakfast
Victoria rolls her eyes and strolls over to her husband. She kisses him lightly on the cheek. “Of course they can, silly.”
“I don’t think so,” he says. “If anyone walks into this house and says he’s your best friend, I’ll kill him.”
Victoria throws her head back and laughs. “You’re such a Neanderthal, Julian. People don’t think with their genitals all the time. Sloane and Finn are emotionally supportive friends. It’s natural. Besides, I’m a little too old to be having new friends, so don’t trouble yourself about killing anyone for my sake.”
I want to disappear.
They’re talking about me and Finn, dissecting our entire relationship dynamic, as though we’re not right here. Finn glances at me, smiling like this is totally normal.
The plus side is that Julian has lost his brooding expression. He’s now grinning at his wife.
Watching them together-how Julian softens, how Victoria looks at him as though they haven’t been together for decades already-it stirs something foreign in me. Something tight and uncomfortable that nestles just beneath my ribs.
Jealousy.
What the hell?
I have never-never-been jealous of Finn Hartley before. But right now, watching his parents so effortlessly wrapped in each other’s orbit, it’s like watching a version of a life I’ve only read about in fiction. One I don’t believe in.
I look away, choosing to study the wallpaper instead.
Julian’s voice breaks the silence. “Welcome to our home, Finn’s friend,” he says, stressing the ‘friend’ part. “You look like you went to college.”
I turn to him, startled. “I… I did.”
“Which means you have a job?”
“I do.”
“Sloane’s a cybersecurity analyst for a tech company,” Finn adds proudly.
Julian nods, satisfied. “Sounds intelligent, went to school, good-looking. Think about all these carefully, Finn, as I go off to the library.”
He presses a kiss to Victoria’s temple and disappears down the hall.
Victoria turns to me, beaming. “You must be starving, honey. Come along, we prepared breakfast for you.”
Is no one going to acknowledge how weird Julian’s statements were? No? Okay, cool. Let’s just roll with this. Apparently, this family exists in a separate sitcom dimension where conversations about genital-led relationships, college certificates, jobs, and intelligence are preludes to breakfast.
Finn loops his arm through mine and guides me down the stairs.
I hiss under my breath, “Did you tell my mom to set me up with someone?”
“She asked,” he says, shrugging. “Why would I say no? You’re single.”
“I’m supposed to be at my dad’s next weekend.”
“For a kid’s birthday party? Come on.”
“You had no right.”
“I do.” His voice lowers. “We need something else to distract you before you decide to do another silly thing-like screw my brother again.”
God. He’s never going to let it go. I feel like from this moment onward, I could save a burning orphanage, and he’d still be like, “Cool, but remember that time you fucked Knox?”
We reach the dining room, where one single setting waits on the massive table. A king’s feast for one: scrambled avocado toast, buttery croissants, fruit, and a steaming cup of black coffee. Clearly, this was meant for me. Who el eaten their breakfast at 11:30?
“This discussion isn’t over, Finn,” I warn, already salivating.
He kisses my cheek. “Eat up. You look like a gho Successfully unlocked!
Then he turns and beckons Victoria over. She’d been walking quietly behind us, letting us whisper to ourselves, and now that Finn’s attention is back on her, she’s smiling again. They disappear to the adjacent living room, sinking into a couch and diving into vacation gossip. I hear snippets-about an Airbnb disaster in Madrid, Julian losing his luggage in Paris, Victoria flirting with a Swedish bartender “just to see if she still had it.” She did. sn’t Breakfast
I smile to myself and start eating, tearing into the food like it’s my last meal.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
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