My Best Friends Brother

Chapter 128

"Are you okay?" It's always made me chuckle how Zoe is a person of two very clear halves; the fiery Latino princess with all the fight of her police officer father sitting on one side, with the cool, calm and gentle nature of her nurse mother on the other. I'm grateful for the half she's using right now.

"Yeah," I reply, sipping what's left in the bottle and allowing the cold liquid to soak my parched throat. "You always carry your own medication?"

She laughs, going into her Mary Poppins bag and pulling out another bottle of water. Guys always make fun of the fact that women carry giant handbags, but when we need shit where do we go? Straight into that everlasting pit.

"You can tell you're not a girl. If you went through the pain that we do every month, you'd make sure you were never without a decent pill collection as well." She's right, although her father slipping a candy bar under her door then running away screaming "Satan has been fed!" when she was sat on my lap crying about a donkey sanctuary commercial she'd just seen whilst clutching a hot water bottle to her stomach, is actually one of my funnier memories from my time hiding out in her room.

We sit quietly, this throbbing in my head gently letting its hold release until it becomes a gentle buzz that fills my ears. I let my legs layout in front of me, my Jordan's tapping against the door as Zoe shuffles uncomfortably on the cold hard floor.

"Thank you," She always pulls through when I need her to. It's her gift."It was all just getting a bit..."

"Much?" She completes for me. "I can understand why."

Why does she sound sad? It's not like they're talking about... Shit.

I didn't fucking tell her... She found out the same way everybody fucking else did... For fucks sake Milo!

"Zoe, shit I'm so fucking sorry." I try to twist and face her but the moment I lift my head up from leaning against the metal shelves behind me it begins to spin again, her hand coming across onto my forehead to force me to lay back. "I'm so sorry that I didn't speak to you about all this, you shouldn't have found out that way about me and..."

"Josh." She leans her head next to mine on the shelf, tilting it so that I can see her face but not making it easy for me when she looks at me with those giant Disney Princess brown eyes of hers. Hurting her is like punching a kitten, there's just no part of you that wants to see that kind of pain. "Does he make you... Are you happy with him?"

It's not hurt that I'm hearing in her voice actually, it's more like concern or a pleading to understand. She is just genuinely asking the question.

"Yes. I'm so fucking happy. I'm sorry..." It's not easy to see every part of her facial expression in the dark but that smile of hers isn't one you can miss. "Nothing happened between us when me and you were together, I swear to you, I would never do that."

She shakes her head, reaching over and stroking my cheek with her delicate thumb. "I know that Milo, you aren't that type of person and I never suspected that you did... Everyone out there, anyone who wants to give you both shit for this - fuck them. You send them my fucking way because you are the best man I have ever met and I'm so fucking proud of you right now."

"Zoe..." Her finger drops from my cheek to cover my lips, silencing my shaking voice in an instant.

"Milo, most girls get a really shit first love. They end up losing their virginity to some guy who claims to love them until the moment he has it, then drops them just as quickly. They have to look back on the person they gave their heart and body to with nothing but regret, because of you that will never be me. I got to fall in love with somebody who truly cared about me, someone that I still have so much respect for, someone that I just want to see happier than anybody else in this world. Josh is a good man, he has been nothing but kind to me and that look on your face tells me that he's doing the same thing for you. I still love you Milo, not the way I once did, but there's still a lot of love for you in my heart. I'm glad you're happy."

If I ever needed more proof that I was destined to fall in love with Josh, it's sitting right here. Zoe is everything any person could want in their girlfriend, someone so incredibly special that there is not a person alive that wouldn't be lucky to have her. I should have been able to fall in love with her, anyone else would have, my heart was just made for somebody else.

"Besides," She continues, that cheeky face pushing through the concerned one. "It's kind of nice to know that you decided after me that no other women would compare, you'd had the best, so what other option did you have but to go after the hottest guy instead?"

Oh she's funny! Damn it...

"Did you seriously just call my boyfriend the hottest guy? You know I'm sitting right here!" She throws her head back with laughter, reaching over and pressing her hand against my head like she's checking my temperature.

"Oh babe, you know that you're a decent 9.5 but that guy is at least a twelve."

For fucks sake. Not another one.

I need to do something for her, she's actually being incredible right now. She's always wanted a pony right? I could... Wait.

"I'll do it." Zoe clearly has no idea what I'm on about but I am about to increase her love for me tenfold. "The showcase, if you still want the slot then I'll do the showcase with you."

If my head wasn't hurting before then it fucking is now, Zoe throwing her whole body around mine and slumping it back into the shelf with a thud as she practically squeezes the life out of me.

She starts plastering her kisses all over my forehead and I'm now really remembering why I hate fucking lip gloss.

"I told you I love you right?!" She howls with joy as she practically crushes my head like a nut between her ridiculously strong arms. Never underestimate the strength of a fucking cheerleader. "We'll have to start rehearsing like right now! We'll get the project done at the same time because I'm not dealing with Luke and all his drama anymore. Mine? Every night this week? Josh works until later right, so you can come to mine first and then he can come get you or I can drop you off?! Oh God this is going to be the fucking best!"

I'd say I'm already regretting my decision but in all honesty, after what she just said, I'd happily do ten of these fucking things with her to keep her smiling that way.

"We could all go out for pizza too! Josh likes pizza right?!"

Best ex girlfriend ever.