Page 86 of My Brother's Best Friends

Bryan glances at her. “That doesn’t mean they were guilty…”

“Because our preferences are a little bit outside the ordinary, we were afraid that people wouldn’t understand. We were worried about our future, our company, and our friends, so yes, we paid her off. But we didn’t hurt her,” I add. At least Bryan isn’t turning against us at this point. I am relieved to see him using his reason despite the circumstances.

“You want me to believe you over my own sister?” Callie replies.

“Of course not,” Oscar says, giving me that same defeatist vibe. He’s ready to book a flight home, I can see it in his eyes. “We can’t argue with your sister or tell you what to believe. But the truth is, that no matter what happens, none of us are going to hurt anyone.”

“More than we already have,” Kellan interjects with a heavy sigh. “We could’ve handled this better.”

“You’re damn right,” Bryan mutters, but there’s a softness in that grumble.

He’s still angry, but he’s no longer spoiling for a fight. I’ll take the small mercy.

It’s true we’ve hurt Makayla, Bryan, and Callie—though not intentionally—but that’s not what Oscar meant. We’ve never laid hands on anyone in anger, and this mess with Melanie isn’t our doing, even if the optics are rotten.

“I’ll tell you something about your sister,” I say to Callie. Oscar gives me a warning look, and Kellan just seems curious. I forge ahead, letting the words flow from the heart without examining them. “She’s beautiful, but I think she enjoys ruining other peoples’ lives. If you think back, I’m sure you’ll realize that she did something or said something to you at some point in your life that made you wonder if she was causing drama on purpose. There has to be something. This character of hers didn’t happen overnight. She took time to evolve...”

Callie just stares at me, and I can tell that she’s already digging through her memories. Remembering. But her loyalty to Melanie gets the better of her, and she shakes her head. “It’s not Mel who’s the issue here...”

“I beg to differ,” Kellan says.

“Kay just texted.” Bryan holds his phone up to show us the text thread. I can’t read it quickly enough before he puts the device back in his pocket.

“She didn’t go into any details, but she said that something here made her uncomfortable,” Bryan reports. “She’s on a plane going home at the moment, and she’ll text me when she arrives safely.”

I lower my head, taking a deep, shuddering breath. At least Makayla is okay. It doesn’t change the hurt we caused or the pain she left with. I’m going to have to live with that. My brothers andI are going to have to make peace with the role we played in her suffering. Makayla deserved better.

Bryan’s proposal is basically ruined. Melanie’s truth-twisting drove a wedge between us all.

I’m not sure how we’re going to keep working together, either. Everything seems uncertain right now, and I hate flying blind.

“I guess we should go pack our things,” I begin, hoping that someone will tell me that’s not necessary.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Bryan replies, reaching out to take Callie’s hand.

Whether or not they agree on the details of Melanie’s issue with us, the two of them are still a couple, partners in life and building something together. They have to maintain a united front, and I can’t really hold it against them, either. As a friend, I could never ask Bryan to enter a conflict with his loving girlfriend over something her sister did. The truth has a way of coming out eventually, anyway.

I gather my wounded pride and lead my brothers out of the room. We’ve lost Makayla and likely Bryan’s trust. It may be temporary, or it may leave deep wounds in the long term—both prove one thing, though: Melanie did a hell of a lot of damage.

There had better be repercussions.

28

MAKAYLA

Iblink back tears as I sink in the backseat of my ride to Stockholm, watching the snowy world flash by.

My phone keeps pinging—texts from Bryan. Those I answer. I don’t want my brother worrying, so I apologize for bolting and promise to explain once my head’s on straight. I ignore everything else—texts from Oscar, Alex, and Kellan.

I don’t want to talk to them. The betrayal feels catastrophic.

I’m sorry for not sticking around for the proposal,I text Bryan.Please, tell me you’re still proposing. That I didn’t ruin that, too…

Three dots.Don’t even worry about it. I’ll see you soon,he says.

It’s a long drive back to Stockholm. After a while, my tears dry up, and a cold determination takes their place. I don’t need the Anderson triplets. I’m better off on my own, and thank goodness I realized who they were before I got too deep. It’s almost like I’ve dodged a bullet. As long as I think about it that way, the pain is a little easier to bear.

After three layovers and too many hours in the air, I shuffle out of Arrivals bone-tired and ready to crawl home. But I need to talk to someone about what happened. Someone who’s been waiting for me to call back since before I flew to Sweden.

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