Saved by the Crush's Brother (How to Catch a Crush Book 2) Page 9

  I’d always told myself I wasn’t competitive with my brother—that he was the one who competed with me—but right now…

  The thought of living in his shadow with Avery?

  That didn’t work for me. I’d be jealous every day of my life if I thought she was comparing us. If I thought she was settling by being with me.

  Alex glanced down the hallway again, clearly uncomfortable. “Why don’t you take your own advice for once?” he said, turning back to me. “Stop trying to be the hero and just be selfish. Go after what you want.” He arched his brows in challenge. “You want Avery, right? You like her, don’t try to deny it.”

  “Of course I like her,” I snapped, my voice a little too loud. “I like her alot. Enough to get out of the way so you two can—”

  “Oh please,” Alex groaned, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling with another shake of his head. “You’re running because you’re scared that she’ll pick me so you’re not even giving her a chance to choose.” He dropped his gaze to meet mine. “For once, just be man enough to take what you want. Stop trying to sacrifice yourself like you’re some freakin’ white knight.”

  I narrowed my eyes, a million different retorts itching to come out, but I was trying not to make things worse with Alex.

  Pointing out how freakin’ selfish he was wasn’t going to help things.

  “I’m trying to do the right thing by both of you,” I said. “So after I’m gone, man up and ask Avery out. A girl like her is never going to come along again.”

  Alex shook his head slowly, his expression somewhere between exasperated and amused. But then he turned his head to look down the hallway again. “What did I tell you? Always the martyr.”

  I blinked at his profile. What the…?

  Who was he talking to?

  A second later, I had my answer because she was there in the doorway next to my brother.

  Avery.

  Standing right next to Alex with that ugly baby in her arms. Her smile was small and sweet and...sad.

  Ah crap. Had I done that?

  “See?” Alex said, sounding like the little brat that he was. “I told you. He always has to be the martyr.”

  Avery gave Alex a sympathetic look that made me want to shove him out a window.

  She turned to me and bit her lip. “Sorry, we didn’t set out to...trap you like this.”

  Alex grinned at me, totally unapologetic. “Just great timing.” He turned to Avery and that taunting smile turned softer, and far more genuine. “I told you he likes you.”

  Her cheeks turned pink and she ducked her head. “Alex, can we have a minute?”

  “Yeah, but before I go…” He shot me a funny little grin. Taunting but not necessarily cruel. He looked back to Avery. “Let’s set him straight on one thing, shall we?”

  Her mischievous little smile made me certain that Alex was going to be shoved into a wall in the very near future if he didn’t walk away from this girl.

  My girl.

  The caveman voice in my head might have been primitive and crude, but it was shouting at me to push Alex aside and take her into my arms.

  Alex crossed his arms and faced her with a smile. “Avery Lawson, will you go to homecoming with me?”

  My stomach dropped to my feet. My heart...my freakin’ heart felt like it was imploding. It was one thing to know this was for the best, but it was another thing entirely to witness their big romantic moment.

  Avery laughed. She laughed!

  The sweetest girl I’d ever met laughed as my heart broke.

  “No, Alex,” she said, her voice light and filled with laughter. “I will not go to homecoming with you.”

  She shot me a haughty look that said, See? Take that!

  I blinked in surprise and a whole lot of confusion.

  Alex’s voice took on a talk-show host tone and it was clear he was enjoying himself. “And why is that, Avery?”

  Her smile was big and brilliant. “Because I’m afraid I don’t like you that way, Alex.”

  Now it was his turn to look over at me with a gloat. “My job here is done.” He leaned forward and gave Avery a peck on her cheek before casting me a quick look. “I assume I’ll see you both at homecoming...assuming my brother can stop acting like an idiot long enough to ask you.”

  I growled and lunged toward him, but he was already out in the hallway, laughing as he walked away. Which left me standing way too close to the girl of my dreams as she gave me a beatific smile. “Now…” she said in a teacherly tone. “Was there something you wanted to ask me?”

  11

  Avery

  Okay, I’d admit it.

  I was sort of having fun at Cristian’s expense. His expression was pretty hilarious right now. Part anger, part confusion...part hope.

  The hope I saw there made me warm all over.

  But yeah. I was having fun right now, and part of that entertainment was in watching Cristian squirm.

  However, in my defense, he had walked out on me the other day, not even giving me a chance to explain.

  Granted, maybe space was what I’d needed. No, not just space. I’d needed some time to figure out what I was feeling for Cristian, but spending one afternoon with Alex had helped me clear up in no uncertain terms how I felt about him.

  I did like him…as a friend.

  But it became abundantly clear the moment we were alone together that we didn’t have …this.

  This heady chemistry that made being in the same room with Cristian feel like a monumental event that I’d remember for the rest of my life.

  Not once did I resist the urge to throw my arms around Alex or wonder what it would feel like if he kissed me.

  But, more importantly...the conversation just wasn’t there. Oh, he’d been nice enough but there wasn’t that instant kinship—the kind of easy conversation and mutual interest that made you want to stay up all night talking just to hear what the other person had to say.

  I could have said all of that right now, but the truth of the matter was… “I’m angry at you.”

