Falling for My Best Friend's Brother

“Hmm, I don’t mind listening to this station if you’re going to continue talking to me in Spanish.”

“Oh?” I asked him curiously. “All I said was bailamos.”

“And you sounded sexy saying it. I have a thing for Spanish accents.”

“My accent isn’t even that good.”

“It’s good enough, my sexy señorita.”

“Oh, Aiden.” I rolled my eyes.

“Say Aiiiden.” He drawled out his name as he said it with an accent.

“Or maybe I’ll call you Juan.”

“You can call me whatever you want, señorita.”

“You’re an idiot,” I said, and we both laughed.

“Seriously, though. I’m glad you came to dinner with me tonight.

“It’s not like you really gave me a choice,” I said. “It was more of an order.”

“Well, thanks for obeying orders.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, and he reached over and squeezed my hand.

“So I wanted to talk about the—” he said at the same time that I said “What’s going on with you and Elizabeth?”

“So I guess we’re both ready to talk, then?” He looked at me with a smile. “What did you want to talk about first?”

“What were you going to say?”

“I wanted to talk to you about that night you came to my room.”

“Oh, again.”

“I wanted you to know that I don’t want to be your best friend’s creepy older brother.”

“You’re not creepy at all.”

“Sometimes I think I am.” His voice sounded frustrated. “You and Liv have been best friends for so long, and I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to horn in on that relationship.”

“Aiden, I don’t know if you remember, but I was the one who snuck into your bed. Not the other way around,” I said with a small laugh. “I was the one who wanted you.”

“I wasn’t sure if I’d led you on.”

“How had you led me on?” I asked curiously.

“You know, when I used to tutor you,” he said and glanced at me before switching lanes.

“You mean when you tutored me for math?” I thought back to when I was in ninth grade and he’d spent a summer helping me figure out pre-calc and algebra.

“Yeah. And helped you figure out how to kiss.” His voice dropped. “I still feel guilty about that.”

“Why?” I looked at him in shock; I was surprised that he’d even remembered those days.

“I was your first kiss.” He sighed. “And the first guy you slept with. I kinda felt like an asshole.”

“Aiden, you were my first kiss, and you were amazing.” I laughed. “If anything, I was the asshole. I was the one who practically forced you to teach me how to kiss.”

“You didn’t force me.”

“I begged you for two weeks.” I laughed. “And practically grabbed your face that one time.”

“You were a bit aggressive, yes.”

“And you were so sweet,” I said to him. “You led me to Liv’s bed, laid me back, told me to close my eyes, and then kissed me softly.”

“And then you shoved your tongue down my throat.” He laughed. “And Liv came in and screamed.”

“That was hilarious.” I giggled. “I can still remember the look of horror on Liv’s face when I told her that I’d kissed you and that you were my first kiss. She looked like she wanted to throw up.”

“She never let me forget about it.” He grinned and then pulled into a parking spot. “I think that was part of the reason I didn’t bring up us having slept together with you. I didn’t know how you felt, and I didn’t want there to be any awkwardness in your relationship with Liv.”

“Oh, Aiden.” I sighed. “I thought you hated me. I thought you thought I was some sort of crazy slut or something and you were embarrassed.”

“Never.” He shook his head and turned off the engine and faced me. “You know I’ve always been attracted to you.”

“You have?” I asked, my eyes wide.

“Hasn’t that been obvious the last couple of months?” He grinned. “I can’t keep my eyes off of you.”

“Well, you have kept your hands off of me,” I said and realized he’d said eyes and not hands. “Oops, I mean eyes.”

“I’ve had a hard time keeping both off of you.” He looked directly into my eyes. “I think us all getting together for Gabby’s fake engagement, and then with Xander and Liv has really made me see what I’ve been missing.”

“Yeah, we have been around each other a lot recently,” I said with a small smile. “I’ve had a hard time keeping my eyes off of you as well.”

“Well, I am super handsome.” He gave me a smug smile, and I hit him in the shoulder.

“And modest as well.”

“Always modest.” He grinned. “Shall we go in and eat?”

“Yes, please. I’m hungry hungry.”

“Well that’s not good. We can’t have you hungry hungry.”

“Oh, why not?”

“Because that will make you too weak for tonight.”

“What’s happening tonight?” I asked him, my heart racing.