She quickly wiped her forehead, avoiding my
…)
<
gaze. “I’m not! It’s nothing.”
Josh had a golden retriever named Buddy, and
he was adorable. Knowing how much I loved
dogs, Josh offered to let me walk Buddy when
he went jogging in the evenings. The first time I
met Buddy, I was more excited than he was,
immediately crouching down to bury my face in his fur. He wasn’t shy at all, licking my face and
wagging his tail.
Josh introduced us. “Buddy, this is Mommy.”
He reached for my hand, but I grabbed Buddy’s leash instead, leaving Josh hanging. He sighed playfully. “If you like him this much, I’ll bring him over every day.”
We strolled around the complex, Buddy
strutting proudly, every child we passed giggling at his goofy grin.
The temperature had dropped recently, and
<
Josh brought me a scarf. “I know you always
rush out and forget to dress warm. My mom just finished knitting this.”
I stopped to let him wrap it around my neck,
closing my eyes and tilting my head back. “Thanks, Mama Josh!”
He chuckled, carefully tying the scarf. I’d been surrounded by good people my entire life. I
didn’t know how I’d ended up in foster care, but from the moment the Walkers adopted me, I’d
been showered with love.
“There,” he said.
I opened my eyes and saw someone standing a short distance away. Liam, in a long black coat and dark–rimmed glasses, his hair ruffled by the wind. He stood there, hands in his pockets, watching us calmly. Amy was beside him.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Liam asked,
hin voin low The air around him folt chorand
<
his voice low. The air around him felt charged.
Amy nudged him, then crouched down to play with Buddy, trying to lighten the mood. Liam rarely wore glasses, but when he did, combined
with his naturally aloof demeanor, it was devastatingly effective.
Josh looked at me questioningly.
“This is my brother, Liam.” I turned to Liam. “Liam, this is Josh, my boyfriend.”
Josh, visibly relieved to hear the word “brother,”
extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Chloe’s brother. I’m Josh.”
Liam didn’t take his hand. His expression remained neutral, but his eyebrow twitched
when Josh called me “Chloe.” Sensing Josh’s discomfort and Buddy’s restlessness, I quickly intervened. “Why don’t you take Buddy for
another walk? He’s getting antsy.”
く
จ 82
As Josh led Buddy away, Liam reached out and
pulled down my scarf, exposing my face. I
glared at him.
“This is the guy who’s good to you? Who loves
you?” he repeated my earlier words. “You’re living in that dump for him?”
“Yeah, so?” I shot a glance at Amy. She was good, playing the supportive friend while keeping my secret.
“Break up with him.”
“Why?!” I exploded. Who did he think he was,
dictating my love life? He was acting like my
boss, not my brother. His control was suffocating.
“He’s all talk, no action. A smooth–talking
charmer with nothing to offer.” Liam dismissed
Josh with a wave of his hand.
He watched my anger flare, then said calmly, “I don’t care if you date. But our family has
always given you everything. We didn’t do it so
you could end up with some loser who takes
advantage of you.”
Liam and I fought every time we saw each other after I moved out. I knew he’d never treat me
the same way again, yet it still stung. I told
myself I didn’t love him anymore, but my emotions were still a tangled mess, easily
swayed by his words.
One night, I dreamt of Liam. He looked at me
tenderly, leaned in, and his cool lips brushed
against mine. He twirled a strand of my hair
around his finger, whispering, “Why would you
date anyone else? Didn’t you say you wanted to
be my bride?”
The dream felt so real that I woke up confused,
wondering if it had actually happened. Of
course, it hadn’t. The “be Liam’s bride” thing
started hook in middle school when I was
Г
started back in middle school, when I was young and foolish. Mom had teased, “That
depends on whether your brother agrees! If he
doesn’t, you can always be Mommy and
Daddy’s little Chloe, right?”
I’d grabbed Liam’s hand, insistent. “Promise me,
Liam! Promise!”