  His eyes widened and he still had that shocked look about him that was irritatingly adorable since I’d been hoping to give him a stern lecture. In fact, I’d had one prepared but it was now forgotten because my stupid brain was all hazy with endorphins at the mere sight of this guy.

  “You’re angry?” He looked so confused, it was kind of adorable.

  But I didn’t want to find him adorable right now because I was still fuming over the way he’d left my house like that. Declaring himself a non-contender in my love life without even asking what I might think about that.

  The only problem was...it was getting harder and harder to hold onto that anger because I’d heard him talking to Alex.

  I’d heard what he’d said.

  “You like me.” I punctuated that statement with a jab to his chest that made his eyes widen in surprise again. “I heard you say you like me so don’t try to deny it.”

  I jabbed his chest again for good measure, and could I just say...holy muscles, Batman.

  I gave my head a little shake. Focus. Now was not the time to ogle my new crush, now was the time to give him heck for being such an idiot. “Why would you just walk out on me like that?” I snapped. My brows came down as I set Buttercup down on the chair next to the door.

  I knew now just how sensitive this stupid computerized baby could be and I wasn’t about to risk our grade because my boyfriend was being obtuse.

  Boyfriend.

  The word seemed to ring like an alarm in my head. But in a good way. In the holy crap, you won the jackpot at a casino kind of way.

  I swallowed as my gaze dropped to his lips.

  Bad idea.

  I was already having a hard enough time focusing on my anger and now all I could think about was the way he kissed me. The way he held me. The way…

  He growled low in his throat and that was the only warning I got before he crushed me to him and kissed me like he hadn’t seen me in m
onths, or even years. He kissed me like I was the most important person in the world.

  And I kissed him back. Going up on tiptoe I wrapped my arms around his neck as his arms tightened around my waist.

  This was exactly where I wanted to be. This was the guy I wanted to be with…

  Now if only he could get that through his thick skull.

  He let me go so suddenly I just knew he’d had a similar thought. We hadn’t resolved anything, we’d just confirmed the fact that there was chemistry here between us.

  But chemistry wasn’t enough to start a relationship.

  And that was what I wanted.

  As he’d said before...it was what I deserved.

  “So?” I said as I caught my breath. My lips still tingled from that kiss, but I wasn’t about to get sidetracked again. “Are you going to apologize?”

  He eyed me oddly, and I could have sworn I could see his indecision. I could see the battle going on inside him and it killed me.

  “I don’t like Alex,” I said. Even I could hear the hint of desperation in my voice and that just added to my frustration. “I know I told you I did...and I did. Or…” Oh crap. He winced but I hurried on. “I thought I did. Haven’t you ever thought you knew what you wanted but figured out that you were wrong?”

  He stared at me blankly.

  Okay then.

  Maybe not.

  “Look, I shouldn’t have left like I did,” he said, that low voice so gravelly it made me want to launch myself into his arms all over again. “I just...you’ve got to understand. Things between me and Alex haven’t been good for a while now. We’ve been caught up in this toxic rivalry for too long. And really…” He shook his head and looked away. “It’s not even a competition. I stopped trying to compete a long time ago.”

  “Because there is no competition,” I said. “You two are so different. And the way you handled your parents’ split was so opposite…” I swallowed. “That doesn’t mean one of you was right and the other was wrong. It doesn’t mean that his way of dealing was better than yours or that you have anything to prove.”

  His gaze moved back to mine and the mix of emotions I saw there made me want to cry on his behalf. It made me want to curl up in his arms and make him see how perfect he was just the way he was...imperfections and all.

  “You deserve a guy like that,” he said, his voice so low I almost didn’t hear it.

  I sighed loudly. “I deserve a guy who likes me. I deserve a guy who cares about me and who supports me and helps me even when I show up on his doorstep crying over a stupid doll.”

  His lips quirked up a little at the edges and I got a glimpse of victory.

  “Did you know that I love Disney movies?”

  His brows shot up in surprise...not surprisingly. It wasn’t my best segue, but I needed him to understand.

  “See, my best friend Max and I both had a tough time when our parents’ divorced. She became super cynical about romance and love, but I....” I shrugged. “I went the opposite direction.”

  His brows drew together in confusion.

  Again...Understandably.

  I cleared my throat. “My parents sent me to my grandparents when they were going through the divorce and all they had were old Disney movies. So I watched a lot of them. I got maybe a little too into them.” I grimaced at the embarrassing admission. “I loved the idea of true love and happily ever afters and…” I sighed as I fully embraced the humiliation of this moment. “I guess I liked the idea of some Prince Charming coming along and solving all my problems. Someone who had it all together and who made life seem easy.”

  His lips curved down into a frown as he glanced toward the hallway. “Exactly,” he muttered. “You’re the type of girl who deserves—”

  “You didn’t let me finish,” I snapped. I jabbed a finger into his chest. “And if you try to tell me one more time what I do or do not deserve, I will not be responsible for my actions.”

  His brows arched and his lips twitched with amusement but he stayed quiet.

