Best Friend's Wolf Stepbrother

Love is always complicated, and while you can't choose who you fall in love with, you can choose how to get through it. Just try not to hurt yourself more in the process.

***

YINI POV.

I cling to the door frame with all my might, feeling the blood leave my hands, turning them white from the pressure. I silently pray that the frame will not give way.

“Yini Fellington, you're going to that apartment if it's the last thing you do!”

“I refuse!”

“Either you get there on your own two feet, or I swear I'll drag you down to their filthy welcome mat!” Kira intensifies her grip, pulling me with a strength that surprises me. How can she have that much strength?

“Kira!” My voice comes out almost as a squeak, trying to talk some sense into her, but her determination is unrelenting, “But.... ahh!” My fingers give way, unable to resist any longer. Kira drags me out of the door frame and into the street, before I can even think about running back inside. In an instant, Kira is on her feet as if reading my thoughts, blocking the door with her outstretched arms and steady legs.

“No buts! I haven't spent all morning arranging for you to just refuse your fate!” Her tone is dramatic, “What about all my efforts, do you know how hard I've worked to make that makeup look perfect? You're just going to let it all go to waste?”

I approach her, worried about the neighbors who might be peeping from their windows, but they should be used to Kira's rambunctiousness by now. At least they don't call the police anymore.

“First of all, you came to my house unannounced and dragged me out of my bed. I almost had a heart attack!” I complain as I advance toward her. "Secondly, you pushed me into the bathroom and I almost fell. Now I have a bruise on my knee that hurts like hell,” I point to my sore knee even though it's barely noticeable under my tight jeans. "And thirdly, I was your rag doll for three hours because you didn't like ANY of my clothes. I had to change outfits about a hundred times until you decided this one was more or less acceptable. And then, you covered my face with a bunch of makeup and-” I try to continue listing my complaints, but Kira interrupts me to stop me from talking further.

"You always exaggerate! I didn't put that much makeup on you, remember what I always tell you? Your beauty is natural, so I just highlighted your eyes with very light, natural makeup. Besides, why did you give me a key if you don't want me to enter your house without knocking?” Kira triumphantly shows me the copies of the house keys she has in her possession, along with a key chain of a stuffed octopus. The keys swing in front of my face, making an annoying noise as they clack against each other. Her indignation is evident in her tone and gestures; I've told her she doesn't know how to lie, but he still ignores me.

“Does a wine-colored lipstick look natural to you? Besides, I gave you the key for emergencies, not for you to come and eat my chocolates in the middle of the night!” The real outraged one here is me. How is it possible that I can't hide my own chocolates from this crafty friend of mine? Somehow, she always manages to get them no matter where she hides them. I try to grab the keys that keep swinging in front of my face, but Kira hides them before I can touch them.

"The wine color is perfect for your skin! Plus, this way no one will stop looking at your lips. And FYI, this is clearly an emergency!” I know my friend is doing her best to support me, but sometimes she's a little over the top. “Kaiden moved into his new apartment early this morning!”

"Y... what does that have to do with me?” I try to feign indifference, but how could that news possibly not matter to me at all? Kaiden, the guy I've been in love with for years and who used to live just a few meters from my house, has moved somewhere else.

“Of course it has to do with you!” Kira speaks as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. “Because you're going over there to help him set up his new apartment and display all your charms until he can't keep his hands off you and give me nieces and nephews!”

“KIRA!” My scream overpowers her this time. I try to cover her mouth with my hands to stop her from continuing to speak, but in an instant she swipes her tongue across my palm, leaving a trail of drool.

“Gross!” I withdraw my hand immediately upon feeling that goo and wipe it off with her clothes.

Kira triumphantly shows me her tongue, trying to move my hand away from her clothes. “Okay, maybe that was too much, but you know what I mean.”

“Besides, I don't have any charm like you say.” I avert my eyes and my voice sounds in an almost inaudible, embarrassed whisper. I still don't understand why Kira always says the same thing when she knows perfectly well that I don't have those charms she's talking about.

A sigh of resignation escapes Kira's lips. "My brother is an idiot, but he's your idiot, girlfriend. You just need to go over there and claim him before someone else does it for you," Kira's words always seem sure of themselves. If only she could have that assurance, “Don't you think it's about time to confess your feelings for him?”

As soon as Kira utters those words, I feel like I want to hide under the covers of my bed again. Confess my feelings? That's easier said than done. Kira knows better than anyone the endless nights I've spent making plans to confess once and for all, only to regret it at the last minute. I try to push Kira out of the way and walk back into the house, but her body, despite being no taller than mine, blocks my way.

Did the chocolate give her all this colossal strength?

“Yini, you have to leave your nerves behind!” Kira stops my attempt to step over her and grabs my hands, looking me in the eyes defiantly, “Girlfriend, I just want you to be happy with the one you love,” Her tone of voice is sincere, I know, but my nerves make me want to just run away when it comes to anything related to Kaiden, “You know I'm doing all this for you, I want what's best for my best friend and if that's being with my fool of a brother, then I have no choice but to support you until you get it.”

“Kira...” She's always been like this with me. Ever since she deduced my feelings for her brother, she hasn't stopped supporting me unconditionally, even though we're not on good terms. And no matter how crazy the plan is, we are always there to support each other. I can't throw away all her effort just because I don't have the guts to face my own feelings, "Well, I've made up my mind. I'll go there and confess if it's the last thing I do."

“Now who's the dramatic one?”

Kira's smile is not long in coming as she looks at me proudly, “Now go over there and love him at your feet.”

A giggle escapes me, unable to control it. It's too early for what my body is used to, but with all this commotion, my body has fully awakened.

“Do you remember the address I mentioned to you a few days ago?”

