My Brother's Playboy Best Friend

12

Hazel's point of view.

"What's the hardest drink to make?" Aaron asks Neil who's dressed in his barista uniform.

Neil frowns, eying worriedly the growing line of clients behind the whole football team and I.

"I don't know, the ristretto probably?" he answers, playing with the towel on his shoulder nervously.

"Make me that, then," Aaron smugly asks.

I hit him in the side of his stomach with my elbow and slide myself between him and the counter, facing Neil.

"Forget what he said. 16 cold brews, please," I order and smile.

Neil nods, starting a machine. I turn around and glare at Aaron.

"You're a prick," I say before walking over to a booth and sitting there.

The team follows like a bunch of lost puppy, sitting next to me in the booth and on the nearest table. They start chattering but I'm not paying attention. I stare at Neil as he makes the drinks skillfully. He is quite good, I have to admit. Seeing him go, I genuinely consider trying to get hired as a barista and working with him. A name catches my attention at the table.

"How's Eve doing?" a player asks Vince.

He winces playfully in response. The players laugh.

"That bad?" someone asks.

"Nah, she's alright. That personality of hers, though. It's a lot." He shrugs cheekily.

"Are you telling me you might not be with her for her personality?" Parker asks, acting flabbergasted.

"Shocker, I know," Vince plays along.

"Well, who knows, she might be the first you have to properly break up with in a while," Parker adds, giving me a side-eye I wish I didn't notice.

"Go fuck yourself," I mutter louder than I intended.

Suddenly, the attention is on me. Fuck. I clear my throat and look out the window, hoping they just move on and leave me alone.

"How about you, Hazel?" a players asks. I'm forced to turn and look at them.

"What about me?" I ask back, more aggressively than necessary.

"You're available now?" Aaron smirks boldly.

Vince and Parker both glare at him. I clear my throat. Neil and I never made anything official, neither did we decide on whether we wanted our relationship to be public or not. I can't say anything but I can't say nothing either.

"Not exactly...?" I attempt.

There's an uproar of surprise. Parker questions me immediately, Aaron starts swearing about being too late, Vince seems to close himself off. Someone help me. Just in time, Neil slams the platter of cold brews on the table and the player serve themselves, forgetting about me. Even Parker temporarily leaves it alone.

"You could have just called, I would have gotten them at the counter. I know you're busy," I tell Neil.

He grins. "It's fine now, I got back up." He points at the newly arrived barista working the machines. "I have a 15 minutes break."

"Do you want me to make some space for you? I can move or—" I offer.

"Stay there, Haz. Enjoy the coffee, I'll be alright," Neil simply says.

I nod, grabbing my cup and sipping. Though the players are discussing, I can't pay attention. Not with Neil there. I watch as he works his hands on the knot of his apron, struggling and exhausted. I frown worriedly and scoot over, off my seat.

"I'll do it," I tell him, slipping behind him.

I undo the knot and he thanks me. I smile.

"Ay, Neil! Did you know Hazel was dating someone?" Aaron blurts out of nowhere.

I'm really starting to hate this dude.

"I didn't say I was dating—" I try to avoid the conversation but Neil doesn't seem to want that.

"Yeah, I know."

The players have different reactions, going from surprise, to curiosity, to proudness for the ones who understood already. Vince's face is just blank, without a reaction whatsoever. Parker's eyes glare a hole between my eyebrows. I'm so dead.

"Who's the guy?" a player asks.

"Me," Neil admits, wrapping a hand around my waist and kissing my temple.

I let him, numb with surprise.

"Really?" Aaron shrieks disappointedly.

"Yeah," I mutter, still a bit shocked.

"Damn, you should have invited us here earlier, Neil," someone says but I'm not paying attention anymore.

I like the comfort of Neil's embrace. A lot. A smile tingles on my lips. Neil eventually goes back to work and I sit there, listening to the players without saying anything. Everytime they only even come close to mentioning me and Neil, Parker shuts them up by saying I wouldn't speak without the presence of a lawyer. I know he's hiding the shock, hurt and worry he's feeling behind humor. We'll have a talk, later, for sure. I do feel kind of bad that he has to hear about us this way but at the same time, I wasn't sure either we were even something. Once my coffee cup is empty, I head off to the bathroom. When I come out, shaking water off my hands, I stop abruptly. Vince is there, leaning on the wall of the small corridor, arms crossed. I frown, wondering if he's here for me or if I'm being silly. The insistent gaze he gives me tells me I'm right. So I lean back against the opposite wall of the corridor and stare back.

"What?" I ask coldly.

He scoffs and huffs, his face telling me I have offended him, somehow.

"What do you mean 'what'? What was that, Stiles?" he asks roughly, motioning at the area where our table is.

"That was me, living my life. I'm not sure what you're even upset about." I cross my arms like him.

His eyes burn, his eyebrows meet. He's pissed. I feel myself shudder. I don't like Vince angry.

"Upset? I'm not upset," he says like his own feelings are the utmost insult to him.

"Right, so why else are you here, talking to me like we're something to one another?"

He remains quiet for a moment as he processes what I said. He only seems to be getting angrier by the second.

"Why else I'm— What the fuck, Stiles! What the fuck are you playing!"

I stare at him through my eyelashes, silent. He breathes heavily and collects himself again.

"I'm worried about you. This thing with Neil is so fast. I don't think—"

His audacity never fails to surprise me.

"I don't care what you think. I don't see how this is any of your business."

Vince growls, standing up straight and getting closer to me. I frown, suddenly scared of what he might do, blinded by anger. To my relief, Parker walks into the small corridor, obviously looking for me. He slaps a hand against Vince's chest and pushes him away from me slowly.

"Vince, man, I love you but I don't think she wants you around her right now," he says nicely but firmly.

Vince walks off. I sigh in relief. My legs feel like jelly. "Thank fuck, Parker."

He looks at me worriedly. "You know he wouldn't hurt you. He just very... confused. It's new to him. Wanting someone who doesn't want him back," he says as if it was true.

Yeah, right. What a joke. Parker clears his throat.

"Anyway, we'll talk about this tonight. Not that I disapprove but I'd like to understand if that's alright."

"Yeah, okay."

He smiles at me for the sake of it but I know he's crazy worried.

"Okay," he says, returning to the table.

I stay there, sorting my emotions gradually.