Page 108 of Baby Surprise for my Brother's Best Friend

Can I have both?

Can I be the woman at the topandthe woman who chooses love?

My chest tightens, the pressure building just beneath my collarbone.

Or will I have to lose one... to keep the other?

24

ALESSIO

The rooftop bar is nearly empty, just the way Denver likes it.

Smooth jazz and a view of the city glittering beneath a thick slice of moonlight.

I spot him before he sees me, which means I catch the way his eyes narrow as I walk over, the flicker of suspicion masked by a sip of his drink.

“You’ve got that stupid grin on your face,” he says without looking up. “That ‘I’m in love with my best friend’s sister’ grin.”

I slide into the chair across from him and raise my hands. “Busted, huh?”

He snorts. “It's written all over your face.”

The banter is easy, but there’s an edge underneath it. There always is when it comes to Sophie. History, guilt, and the unspoken truth that we both know how badly this could go if I screw it up.

I take a sip of the bourbon waiting for me, letting the warmth burn its way down. “Thanks for meeting me.”

He shrugs. “You’ve been ghosting me for weeks. Thought maybe you joined a cult or something.”

“Just laying low.” I pause. “Trying to figure things out.”

His gaze sharpens. “And have you?”

We settle into the quiet between questions, the kind that feels heavier than silence.

The city hums below us, distant and uncaring.

Denver sets his glass down with a soft clink. “So, what’s really going on with you two?”

I let out a slow breath, tracing the rim of my glass with my thumb. “She’s… everything. Smart. Fiery. Brilliant. And yeah, I’m in deep.”

Denver doesn’t blink. Just watches me with that steady, razor-sharp gaze that’s always seen more than I wanted him to. “You’ve never done deep. You’ve done fun. Temporary. Disposable.”

“I know.” The words scrape against my throat. “But this… this is different.”

Denver leans back in his chair, eyes drifting over the skyline.

When he speaks again, his voice is quieter. “You remember when you first came to New York? You were a mess. Your dad had just dumped you here, and you hated everyone.”

I bark out a short laugh. “Except your mom’s lasagna. That saved my life.”

“And Sophie.” He glances at me. “You didn’t talk to many people back then, but you always looked at her like she hung the damn stars.”

I don’t deny it. I can’t. “I kept my distance. Out of respect.”

“And now?”

I meet his gaze, steady and unflinching. “I can’t anymore.”

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