“Do you think I'd forget?” We both sketched the same complicit smile.

“Perfect!” Kira pulls something out of her pocket and tosses it to me. After juggling with the object for a moment so it doesn't fall out of my hands, I notice it's her car keys.

“Does this mean what I think it means?”

Kira loves her car more than anything in the world, and she just doesn't go around leaving it in the hands of just anyone, so the fact that she volunteered her car to me is more than a miracle.

"Do you even want to walk over there? And remember, it's apartment 554."

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” I run to the car. “I promise I'll tell her everything this time! I swear on our friendship that I'll propose to Kaiden today!”

“Shut up, some of us are trying to have breakfast in peace!” A clearly annoyed shout from one of my neighbors is not long in coming.

“You shut up, can't you see that my friend is going through a difficult situation right now?” Kira's shout defending me is not long in coming either.

“Nobody cares!” I watch as Kira is about to confront one of my neighbors, so I get into the car as fast as I can. I don't want to be here if Kira makes someone cry, and of course she will.

The car starts easily as I insert the keys. I grip the steering wheel firmly and a sigh leaves my lips, trying to let go of everything that's tormenting me, “Okay, here we go, how bad can it be?”

The drive to the building was quicker than I expected, plus there were no complications along the way. It's not like I was expecting something to happen that would stop me from getting there or anything.

The elevator goes too fast, the numbers indicating the passing floors change without lasting a second on the screen, or at least that's how it seems to me. My hands start sweating as soon as I get out of the car, and I try to leave my hair alone, as my hands keep trying to fix it even though I have nothing to fix, “If Kira saw me right now, she'd scold me until the whole building knew what was going on.”

The doors open and I hesitate before stepping out. When my body is completely out of the elevator, I immediately regret it and try to turn around to go back, but the doors have already closed, “I knew this is a bad idea,” I say as I push the button to call the elevator.

“What's a bad idea?” The sound of that voice stops me in my tracks. Shit, why does this stuff always have to happen to me? I push the button more insistently, as if that will make the doors open faster.

I don't even want to turn around to see his face, or I'll get much more nervous than I already am.

“Yini? Hello?” Think, Yini, think of something fast! You can't just stare at the elevator doors all your life. I have to get out of this, I'm going to face him head-on. I turn to face him and my heart betrays me, it starts beating uncontrollably at the mere sight of his blue eyes. Shit, I'm fucked. “Hi, Yini.” His tone of voice is sweet, and the way his eyes shrink a little when he smiles is charming.

I can't stop looking at him and I'm pretty sure my mouth is hanging open and possibly drooling, but I have to pull myself together.

“Kaiden! What are you doing here?” No, Yini, feigning indifference isn't going to save you this time! Not when you're right in the building he moved into this morning, and right when you're on the floor where his apartment is.

“Well... this is where I live now,” he says as he points around with his hands, “I mean, not right here, my apartment is here, well, actually, it's over there,” he points to a half-open door behind him a few steps from where we're standing.

Of course he lives here, that's why you're here, Yini. Argh, I should stop talking to myself like I'm someone else. I should also respond, as Kaiden is starting to look at me funny.

“I... of course I know you live here,” I'm definitely not fixing things. “That's why I'm here, I came... to help you with the move.”

“I guess Kira had something to do with that.”

"No! I mean, yes! She... couldn't come, but she was really worried that you couldn't manage on your own, so she asked me to come."

“Really? And why couldn't she come herself?” Kaiden folds his arms and looks at me defiantly. My tongue gets tongue-tied, and all my thoughts swirl around without getting what to answer.

"She... well..." I look down at my hands, which keep interlocking nervously, trying to congenialize an answer, until a giggle puzzles me. Kaiden is laughing. Wait a minute... Kaiden is laughing?

“Relax, Yini, this isn't a criminal interrogation.” He runs his hand through my hair playfully, tousling it all over, “I know my sister can be very convincing and she sure forced this on you.” Great, this will be my chance to run away. Kira can't blame me if Kaiden sends me back, "But I won't make you leave. Since you're here, why don't you help me a little?"

Huh? Aren't you going to let me go?

“I...”

"Oh, come on, I'm not going to bite you. Not unless you ask me to.” His voice comes out in a playful tone as he gives me a wink. God, stop doing that kind of thing! Can't you see the blush on my cheeks? Can't you hear my heart racing every time you look at me?

“Come on!” Kaiden grabs my arm and drags me into his apartment.

Is there still a chance of escape? No, there isn't. I try to turn to look at the elevator when I hear the distinctive sound of the doors opening, but Kaiden drapes his arm over my shoulders, making me unable to move. I'm stunned, unable even to breathe. His body is too close, his scent is so intoxicating. Kaiden doesn't seem to notice my distress. I decide it wouldn't hurt to take a breath. After all, air is essential for living, isn't it?

I breathe just a little and feel like I won't be able to control my heart for days, but it's worth it. Kaiden's eyes meet mine. Seconds pass and we both keep looking at each other. His lips move, but I can't hear what they're saying. I watch as he runs his tongue over his lips as if they are parched, yet I see them perfectly fine. I have to stop looking at him as if I want him to kiss me, but he is so mesmerizing.

"Are you okay? Your face is red, actually, it's almost purple,” Kaiden says with an expression I can't quite decipher. Great, I forgot to breathe again.

Quick, you have to say something so I don't think you're crazy! Come on, say anything!

“I love you.” The words come out of my mouth uncontrollably. As soon as I realize what I'm saying, I cover my mouth with my hands, as if that will somehow prevent me from proceeding with my confession.

“What did you say?” asks Kaiden. His surprised gaze keeps scrutinizing my face in search of understanding what I just said, but at this moment my best horrified face overpowers everything.