My Best Friends Brother

Chapter 157

They do realise that it’s my fucking birthday right? Shouldn’t I be the one that gets to decide what I do with it?

Both of them just continue to laugh at me as I practically stumble down the steps but then suddenly the laughter holts, when I look towards the end of the driveway I realise the cause, although it is hard to recognise Brie when she scrapes away her curls into a bun like that... She’s too tired to do her hair... That’s never a good sign.

She stands at the edge of the sidewalk like she's not entirely sure she can come up to the house, I fucking hate this.

“Lee...” Jayce calls after her but it’s too late, she's already moved far out of where any of us can see her back towards the kids. I hear Heather ask who’s there but I’m grateful that Brie doesn’t hear it, she’d probably muscle her way in there to see that girl and that would just make everything worse.

Brie approaches, carrying a large box wrapped poorly taped Christmas paper and looking far more downtrodden than I’ve seen her in years. She was the same way at lunch, she forgot my present and didn’t even laugh at anything Charlie had to say about the cute waiter. This is all fucking destroying her, that beautiful smile of hers isn’t fooling anyone.

“It’s okay Romeo, she’s pissed and I get it.” It’s not fair for Al to take this out on Brie, it’s not like Brie could turn her back on May when she needed her, no matter what she did. Al isn’t being this way with Miles even though she knows they are still in contact, it just seems to cut so much deeper when it comes to Brie. Like it’s the betrayal of one sister for another.

The worst thing is I don’t think Aleah even knows what she wants her to do, she doesn’t want to see May out on the street but she doesn’t want her living in a house where her daughter visits either. She just... She just wants all of this to have never happened... but it doesn’t work that way.

Brie hands over the box, I honestly dread to think what’s inside, she’s not exactly known for her great gift giving skills.

Opening the lid extremely carefully in case something alive is about to jump out at me, I only become more confused when I finally reveal the contents. The box is filled with what looks like already regularly worn T-shirts and hoodies. I really don’t understand why she would give me this until I start to pull them out and realise that everything inside this box is mine.

“It’s all the stuff I’ve stolen over the years, I couldn’t think of what else to get you so I figured being the first woman in history to give a guy back his comfy hoodies was pretty much the best gift I could do. Plus, I’m getting married in three weeks and I’m fucking skint, so you know...”

Considering I know that Brie has slept in most of these since the day she took them, it's actually really fucking sweet of her to give them all back... Although that red one won’t be mine long when Miles sees it, he’s a fucking thief when it comes to my clothes.

I pull her into a hug, one which she returns with such gusto that she knocks most of the air out of my lungs. I really love her, love them all, I just want this to all be over. Heather surviving should have been enough to unite us but the pain of nearly losing her feels like it will never disappear.

“I put where you’re going on the gift tag, just follow the navigation and we’ll meet you down there tomorrow.” Tomorrow? Why the fuck would I need to go there now if they aren’t meeting me until tomorrow?

Bonnie and Clyde notice my confusion, smirking at each other before gesturing me towards my car again. “Just fucking trust us, you’re going to fucking love it... and I made sure your main present is really fucking clean, so don’t be afraid to go in on it big time... and bare.”