Chapter 107 Inspection
I had lunch at my favorite Chicken Noodle Soup spot.
Sitting across from him, I kept catching his affectionate gaze, making me blush and look down at my phone, not really reading anything.
It was past 12:30, and the place wasn't busy, so our food came quickly.
The soup was piping hot, as usual. Brad, worried I'd burn myself like before, scooped some into a small bowl for me, saying, "Careful, it's hot."
I started eating, but with Brad no longer just my brother, I felt awkward and picked at my food.
Brad watched me, amused, and said, "Jane, just be yourself. I like the real you."
I thought for a moment and decided to relax.
"That's the Jane I know," Brad said, encouraging me. I even drank some soup.
With the warm soup, my mood lifted, and I forgot about Daniel and Zoe.
Brad, always attentive, barely ate. When I asked why, he said, "Your beauty has me so captivated I forgot to eat."
I laughed and playfully tried to hit him, but he caught my hand and gently placed it back on the table.
With no classes in the afternoon, Brad walked me back to my dorm. We stopped by a pharmacy, and he bought me artificial tears, saying, "Your eyes might hurt after crying. Use these if it gets bad."
Brad's care was as meticulous as ever, even more so now.
Back at my apartment, I still couldn't believe Brad had liked me for over twenty years.
I had always seen Brad as an older brother, relying on him completely. He was my fiancé's older brother and had watched me grow up. My mom said he even changed my diapers.
I thought he was just being a caring big brother, but now I realized he had feelings for me all along.
I needed to understand my own feelings before making any decisions.
Figuring out my heart is pretty tough, though.
I shared the news in my close friends' group chat, and it blew up instantly.
Mia, impatient as always, sent a voice message: "Damn, you finally got Brad? I told you he saved your life, so you were bound to end up with him."
Isabella: [Finally figured it out. If you didn't, I was about to burst.]
Jane: [Burst with what?]
Isabella: [Evry1 knew Brad liked u but u. U kept treating him like a bro. We were dying to wake u up, but Brad made us promise not to tell u, scared of freaking u out. We've held it in for yrs; it was hell.]
I was speechless.
So, they all knew. No wonder they scolded me when I passed a love letter for Jenny. Brad and I gave each other the silent treatment for days back then, and I never understood why he was upset. Now I get it.
What a bunch of lousy friends!
I wanted them to help me figure out my feelings and see if Brad's love was deep enough to last. But instead, they were all so excited, none of them willing to listen to me.
Not wanting to say another word, I stopped responding.
Mia and Isabella, seeing my silence, bombarded me with texts, and soon my unread messages piled up.
A quick glance showed they were all urging me to secure Brad quickly, to avoid any complications. After all, Brad was quite a catch.
Unable to bear it any longer, I issued a statement: [Still considering and evaluating, don't overthink it.]
After a few more messages, the chat finally quieted down.
I then shared the news in my high school friends' group chat. A few words caused another explosion of excitement.
Lillian and Amelia were the most thrilled, saying I played a ruthless move. If I couldn't be Daniel's wife, I'd be his sister-in-law, making Daniel and Zoe uncomfortable. That was the way to go, make them suffer.
Amelia went further, pretending to educate me in a soft voice: [Jane, now ur gonna be a sis-in-law, u should care 4 ur bro-in-law. When r he & that woman getting married? They should hurry & stop being an eyesore.]
The whole group was delighted, congratulating me on securing Brad, but no one asked how I felt or if I needed their comfort or advice. They were also a bunch of heartless people.
I came for help, not to provide material for their jokes. Did they even know the point?
I speechlessly left the chat.
None of these lousy friends cared about my feelings, all just waiting to watch the drama unfold.
Lying in bed at night, I couldn't sleep. Memories of the countless days and nights spent with Brad over the years kept flashing before my eyes. Now, looking back at what I once thought were ordinary moments, especially those after I became an adult, it seemed every one of them had signs.
'Maybe having Brad as a boyfriend wouldn't be as difficult as I imagined. But I still need to be sure of my own feelings. And, my family's new house is already renovated. Helen thought I would never have any close ties with the Pitts again. But now Brad wants to be my boyfriend. If it happens, how do I tell my parents? How do I break my vow to stay away from the Pitts? If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have made such a vow. It's like I set myself up for trouble. And should I move into the new house? It's so confusing. What should I do? Someone help me!' I thought.
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