His Half Brother Wants Me

nda'

oss, Reed Statham, praised me as we scrolled through the pi

smiled, my heart

d whenever he gav

was why I had secretly been in l

day of high school, when the senior

fteen-year-old me saw the charismatic eighteen-year-old self giv

lub, and the level of attention that Reed had given m

igh school, I was i

lved to move on fr

us together because I met him again

eed was in h

blissful occurr

hotography on my own, then started

volunteer at his company, even after he graduat

de I had to take there almost eve

y, my choi

ther employees started spreadi

d didn't seem repulsed

e, but my expectation was crushed, when he

ly beautiful and

an accounting degree, I went on to reject job o

as a photographer at Re

ost of my life's decisions around him, a

absolutely loved be

Penelope, a month after I o

ar, and I took it as a sign from the universe to grab

s far as mapp

hangout after work and we

lay my heart out,

utterly gutted when he broke the news of him

I wasn't e

blonde girls

like P

h hazel eyes, I was

voice caressed my ears,

t been mindlessly gaping at him all these

ked, concern evident in his voice

harbor feelings for him wh

as I love you, Reed, I thought, sta

instead, "It's n

He asked, seemin

ndred p

then," He replied, "Before I forget, the

udded at hi

ther, he had never said something l

" I asked, gen

ight there and then, the delusion that he perhaps wa

eepest part of my belly, as

coming wouldn't be far

bout Penelope, and I had even thou

spring this so

love for him would forever remain a sec

more, as Reed's air-conditioned of

t being heartbroken was one of the wors

yet, it felt like my heart was about to shoot

despair eroding my insides, "Tha

, clearly oblivious to my inner turmoil

o burst out crying if I spo

a small green leathe

us, clean-cut diamond ring, th

, the heavier the desponden

eous," I chose

she advised me to move on from Reed, a few ye

he harsh truth, so we got into an arg

ur differences, she nev

ine telling her that Reed

it, she would probably m

more anger than

lusions, thinking Reed would automatically develop fe

r was no one's

signals, not to talk of mixed sign

ink she wi

me, I nodded, "Definitely. Excuse me,

"We will talk more about the proposal later becau

osed to the woman he loved, would absolutely

s, I nodd

wn in tears, as I wept for the time and op

fice had I been so grateful for it, until now, as I was

opened my laptop and typ

tay beside R

decade of my life, single and fixated on a man, wh

ly going to be the hardest thing

letter into an envelope,

y mum's details displayed acros

g, I beg

strange woman's frantic voice wafted into my ea

the hospital right away