Brother's Girl✔️

Trece

Dominique's POV

I made the mistake of setting up one of my closest friends with the guy I had a crush on. I finally realized how big that mistake was, not only did it not change my feelings for him, but it only meant that I had to hear what my friend had to say about him. I'm surprised they still talked, but they did. Camila said they understood each other, they both did not want a relationship, that worked out perfectly.

That was why I was currently sitting in a booth with Matteo holding my hand, across from us sat Gabriel and Camila. Yep, we were having one of the awkward double dates. I had a feeling it wasn't so awkward for Matteo and Camila since they seemed clueless and were perfectly laughing about a joke one of they might have told. I startled hearing Matteo's shaking voice laugh, I was loss at what was so funny. "It's really not that funny, guys," Gabriel said sharing the same reaction as me. 

I shouldn't have let Camila and Matteo talk me into this. Matteo had picked me up from work a few days ago and he started talking to Camila. Thye both suggested the date, I was stuck in the middle able unable to decline their offer or more like their punishment. I said yes, even I was surprised when the three lettered word came out of my mouth. "Whatever Gabe," Matteo said rolling his eyes. I felt his pockets vibrate, he took out his phone. "Give me second, I have to take this," he said to me. I shook my head, he let go of my hand and got up from the booth. 

I watched as he made his way outside the restaurant to answer his phone. I sighed and turned my attention back to the two people sitting across from me, "So," I say awkwardly trying to make small talk. I failed miserably, I shook my head and decided not to even continue. 

"Give me a second," Camila said getting up from the table. She mouthed me she had to go to the bathroom and I nodded my head. She walked to the back of the place and made her way to the bathrooms. 

I took a sip of my soda playing with the straw a little bit. I watched as the ice swirled around, I got bored and ate some of my fries. "This was a mistake, wasn't it?" Gabriel asked me making me look up to him. "Why did we agree to this?" He asked me. I laughed and shook my head. At least someone understood what I was going through. 

I put my hand under my chin bored out of my mind. "How did you and Camila meet?" Gabriel asked me. 

"Um..." I said thinking about it for a moment. It was really awkward how we met, "she's my," I paused, "well, my mom's married to her dad," I finished. We only started talking because we both hate our parents for being together. Her dad was a wonderful man, I had no doubt about that, but my mom belonged to my dad and he should have never come in the middle of their marriage. 

"She's your stepsister," Gabriel said the word I try to avoid at all times. 

"You can say that," I replied. It went back to silent, Gabriel was playing with his straw also, his eyes fixed on the glass. It felt like they have been gone for hours, why was it taking so long. I checked the time on my watch and noticed it has only been two minutes. 

"Wait," Gabriel said, "your parents are not together?" He asked me, I shook my head no. "I didn't know that," he said. I shrugged my shoulders. I tried to keep my parents out of any conversation I could, I didn't even tell Matteo they were divorce until the divorce was finalized and they lived in different houses. By then, I was a senior in high school and my brother was in college so they didn't have to go through the awkward custody battles. 

"Over fifty percent of marriages end in divorce," I told Gabriel.

"Is that why you don't want to marry my brother?" He asked me. I had many reasons for not wanting to marry him and that was amongst one of the top ones. I didn't hate marriage or anything, I do want to be married one day, just not right now and definitely not with all those secrets that are lingering over Matteo and I. 

"Partly," I answered him.

"What's the other reasons?" He asked me. He seemed overly curious about my reasons. I sighed not knowing how to answer his questions.

"I don't know," I shrugged my shoulders, "I just feel like there are so many things we haven't talked about, secrets, lies," I continue. "Like I didn't even know he was in foster care, what other things is he keeping from me."

"I find it really interesting that you said, secrets we haven't talked about," he pressed on the word we. "Which only means there are things you are keeping from him also," he said. 

"Probably," I said shaking my head. 

"Not probably, yes," he corrected.

"What?" I asked him, "you're going to tell him?" He turned around and looked at him still on the phone and shook his head no. "Gabriel, we all know we're all keeping secrets," I told him. We were keeping from him that we once shared a kiss and Matteo was keeping things from me I didn't dare ask about. If he felt like it and he trusted me enough, he would tell me eventually, I didn't want to force it out of him. 

"And we all know it's going to destroy us one day. One day it'll come back and bite us," he said. He sighed and got up, "I'll be right back," he said. He walked outside and I watched as he walked to his brother from the glass. After Matteo hung up the phone, they talked for a while. Their hands were both crossed across their chest. After exchanging many words, Matteo passed his hands through his dark hair. 

There was a box on the floor and he kicked it, he was angry. Gabriel told him something and walked back inside. "What happened?" I asked Gabriel. 

"Uh, nothing," he replied. 

"You're lying to me," I said. 

"I'm sorry," he said. "Have you ever seen any of my dad's paintings?" He asked me. I shook my head no, he has a personal room where he paints and does his everything else. He does not allow anyone in there. "Tomorow's Thursday," he said, "my dad goes to the store to buy new supplies an hour before noon, meet me by the room then, I want to show you something."

"Okay," I nodded my head. Just then, Matteo walked in and took his seat. Camila then walked in also. We continued eating acting as if nothing happened.