Chapter 105 Five Seconds
I was totally shocked and couldn't believe it.
Thinking back, all those times Brad pampered me, cared for me, fought with John for me—it all pointed to him liking me. But I thought it was just brotherly care.
Mindy's words a few days ago, and the regretful looks from Mia and Isabella, made it clear: everyone knew Brad liked me, except me.
Was I really that clueless?
The news hit me hard, and I couldn't accept it right away.
Even though Brad made sense, turning the brother I relied on into a boyfriend felt too weird.
I was panicking, not knowing what to do with my hands.
"Jane, do you think I'm not as good as Daniel, that I'm not worthy of you, so you don't want me?" Brad asked, sounding hurt.
"No, I don't!" My heart was in turmoil; Brad's confession was so sudden.
I had imagined being confessed to, but never by Brad.
"Then why not be with me? I'll treat you like a treasure and never let you cry. Okay, Jane?" Brad said.
I blinked, wanting to refuse but couldn't.
Brad's eyes were filled with deep temptation, and the tear mole at the corner of his eye was striking.
My mind was in chaos, with countless answers, but I didn't know what to choose.
Brad was great, maybe the best guy for me besides Ronan. Over the years, I'd relied on him a lot. I could cry, laugh, vent my frustrations, and throw little tantrums at him.
He always accepted everything unconditionally, never harsh, never impatient. No matter how I was, he was always happy to accept it.
But that was when I saw him as my brother. If Brad became my boyfriend, I didn't know if I could still interact with him as freely.
Also, turning Brad, who I saw as family, into a boyfriend felt awkward.
Plus, he was Daniel's older brother. My engagement to Daniel was almost known to the whole school. When we broke up in senior year, everyone found out.
Luckily, my classmates were kind and didn't mock me, but there were always private talks.
If I dated Daniel's brother now, it would cause another huge stir.
Back then, I didn't care about these things. Now, as an adult, could I handle the public scrutiny?
Brad was great, but I didn't have the courage to date him, at least not now.
"Jane, be with me. Let me take care of you and love you for a lifetime, okay?" Brad gently urged, his eyes full of affection. Such a gentle Brad, anyone pursued by him would fall for him.
Brad's lips slowly moved closer, my heart pounded wildly, and my face felt like it was on fire.
As Brad's face got closer, an image of eighteen-year-old Daniel waiting for me at the staircase flashed in my mind.
'No, I can't. They're brothers!' I thought.
Rationality kicked in, and I quickly put my hand between us. "Brad, give me some time to think."
Brad's expression darkened for a moment but then he smiled. "Okay, I'll give you five seconds. If you don't say no, that means you agree. One, two, three, four, five. Time's up. You didn't say no, so that means you agree. From now on, I'm your boyfriend. Congrats, Jane, you have a boyfriend."
Before I could react, Brad leaned in again, his warm breath on my face, making my heart race.
Somehow, I found the strength to start struggling.
Brad wanted to hold me but, seeing me struggle, he let go to avoid hurting me.
Brad, usually so composed, let his arms fall limply, his back slightly hunched, and the light in his eyes dimmed.
He forced a smile. "Jane, I was just joking. Don't be scared."
I stumbled back a few steps, keeping a safe distance, and looked at Brad.
Brad smiled slightly, still handsome, but his eyes were filled with disappointment and sadness.
I pressed my hand to my chest, not knowing why it hurt so much.
I didn't want to see Brad sad. I preferred the Brad who always smiled at me, indulging and pampering me.
"Jane, please don't hate me, okay?" Brad looked at me seriously, and I saw a hint of undeserved humility in him.
I remembered my senior year fall. I was humble, holding a sincere heart, only to have Daniel trample it.
I was really sad back then.
Maybe it's true: the one who falls in love first is destined to be humble.
But I never wanted Brad to be humble or disappointed.
However, I wasn't ready to date Brad yet.
'Brad, would you wait for me? When I've made up my mind, I'll tell you my answer!' I thought.
"Brad, I don't hate you." His expression made me feel guilty, and I wanted to smooth out his furrowed brows. "It's just that everything happened so suddenly, so I haven't made up my mind yet."
I couldn't look directly at the disappointment in Brad's eyes, so I lowered my head, nervously kicking the ground.
My mind was a mess, emotions tangled, and tears started to flow uncontrollably.
I bit my lip to keep from crying out loud, scolding myself for being useless and only knowing how to cry.
Brad noticed I was crying and reached out to hug me but hesitated, afraid I'd struggle again. He anxiously rubbed his hands together, repeatedly telling me not to cry and that he wouldn't force me.
But the tears wouldn't stop, flowing uncontrollably.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
