Chapter 10
Chapter 10
His father cleared his throat. “He’s in the study if you want to catch up.”
The idea made Jonathan’s stomach turn. The last thing he wanted was to see his brother right now. He could already picture
the smug look on his face, the patronizing way he always spoke to him, as if Jonathan were still a kid who needed guidance.
“I’ll see him later,” Jonathan said, his tone flat. He didn’t give them time to respond as he turned and made his way out of the living room, his fists still clenched tight. He could feel the tension building, the weight of being in his brother’s shadow
pressing down on him like always.
Once outside, he exhaled sharply, his mind racing. No matter how much he tried to escape it, the comparison, the resentment, the feeling of being second best–it always came back, especially whenever his brother reappeared in his life.
Great, he thought, running a hand through his hair. Just what I needed.
Jonathan forced himself to push the thoughts away, though it was easier said than done.
Then suddenly, his eyes caught sight of Laura giggling just on the other side of the fence, like the other day. Laura! he
thought, and he couldn’t help but peek to see her. The sight froze him in place.
Laura looked… happy. Unlike how he had left her yesterday, she seemed unburdened and–free. She was on her phone,
texting and smiling, her face glowing with a lightness that tugged at his heart. For a brief moment, he felt a pang of longing, a
reminder of the connection they once shared.
What’s going on? he wondered, his thoughts racing. She looked as if she was talking to someone special, someone who could
make her smile like that–like he once had.
The laughter bubbled up from her lips, and Jonathan’s chest tightened. And so, without thinking, he decided to interrupt her.
“Laurie, good morning,” he called out with a smile, forcing a casual tone.
He half–expected Laura to look at him with disdain or, at the very least, indifference. But her response took him completely
by surprise.
“Oh, hey Jonathan!” she greeted him, her face lighting up with that same bright smile. The smile he hadn’t realized he missed
until now.
“Hi, what’s up?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady, though the familiar warmth in her eyes made it hard to ignore the flood of emotions building inside him.
Laura stood up from her seat, brushing off her skirt as she walked toward him, still smiling. “Oooh, you stink!” she teased, crinkling her nose in mock disgust. “You partied all night, didn’t you?”
Jonathan blinked, taken aback by her playful tone. There was no bitterness, no resentment–just the Laura he used to know,
lighthearted and carefree. He chuckled despite himself, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah, maybe I did,” he admitted,
feeling oddly self–conscious under her gaze.
“Figured as much.” She shook her head, still teasing him. “You look like you need a gallon of coffee and maybe a shower,” she
added with a wink
Jonathan couldn’t help but laugh, but beneath his amusement was a flicker of unease. He’d expected their next encounter to be awkward, heavy with everything that had happened between them. Yet here she was, treating him like the same old friend she’d always been.
“Glad to see you’re not mad at me,” he said cautiously, his tone light but probing
Laura’s smile faltered for a brief moment, her eyes flickering with something deeper. “Mad at you?” she repeated, tilting her Ahead slightly “Why would I be mad at you, silly?” she asked, reaching out to pat his head in a playful, almost dismissive
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Chapter 10
+25 BONUS
gesture.
Jonathan hummed in satisfaction, leaning into the touch without thinking. It felt natural, comforting even. But he couldn’t
shake the nagging feeling creeping in. “Who are you talking to?” he asked, his tone turning a bit more interrogative as he
gestured toward her phone.
Laura merely shrugged as a mischievous grin spread across her face. Instead of answering, she kept the mystery alive.
“Oh, come ooon, we’re friends! We don’t keep secrets from each other,” Jonathan whined playfully, narrowing his eyes as if to
coax the truth out of her.
She just giggled, the sound light and carefree, something he hadn’t heard in a while. “I told youuu it’s a secret!” she teased. You’ll know when the right time comes!” There was something in the way she said it, a certain adorableness that tugged at his heartstrings in a way he hadn’t expected.
Jonathan felt a twinge in his chest but masked it with a playful sigh. “Alright, alright. I’ll let it slide… for now,” he said, feigning disappointment. Then, trying to brush off the strange tension that lingered in the air, he added, “Well then, you wanna come with me and grab a cup of coffee?”
Without looking in his direction, Laura shrugged nonchalantly. “Sure,” she replied, her tone plain, almost indifferent.
11
The drive to their usual café was filled with an awkward silence, broken only by Laura’s occasional stifled giggles and laughter. Jonathan gripped the steering wheel tightly, his mind racing with thoughts about who she could be talking to. Each chuckle from her felt like a small stab of jealousy, growing sharper as the minutes passed. She was right there beside him, but it felt as though her mind was somewhere else–focused on whoever was on the other side of the phone.
The pattern continued even after they arrived at the café. They ordered their usuals and sat down to drink, but Laura’s attention was glued to her phone. Jonathan sipped his coffee, unable to ignore the way her fingers tapped quickly across the screen, her face lighting up with every new message.
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“Laura,” he finally spoke, his tone light but with an edge of irritation. “Eyes off the phone. Your coffee’s getting cold.”
She looked up briefly, a half–smile on her lips, but the phone remained in her hand, her thumb still idly scrolling.
“Who are you even talking to?” Jonathan asked, his voice softer this time, laced with curiosity but unable to hide the tinge of jealousy. He hated that he felt this way, but seeing her so engrossed in someone else–it bothered him more than he cared to
admit.
Laura chuckled softly at Jonathan’s reaction, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she sipped her coffee. “I’ll keep his identity for now,” she teased, leaning back in her chair. “But I promise, you’ll know him soon enough.”
Jonathan raised an eyebrow, leaning in slightly as if trying to decipher her expression. “Why keep his identity?” he asked, his tone slightly defensive. “It’s not like it’d matter–wait…” He paused, his eyes narrowing. “He? You’re talking to a guy?”
The disbelief in his voice was unmistakable, and he scoffed, his eyebrows twitching as if trying to make sense of the revelation.
Laura bit her lip, clearly trying not to make her joy too obvious. “Yeah,” she said casually, as though it wasn’t a big deal. “A guy”
Jonathan’s chest tightened. “I just thought…” he began, his words trailing off. He didn’t know what he thought. He didn’t know why the idea of Laura talking to another guy–any guy–suddenly made him feel so unsettled.
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