A sigh escaped my lips. It was already a little too late for me not to be hung up on him.
The one guy I truly liked had to be the one who was going to be totally off limits.
But Autumn had been my best friend since we were both old enough to sit up in our strollers.
And if she said I couldn’t date her brother, her word was gospel.
No matter how much I wanted it to be otherwise.
For the sake of our friendship, I had to try and forget about Max.
That would be easier said than done.
Max - aged 16
“We’re entering a new world, Max, get ready to spot the character with the yellow exclamation mark!” Joshua shoved me in the ribs as we started our World of Warcraft game.
“How often have we played this game? It’s not like I’ve forgotten how to complete a quest,” I protested.
Normally we watched music videos and drooled over the hot girls who danced better than any of the girls at school. But that night, we’d decided to go back to our early teenage roots and have a night of computer games. When we were younger, we’d spend hours, days even plotting against our online friends from all over the world and finding hacks to get the treasure. But at sixteen, it wasn’t considered cool. Particularly not for two kids who were on the verge of being picked for the varsity football team. For once, it was good to take a break from reality and go back to a pretend world where quests mattered more than who was dating who.
I could hear my sister and her best friend chattering away in the living room. Whenever we had friends over, there was always an argument about who got which room. This week, it was her turn to commandeer the living room, while Joshua and I had Dad’s study. He and Mom had gone out on date night, which basically meant them going to their favorite Chinese restaurant and drinking way too much sake. I was in charge while they were out. A feeling I loved, being able to wield power over my little sister.
Reaching over, I took a big gulp of my soda. We’d ordered pizza and split it with Autumn and Sophie. I’d watched as Sophie picked the majority of the chili off her slices. Why she agreed to order it if she didn’t like it was beyond me. I’d offered to eat the bit she didn’t want and now regretted it. My own mouth felt like it was on fire, and I downed the soda like it was going out of fashion.
Which now meant I needed to pee.
“Be back in a minute.” I tossed the controller onto the beanbag and hauled myself up. “Gotta use the bathroom.”
Joshua’s eyes didn’t leave the screen. “Get us some more drinks on your way back? That pizza was way spicy.”
At least it wasn’t just me.
I burst through my bedroom door and into the bathroom, one hand unzipping my pants, then ground to a complete halt.
Standing in front of the mirror was Sophie, brushing her teeth. She wore an oversized New York Giants—my team—football jersey, which grazed mid-thigh, stretchy shorts peeking out from beneath the hem. The shirt was at least two sizes too big and enveloped her body.
She looked totally adorable. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a perky ponytail, her clear blue eyes wide as she registered the shock of my arrival.
“Oh, shit, sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was in here.” My hand froze where it was.
“S’okay,” Sophie mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste, a little escaping and dribbling over her bottom lip.
Instinctively, I stepped forward and brushed off the excess with my thumb. “You had a little…well, you know.” My mouth curved up into a smile. “And if you don’t mind, I’m desperate to take a leak.”
She shook her head, as if jolting herself back to the present. “Sure, yes, of course, give me a sec.”
Sophie turned her back, delicately spat into the sink, rinsed and dried her mouth. Then without another word, she left.
“Thanks, Soph, you’re an angel.”
I turned and rested against the door, letting out a hard breath.
Sophie Hale had been over to my house a million times. She’d had sleepovers with my sister more times than I could count. But tonight, it was like I saw her for the first time. That cute outfit, wearing my favorite team’s colors, the flush in her cheeks when I touched her. My dick twitched, overtaking the need to pee for a moment.
What was I thinking? She was my sister’s best friend. Autumn would kill me.
It took me a few minutes to calm down. I did what I needed to do and ventured back downstairs, careful to avoid going near the living room where I could hear Autumn and Sophie talking—not loud enough to hear the subject though. My ears burned. Could they be talking about me?
“You took your time,” Joshua complained, when I walked back in. “And where’s the soda?”
“Shit, sorry.” I slumped back down onto the beanbag and reached for my controller. “I’ll get some later.”
“What’s your problem?”
“I just saw Sophie in the bathroom.”
Joshua’s head snapped around to face me. “Was she naked?”
“Ewww, no! I’m not a perv.”
“Good thing too. She’s like, fourteen, buddy, and practically your sister. That would be gross.” He turned back to the TV screen. “Plus, she’s a snobby rich bitch. She wouldn’t look twice at you.”
“But you like her friend, Brianna,” I challenged. “Same thing, right?”
“Not quite. She isn’t my sister’s best friend. She isn’t off limits.”
Joshua’s earlier words echoed in my ears as I concentrated on playing our game. Sophie may have been the same age as my sister, but I already knew I saw her differently. If only I didn’t have to pretend I hated her now.
Chapter One
Sophie
“I need all of this completed by the time you go on vacation.”
Tim Tarrant, my boss, pushed a pile of paperwork across the
