I’m In Love With My Brother’s Best Friend?! – Episode 25
Brent tried to wrench his arm free, but Cole tightened the hold until he cried out. The bravado that had carried him toward Kaitlyn disappeared beneath real resistance.
Cole reminded him that he had already been ordered to stay away. Brent attempted another insult, but pain reduced the words to a gasp.
Maddy demanded that Cole release him. The outrage in her voice drew more attention to Brent’s humiliating position. Kaitlyn watched the couple’s power dissolve in public.
Cole finally let go. Brent stumbled backward and, in his panic, lost control of himself. The spreading stain across his clothes transformed the bar’s silence into disgusted laughter.
Maddy recoiled and cursed him. Kaitlyn observed that her boyfriend appeared to have a bladder-control problem. After every humiliation Brent had imposed on her, the reversal felt almost unreal.
Cole said Maddy was fortunate he would never strike a woman. That did not mean he intended to ignore what she had done to Kaitlyn. Consequences did not require violence.
He mentioned his connections to Theta Gamma. If the sorority learned its president had been arrested, Maddy could lose the institution she used as a weapon.
Maddy scoffed at the word arrested. Cole turned toward Officer Norman, a local officer familiar with the bar and the university’s athletes. His calm made clear that he had planned beyond the immediate confrontation.
Cole identified Brent and Maddy as underage students who had been drinking and causing trouble. He suggested they be banned and taken to the station to sober up.
The officer assessed their condition and agreed. Maddy protested that Kaitlyn was underage too. For one dangerous second, Kaitlyn thought her fake ID would ruin everything.
Cole said Kaitlyn was with him. Officer Norman recognized Cole from his years as a celebrated quarterback and trusted his judgment. The uneven privilege was obvious, but it placed Kaitlyn safely outside Brent and Maddy’s reach.
The officer ordered the pair to move. Brent demanded to know who Cole thought he was, earning another laugh from the bar. Maddy continued threatening Kaitlyn as she was led away.
Cole watched until the door closed behind them. Only then did he turn to check Kaitlyn for injuries. Protective anger softened into concern.
He told her they were leaving. The command immediately reopened the wound from earlier. Cole had declared her his in public, but Kaitlyn did not know whether that meant he was finally choosing her or merely controlling another crisis.
Mikey invited her to remain and offered another drink. Cole told Kaitlyn not to listen, while Mikey accused him of ordering her around. The decision became a test both men expected her to settle.
Kaitlyn remembered Cole refusing to accompany her because someone might discover the truth. He had come only when jealousy and danger forced him out of hiding. She would not reward him by leaving the instant he commanded.
She told Cole she was staying. Hurt flashed across his expression before he concealed it. He reminded her that Mikey had failed to defend her.
Kaitlyn knew that was true, but the evening was no longer about Mikey. It was about refusing to accept a relationship that existed only when Cole felt possessive.
She thanked Mikey and accepted the offered drink. Cole stood motionless, realizing his dramatic declaration had not solved the problem between them.
As Kaitlyn turned away, she heard the bar door close behind Cole. He had protected her in front of everyone, yet she remained where he could not claim her privately. For the first time, Cole was forced to wonder whether fear of losing Ryan might cost him Kaitlyn instead.