  I huffed loudly. Man, my new crush was making it difficult to like him. “So, I watched a lot of fairytale love stories, but I also watched my grandparents. They were crazy in love but they never made any claims that it was easy or….or perfect. They fought and they worked out their problems and they helped each other become the best versions of themselves.” I drew in a deep breath. “Real love...It’s something you fight for. it’s messy and imperfect, just like people.”

  His eyes were roaming over my face, the intensity there was heady. He was the only person who ever looked at me like this. Like I was everything. He arched a brow with a little smirk that made my knees weak. “To clarify…” He leaned forward, his voice low and intimate. “Are you saying you love me?”

  I choked on a shocked laugh as I swatted his arm. “No, I’m saying...I’m saying I like you. A lot. And I want to get to know you better. And maybe...maybe then we’d have something worth fighting for.”

  His eyes darkened; his expression turned tender. “Avery…”

  Fear that he’d try to reject me again had me hurrying on. “But we’ll never know if you just toss this away because I made the stupid mistake of crushing on a guy I barely knew.” I planted my hands on my hips. “Yes, he might be your brother, but I never knew him. Not really. But I’d like to think I know you.”

  He nodded. “You do.”

  I licked my lips. That dark intensity in his gaze had my belly doing flip flops and my heart aching with emotions that were too wild to name. I’d been giving this so much thought ever since he’d walked out. I’d talked Max’s ear off about it, and had even made Alex listen as I talked through what I’d felt for him...which was nothing. Nothing real, at least. He’d been a fantasy, a placeholder for all my romantic dreams until the right guy came along.

  “I don’t think…” I had to lick my lips again because my mouth was dry. And then it was hard to breathe because his eyes followed the movement, landing on my lips and staying there as if fascinated by the sight.

  I cleared my throat and tried again. “I don’t think I was ready for real. I think it was easier to like someone from afar who was so...easy to like. But that’s not the same thing as actually getting to know someone and then liking them.” His eyes moved up to meet mine. “Am I making sense?”

  He nodded slowly as he moved forward. Sliding a hand behind my neck, he tipped my face up toward his and leaned down. “I like you, too, Avery.” His voice was so soft, so low. I pressed a hand to his chest and felt it rumble. “I like you so much it scares me.”

  I nodded, breathless from the words and his closeness. “I know.”

  And I did. Because I was starting to know him. Alex might have been competitive but Cristian... He’d learned to go in the opposite direction rather than compete and fail. He’d learned that loyalty to his mom meant losing his dad, and that caring about one person meant sacrificing someone else.

  When his lips finally closed over mine, my breath slipped out on a sigh. The world felt like it shifted ever so slightly so everything and everyone fell into the perfect position. I went up on tiptoe as he crushed me to him like he might never let go.

  His lips grazed over mine as he pulled back slightly. “You know, if we make this real...I’m all in. I can’t do halfway, not when it comes to loyalty or...love.”

  My breath hitched at the L-word and a smile tugged at my lips. “That’s what I like about you. Nothing with you is surface level. Nothing about you is fake.”

  He leaned down and kissed me again. “So this...it’s real?”

  The vulnerability in his voice had me squeezing my arms around him tight as my heart fluttered wildly in my chest. “Yeah. This is real.”

  He lifted me off of my feet and moved me further into his room, his lips curving up to match my ridiculous, giddy grin. “Then I guess I only have one question for you, Avery Lawson.”

  I arched my brows. “What’s that?”

  He leaned down and nuzzled
my nose with his. “Will you be my date for homecoming?”

  I laughed as my head fell back. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Epilogue

  At Homecoming

  Avery

  “You know,” I said as I tugged Cristian’s lapel and straightened his corsage. “For a guy who claims not to be a romantic….” I peeked up at him with a smile. “You’re awfully romantic.”

  His slow grin made me breathless. Would I ever not be affected by that smile?

  I highly doubted it.

  His arms wrapped around me and we moved in time to the slow beat even though we were still hovering by the door. I was keeping an eye out for my friends and while Cristian wouldn’t admit it, I was pretty sure he was waiting on Alex since he didn’t have any friends here at his old high school.

  We’d told Alex he could come with us in the limo Cristian had hired for the night. I know, right? A limo. My guy was going all out to make sure I had the romantic night of my dreams.

  I leaned into him. I wasn’t sure if he got it yet, but he didn’t have to do the roses and the limo and the candlelit dinner—I mean, I appreciated it, don’t get me wrong.

  But I now knew that as long as I was with Cristian, anything we did could be romantic.

  Even ordering in Chinese while we took care of a screaming baby, which was how we’d spent the last couple evenings.

  Alex had stepped up with his baby duties, and one of those nights it was actually the three of us taking care of Buttercup at their house with his dad peeking in to make sure no fights broke out.

  I was happy to report that we made it through unscathed. No one got murdered.

  They were both on their best behavior that night. And while I wasn’t naive enough to think that everything between the Luven brothers was all hunky-dory just because we’d passed one night in relative peace, I was optimistic enough to believe that it was an excellent start to a new phase of their relationship.

  They were starting over, and me and Cristian…?

  I smiled up at him and he leaned down to give me a light kiss.