My Best Friend's Brother // Young Love Book 1 ✔️

My Best Friend's Brother Ch. 45

Chapter 45

During the intermission, I was revisting old memories. I knew I told myself not to ruin my night with petty feelings, but sometimes you just couldn't help those things. They just sort of...happen.

A memory came to mind as I sipped on my complimentary apple juice. It was about a month ago when it happened, and Charlie was helping me out with my dating skills, of course at the time I was lot sillier and had even less common sense. We were sitting across each other, waiting for our food to arrive. And somehow, I guess our conversations lead to Charlie teaching me how to say "I love you" the right way. Whenever I thought about it, I'd always feel warm inside--I always felt so happy, you know? It was good memory, and a funny one. So much has changed since then and it felt like such a distant memory. It hasn't even been that long.

"No, it goes like... 'I love you!'," I say it short and sweet.

"No, it's, 'I love you.'," he replies, his version much slower than my own. I didn't want to admit it but his way seemed more heartfelt.

"I love you," I say again, a tad slower this time.

He shakes his head, and he repeats how he'd said it before. Except, to me, it's different; this time, it's a completely different league.

"I love you."

There's this tenderness about it, the way he softly half-whispers the words; like he isn't allowed to say it out loud. As if nobody is allowed to hear, not even me. His eyes were glowing bright gold, and his fingers were a little fidgety. I almost believe it, but I know better. It's an act and I'm supposed to learn it too.

I tilted my head to side a bit, and then I murmur, "I love you."

Charlie bites down on a secretive smile, but it's too late to suppress it. So instead, he brushes it off and says, "I love you too."

We threw the three seemingly sacred words back and forth as if they were nothing. A part of me imagined how weird we must've looked to the on-lookers. They probably thought we were in the "honeymoon phase" of a relationship. The other part of me, the one that I disliked more, wondered if I really was saying it for the sake of the argument. How ironic, I thought to myself as I think back now. If I was being honest, the possibility of saying those words to Charlie in their literal sense has crossed my mind. However, I never dissected it enough to entertain the idea. I always told myself that it was probably just me confusing friendship with love. Then for added measure, I would say to myself something along the lines of: I should really stop, for my sake. As if that argument would ever suffice. I mean it did, until tonight; before the Q&A portion, to be specific. Cindy's words and the forced confession she got out of me were proof enough.

It's true, isn't it? I like Charlie.

An uninvited blush cropped up on my face and I laughed quietly, because by the looks of it, I really do like him. Probably a lot more than I let on.

"Elouise, you know the break is over, right?" asked Ms Queen, snapping me out of my train of jumbled up thoughts.

I nodded at her, standing up and leaving my drink on my seat. Again, I stood on my spot in the line at the very back. Frankly, I didn't care anymore. The night was nearly over and everything that counted had been done. All that was left was waiting. We were all changed back to our initial formal dresses. I was glad I had the majestic midnight blue dress back on; I felt like a total princess in it. It had that Cinderella aura all over it, kind of makes it hard to think that you're not a Disney princess.

When Mr Brower and Mr Corby finally called us in, all ten of us filed out of the right wing with reapplied lipsticks and powdered faces. Speaking of cosmetics, my allergy-free deadline was coming up soon. Hopefully, there wouldn't be much delay.