Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend (by Silverwriter) novel Chapter 64

yel So it was happening. There just wasn’t a date. The thought made my stomach churn.

Francesca seemed delighted by the news. She squealed. “That’s amazing! We don’t have a date either… So what are the odds of us getting married on the same day?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Oh! Why don’t we have a joint wedding?” she suggested. “What do you think, baby?” she asked Archie.

He scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t know. Alvise’s wedding will probably be in Russia…”

“It will,” Alvise confirmed, his gaze never leaving me.

I feigned indifference as I listened, refusing to make any comment.

Francesca knew exactly what she was doing by bringing up his engagement at that moment.

It was a jab. And I had to give it to her… It landed.

Archie nodded. “I thought so. But wait… I haven’t even met your fiancée, man. Will she be coming to London before you go back?”

I rose to my feet immediately, not caring how obvious it looked. I couldn’t do it anymore. I just couldn’t.

“I’m thirsty,” I mumbled before walking out of the living room and heading for the kitchen.

I couldn’t sit there torturing myself while he simply watched, as though he was waiting to see me break.

I grabbed a carton of orange juice from the fridge and poured myself a glass before sitting on one of the kitchen stools, quietly sipping it.

I tensed when I heard footsteps approaching. A second later, that familiar, addictive scent wrapped around me.

I stayed where I was, pretending not to notice his presence as he walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

He turned and leaned against the refrigerator, his blue eyes colliding with mine,

I didn’t look away. I held his gaze as I calmly took another sip of my juice, pretending not to have a care in the world.

He tilted his head slightly. “Why did you leave?”

The question caught me off guard. My shoulders tensed, and I tried to mask it by taking another sip of my juice. “Leave where?”

“You know what I’m talking about, Arabella,” he said, his voice clipped.

I shrugged. “Actually, I don’t. I’m not exactly a mind reader, so…” I took another sip. “Try being specific.”

He had the upper hand. He knew it. I knew it. But my heart and pride had taken enough bruises today that I didn’t know how else to respond.

I was going to tough it out.

At this point, anything was better than letting him see me cry or wear my heart on my sleeve. I couldn’t keep doing that.

Alvise pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek before stroking his chin. “Why did you leave the living room just now?” he asked with unnerving calm.

I lifted my chin and looked him straight in the eye. “I didn’t want to keep listening to your engagement plans.”

Wed, Sep

M

Rumed By My Brother’s Best Friend