My Best Friend's Brother: A Standalone Friends to Lovers Romance (Soulmates Series Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

been since-
     
    "I
thought you were going to come out last weekend?"
     
    I
shrugged and accepted my change from the cashier. "I was going to, but my sister
came to town so I had to change my plans." It wasn't a complete lie.
Izzy's art school was only a few hours away, and she did swing by all the time.
Last weekend just hadn't been one of them.
     
    Sonia
pursed her lips.
     
    The
guy across the counter slid the bag of sandwiches towards me and set down a
tray with two shakes in it. "Your extra Oreos are in the bag."
     
    "Thanks,"
I said.
     
    "Well,
I won't keep you," Sonia said, eyeing my meal for two. "But don't be
a stranger." She put a hand on my shoulder and pressed her cinnamon
smelling cheek to mine.
     
    My
mind flashed briefly to the last time we hung out. We’d pressed a lot more than
our cheeks together.
     
    But
a moment later, I thought of Andi waiting anxiously in my bedroom, pining for
food and an update on what I can only assume had been one of the worst nights
of her life.
     
    "See
you around," I said, heading for the door and picking up my pace.
     
    When
I got back to the house, I climbed the stairs, shifted the bags to my left
hand, balanced the shakes against my chest, and knocked, since the last thing
she needed was someone barging in on her after the day she had, even if it was
my room.
     
    She
opened the door wearing one of my hoodies a second later, the bottom of it so
long it nearly made her frayed jean shorts disappear.
     
    Her
eyes lit up when she saw me and stayed bright as they bounced around my full
arms.
     
    "A
little help?" I handed the shakes to her.
     
    She
smiled as she took them.
     
    "I
hope you're hungry," I said, setting the sandwiches down on my desk.
     
    "How
did it go?" she asked, eyeing the bag with the boots.
     
    I
handed it to her so she could see for herself.
     
    She
took it and rummaged through the spoils. "You got everything."
     
    I
furrowed my brow. "You said that as if you doubted me."
     
    "Never,"
she said, throwing her arms around me and squeezing me just tight enough to
remind me that she was still shaken up.
     
    I
held her head against my chest and didn't let go until I felt her loosen her
grip.
     
    "Thanks,
Shane," she said, taking a step back and looking at me, her fat lip
impossible to ignore. "I owe you one."
     
    "Just
stay away from him and we'll call it even," I said, taking the sandwiches
out of the brown bag and laying them side by side.
     
    "What
did he say?" she asked, taking her sub to the edge of the bed and
unwrapping it carefully so the paper became a little placemat.
     
    "Not
much." I took a sip of my shake. It was creamy and delicious and tasted
like being a carefree kid again.
     
    "Don't
be vague," she said. "I've been going crazy here worrying he might
hurt you or say nasty things about me to you or-"
     
    "What
the hell would that matter?" I asked. "You know I don’t give a shit
what he thinks about anything."
     
    She
shrugged. "Still."
     
    "Well,
he didn't say anything nasty about you, and I had no trouble getting your
stuff. Convincing him to leave you the hell alone was a bigger job than I
anticipated, but it’s over now-"
     
    "Did
you hurt him?" she asked, her voice as soft as her chocolate eyes were
wide.
     
    "Just
enough to scare him," I said. "Like he did to you."
     
    She
swallowed.
     
    I
took my sandwich over to the end of the bed and sat down beside her. "He's
fine, though. Trust me. I only hurt him enough to get his attention."
     
    She
pursed her lips and looked down at her sandwich.
     
    "I
would've done the same for Izzy."
     
    She
nodded. "I know."
     
    But
by the look on her face, I got the feeling that she had no idea how much I
really cared about her.
     
    Then
again, how could she?
     
    I'd
always kept it to myself.

 
    Chapter 7: Andi
     
     
     
     
    We
didn't talk much as we ate our sandwiches. Instead, we listened to the mild domestic
happening in the room next door until Shane put on some music to