Page 74 of Baby Surprise for my Brother's Best Friend

She’s walking beside me, heels clicking lightly, blazer draped over one arm.

My fingers brush hers again. Accidental, deliberate, I don’t even know anymore. And something settles in my chest. Possibility. Like maybe this night could be the start of something that doesn’t come with an expiration date.

We don’t talk much on the drive back, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s loaded.

Her silence feels like she's holding something close, and I’m afraid if I breathe wrong, I’ll lose whatever fragile thing we just built in that changing room.

When we get back to the apartment, she heads straight for the kitchen, and I linger by the door like an idiot, watching her move through the space.

She hums under her breath as she pulls down two glasses, my whiskey already in hand, like she knew I’d want it.

God, I’m in trouble.

I take the glass she offers, but my eyes are on her. Still flushed. Still radiant. Still mine.

For now.

Before I can stop myself, I say, “You ever think that some people just... fit?”

She pauses. “Fit?”

“Yeah.” I rub the back of my neck, suddenly unsure. “Like… puzzle pieces that don’t make sense until they’re pressed together.”

She doesn’t answer right away. Just looks at me with those eyes that see more than I want them to.

Finally, she says softly, “And what happens when the edges start to fray?”

I step closer. Close enough to see the little crease between her brows.

“Then I’ll hold on tighter. Because this? It doesn’t feel like a fling anymore, Soph.”

She blinks, and for a second, I think I’ve pushed too far.

But then her lips are on mine.

And I know I’ve already fallen.

17

SOPHIE

I grip the edge of the bathroom sink, knuckles white against the cool porcelain, and stare down my own reflection. My eyes look haunted, rimmed in fatigue.

I’m falling behind. In everything. Deadlines. Reports on the merger. My life.

Cold water hits my face like a slap, but it doesn’t clear the fog tightening around my thoughts.

How did I let it get this far? I was supposed to be in control. Sharp. Untouchable. Instead, I’m unravelling. And the worst part? I’ve never felt more alive.

There’s been laughter. Comfort. Late-night kisses and quiet mornings that feel like dreams I don’t deserve.

Alessio.

He’s the chaos in the calm, and the calm in my chaos.

And somehow, that contradiction makes me want him more.

It terrifies me, the way he makes me feel like I could fall and still be caught.

---