Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend (by Silverwriter) novel Chapter 8

Hurt

ARABELLA’S POV

You see, when I said Alvise was intimidating and demanding, I wasn’t being biased because I’d once been obsessed with him. It was simply who he was without even trying.

I was reminded of that fact as he held my gaze, waiting for me to answer his question, the same question that had completely caught me off guard.

I blinked away my confusion. “I already told you. I had to stay back and finish some work. I lost track of time and only left once I was done.”

His eyes narrowed, then he poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, the muscles in his jaw visibly tightening.

“You kept working until midnight.” He tapped the arm of the chair. “You saw it was raining.” Another tap. “And then you decided to walk home in the rain anyway.” Tap. Then he dragged his thumb across his lower lip. “Is that what you’re telling me?”

The coldness in his tone made me uncomfortable. I had no idea where he was going with this. Yes, what I’d done had been reckless, but I’d never intentionally put myself in danger.

I cleared my throat. “Don’t say it like that.”

“Like what?” he shot back.

“You’re making it sound like I deliberately put myself in danger.” I shook my head. “That’s not true.”

He looked away briefly, glanced at his wristwatch, then returned his gaze to me. “I don’t care what you think the truth is. It made no sense…”

Feeling defensive and embarrassed, I cut him off. “But I thought…”

“You weren’t thinking,” he said, rising to his feet and slipping his hands into his pockets.

A surge of anger rose within me, and this time, I didn’t bother suppressing it. Alvise had always been cold, but never outright mean or this condescending. And it hurt. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t.

“I know what I did was risky, and I was scared out of my mind,” I said, pausing to bite my lower lip. “I never planned to walk home. A lot happened, and…”

“I never asked for the backstory,” he interrupted. “I don’t care for it.”

I stared at him in disbelief, desperately trying not to let him see how much his words hurt me. “Look, I know you’re upset that you had to bring me here. I never intended to ruin your night, but you don’t have to be so rude.”

“I don’t care enough to be rude to you.” He tilted his head slightly. “I’d actually have to give a shit for that. I’m simply stating things as they are.” His eyes hardened. “You fucked up.”

“Did you help me just so you could stand here and act like a bitch?” I snapped, my heart was racing uncomfortably. He was hurting me. And he knew it.

“Watch it,” he said firmly, his jaw ticking. “I won’t repeat myself.”

I scoffed. “So you can be cruel to me, but I can’t do the same?”

Wiping my eyes, I walked into the kitchen, grabbed a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator, and poured myself glass.

Before I could take a sip, his voice sounded behind me. “You’ve been sneezing nonstop. And now you want to drink something cold?”

Setting the glass down, I turned around. He was standing on the other side of the counter, his face wearing the same bored expression.

He tilted his head and stroked his chin. “Because I don’t have time to waste babysitting you.”

His words stung, but knowing I deserved them hurt even more. There was so much I wanted to say. So much. But I was afraid to open my mouth. Nothing I said would change how reckless my actions had been. Nothing would explain that I’d truly had no choice.

The fact that he was even speaking to me surprised me. Then again, we both knew he wasn’t really talking to me. He was pretending not to know me. Pretending that night had never happened. Pretending the only thing connecting us was Archie.

And from the look in his eyes, I could tell he wanted me to understand that. The realization passed silently between us. He’d picked me up because I was his best friend’s sister. Nothing more.

“Well…” I whispered. “Thank you anyway for bringing me here.” I swallowed hard. “And I’m sorry for wasting your time.”

I didn’t wait for a response. Instead, I rinsed my glass, returned it to the rack, and walked toward the door. Calmly, I unlocked it and held it open. It was a silent invitation for him to leave.

Part of me wanted him to call my bluff. I wanted him to stay. I knew if he left ine alone in this state, I’d cry myself to sleep.

But he simply walked past me and stepped into the hallway. Before he could get too far, I stopped him.

“Please don’t tell Archie you saw me in the rain. I already told him I made it home.” My voice came out smaller than I’d intended. It was a plea.

He didn’t turn around. “Archie should be the least of your concerns.” His footsteps continued down the hallway. “I already know…” He paused. Then, without looking back, he continued, “Nothing could be worse than that.”