Brothers Best Friend is the one for me // Jaden Henline

Chapter 17//

{A/N: just thought id make sure everyone knows, jaden didnt actually cheat on chloe!! the whole hayley thing was just a cover up so no one knew he liked chloe. but she thinks he cheated}

I stared at Ben. Did I? Did I love him? Even if I did, was now a good time to say it?

I just broke up with Jaden.
Was it smart to get involved with someone again?

"Chloe" Ben said softly, his voice losing the light tone and growing more serious.

"If- If you don't feel the same way, you know, i- it's okay. Don't feel like you have to say anything."

I sighed, wanting nothing more than to curl up and go to sleep. Forget about everything. Lose the stress and hurt over Jaden, and not be in these situations where I could potentially end up pushing Ben away.

"I do love you, it's just.. complicated." I muttered. It was so hard for me to even look at Ben right now.

Yeah, call it complicated. Complicated that I'm still in love with someone who cheated on me, yet also have feelings for a genuinely nice guy.

Ben rolled his eyes, staring out the window for a few seconds. I watched his jaw clench, and instantly felt bad. What was I doing?

"Yeah- right. Complicated. Haven't heard that one before."

I exhaled deeply, shutting my eyes, wishing I knew the right things to say. "I just don't want you to get hurt, if anything ever goes wrong between us - I don't want to stop being friends."

"Chloe, I want to be with you, so bad, that should something go wrong, I would never stop talking to you. Ever." Ben said, tilting my chin to look me in the eyes.

"Dear god, why do you have to be so cute." I mumbled. He was so hard to take seriously.

He smiled, finally I had said something right. "Its a trait I've always possessed, glad you noticed."

Finally we could joke again. "So about this whole, love thing, I do, love you - but I just need some time to sort out my feelings."

He nodded. "Understandable. I may have forgotten that you just broke up with someone an hour ago."

"Glad you remembered." I smirked, as he interlocked his hand with mine.

*Jaden*

Chloe ran out of the pool crying, and my heart broke. Didn't she know? Haley and I weren't in love, we weren't even talking! The last time I said something to Haley was four months ago in math class.

Cole walked up to me and stared at me. "Dude, what the hell just happened?"

I froze. Did I tell the truth? That Chloe and I were dating?

it had to come out sometime. So I started to explain to Cole.

"Promise you wont get mad? I'm not really sure if I should be telling you this."

Cole looked at me with clenched teeth. I had never seen him this mad before, and especially never this mad at me. I just wanted to rewind to three hours ago and drop the whole "Hayley" cover up.

"For the past two weeks, Chloe and I-" I stopped and bit my lip. Here goes nothing. Telling the person who wasnt supposed to find out.

"have been talking." I said, trying to avoid Cole.

"Okay, and? Y'all talk all the time. Why would I care if you talk here?" Cole stammered, rolling his eyes.

"No, like, talking, talking." I said, making sure we were on the same page.

"Recently, like two days ago, I asked her out, and she said yes. We really like eachother. I mean, we liked each other. To keep y'all from finding out, the whole Hayley thing was a lie. It was just a lie that got taken too far. Honestly, I havent talked to Hayley in months. I'm sorry that you're mad, even sorrier that Chloe's upset. But I love her, and didn't even cheat on her. I could never imagine." I said, bracing myself for the anger and hate I was about to recieve from Cole.

A few moments passed, and he said nothing. I looked at him, and his head was down, his hands folded.

"Um, I.. I don't really know what to say. Never in a million years did I predict this. You know? My best friend, and my sister. My sister and my best friend. Wow." Cole laughed, shaking his head.

"So she's furious and nothing ever actually happened?" Cole then asked.

I nodded, "You got it. Which sucks, because whatever I say she won't believe."

Cole looked at me, grinning widely. "Don't worry about it. I'll see what I can do. Oh, and hurt my sister for real - and I'll kill you. Just saying."

I smiled, in shock at how Cole had taken this. "Noted."