Just Friends

52

⊱𝙻𝚎𝚟𝚒⊰

I think I've entered a new world. One where hell is a real place and it's on earth.

Charlie grins as she holds her hand out in front of her, admiring the big ass diamond on her finger.

It doesn't matter that I have the original ring. I should've known he could afford to go out and buy a second one.

No way is my little brother getting married before me.

"When did you guys start talking?" I question, finding it hard to believe Charlie suddenly decided to say yes after she threw her shoe at his face.

"Relax, Dad. I love him." Charlie murmurs, her eyes still stuck on her hand as she stands from the couch and wanders out of the room. Bryce smiles as he watches her.

Nobody answers me.

I narrow my eyes at Bryce when he looks at me. Slowly, he starts sinking in his seat.

"What'd you do to her?"

Bryce scoffs. "Nothing!"

"Something." I insist. "She hated your guts five seconds ago. There's no way she said yes to a proposal."

"She doesn't hate me as much as she lets on." Bryce smiles. Smug. As if he can brag about how much Charlie loves him.

I shake my head at him. "This is a bad idea." I point out, standing up from the couch across from him.

I tried warning him, but he didn't listen. He'll learn on his own.

Bryce falters. "It's not." He weakly argues.

"It is." I pause in the doorway to look at him. "I told you that neither of you are ready for it." I remind. "Don't say I didn't warn you." I wave him off as I turn back around to leave him there.

I don't know where Charlie went, but I don't wander off where I think she is. I head for the study instead.

I knock on the door before opening it. Mom looks up from a book sitting on her desk.

She straightens. "Levi." She acknowledges. "What do you need?"

I take a breath and step further in, shutting the door behind me. "Nothing." I admit. I start towards the bookcase on the opposite wall to her desk.

"I'm working, Levi."

"What on?" I reach forward to pick up one of her many statute books.

She lets out a breath of disapproval, but she chooses to answer me anyway. "Contract dispute." She answers.

"Contract?"

"First time surrogate mother wants to keep the baby. She signed a contract prior to the birth."

I glance over my shoulder. "Did she win?"

A soft shake of her head.

"Mm," I acknowledge as I turn to a different wall of books. "So, are you going over it again?" I coax.

"Yes."

"Why?"

She doesn't answer me for a long moment. I don't glance back at her, silently waiting for her to tell me as I reach forward to pick up a book from an eye level shelf.

"Do you think it was right?" She eventually asks me, seemingly out of pure curiosity.

"Do I think it was right?"

"Do you?"

I slowly shrug at her with a smile. "I don't know, Mom. I don't know any of them." I reason. I don't know the case itself either.