The Wrong Brother's Temptation novel Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Sienna

Fresh tears trickled out of my eyes when he said that,

“And now I made you cry” He slapped his forehead.

“I’ve missed you too,” I whispered back.

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I was glad he was here, and somewhere underneath all of it I was still thinking about his half brother who was in a different continent today.

“Okay,” Aaron said, standing up again. “Enough of this heavy, emotional talk. Get up and get dressed.”

“What?”

“We’re going out,” he declared. “We’re going to watch some silly movie, like we used to. I’ll buy an obscene amount of popcorn and you can complain about my movie choices and it’ll be completely normal and boring and exactly what you need.”

I chuckled at that.

“Don’t you have work to do?”

He shook his head again. “I cleared everything for the day before coming here. Today, I am going to spend all day ensuring I win you back.”

He hadn’t really lost me…and the way he said those words made my heart race despite knowing he only meant it as a friend.

“Sandra doesn’t get to decide who I spend my time with. So come on, Speckles….” He stopped. “Sorry. That’s Connor’s thing.”

“It’s fine,” I said, too quickly, not meeting his eye.

He looked at me for a half second and gestured at the door.

“Come on then” He extended his hand which I took, and got up.

He’d been right about what I needed.

Three hours in a dark cinema with terrible popcorn and Aaron’s running commentary about the plot holes in what was objectively a very watchable action film was truly comforting.

A few of his comments truly made me laugh out loud for real and I felt the tightness in my chest loosen incrementally.

Walking back to his car afterward he nudged my shoulder with his and asked. “Are you feeling better?”

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Chapter 77

“Yeah,” I said. “I can’t thank you enough for today.”

“Because you don’t have to,” he reminded me yet again.

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We walked for a bit in the comfortable silence and then his phone buzzed. I saw Sandra’s name flash on it and quickly tried to say. “Maybe you should go…”

“Check your phone,” he said instead, silencing his phone.

“What? Why?”

“I know you’ve been afraid to even look at your phone all day. Trust me, you want to check it now.”

I opened my phone hesitantly and was delighted to see that he had truly made it happen.

Every trace of the tags, the zoom, the accounts that had been leading the pile–on was wiped out.

All of it was cleared away as thoroughly as if it had never been there.

My feed was clean and my profile was untouched.

I couldn’t believe my eyes and turned to look up at him in shock.

“How?” I said.

“Money makes things happen,” he said simply. “And I know how to use it.”

The relief lasted only for a second as I recalled Sandra and how she had complained I wasted her boyfriend’s

money.

“I don’t want anybody to think that you used your connections and resources for me.”

“Let them. I get to decide who I spend my money on. If I can send my girlfriend on a day trip that cost me more than an overseas vacation, I can definitely use some money to help my friend. And no, don’t say thank you again”

I smiled wryly at him.

“You..never asked me who was in the picture…who I was with or how I could do such things.”

I stated the worry that had been gnawing at my mind all day.

“Because I have known you since childhood. Some decisions of yours didn’t sit well with me but hey, I know when things get bad enough, you will share them with me.”

Goodness, how did he become so caring and understanding suddenly? This was the version of Aaron I had wanted all my life.

And now I had it…but he had Sandra and I had….I didn’t know what I had with Connor.

“You’re simply the best friend I could ever have” I said and was about to put my phone away when something

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caught my eye.

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I had accidentally clicked on someone’s post and I almost dismissed it but the preview image caught my eye, and then I went very still.

It was a photograph of Connor.

He was standing in what looked like a garden somewhere, with a beautiful woman beside him. Connor was standing close to her, and his hand was resting on her back and he was smiling along with the girl who almost placed her head on his shoulder.

There were several pictures of them that the girl had posted and received thousands of comments and likes in a matter of hours.

They were at a table together, enjoying drinks in some pictures. In another they appeared to be dancing and she had her hand at his chest.

The caption read. An unexpected and wonderful evening with the most charming man. London, you delivered.

I felt extremely jealous, angry and even heartbroken despite having no reason to feel either of that for a man I was not in a real relationship with.

Seeing him smile at her, seeing his hand resting on her back like he had done with me twisted something ugly in my chest. Had she really returned to his life?

I had stopped walking and stood frozen to the spot.

“Hey.” Aaron was looking at my face. “Did I miss one? Is there another post or something?” He looked at my phone and went quiet.

I turned the screen away abruptly.

“Sia”

“It’s fine,” I bit out.

He sighed, coming in front of me to place both his hands on my shoulders.

“I tried to tell you that’s who he is. He uses women and throws them away when it suits him. He has never committed to any girl. And I know you want someone who will stay with you forever…that’s really not him.”

“Can we just go home? I’m tired” I said, and my voice came out steady, which surprised me, because my chest felt like it was being squeezed.

He looked at me for another moment, and then nodded, and dropped me home.

Mom was at the door and she began even before I had fully gotten out of the car.

“Oh, good that you are dropping her right now. I was about to give her father a call, Connor

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I got out and so did Aaron, staring awkwardly at her.

“It’s me, Aaron.”

“Oh. I didn’t know you took her out today.”

His brows furrowed. “Who else would take her out?”

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Mom replied. “Didn’t she tell you? Connor dropped her a couple of times already and they also went to some friend’s birthday…”

“Mom!” I groaned and climbed the stairs hastily to stop her from spilling more beans.

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