I’m In Love With My Brother’s Best Friend?! – Episode 32
Cole repeated Kaitlyn’s assumption as though testing its weight. She believed he had feelings for her. Every retreat, rescue, and jealous mistake waited inside his answer.
“You finally got one right, Mr. Hart,” she said. The teasing title could not conceal her vulnerability. Kaitlyn was admitting her own heart before he had answered.
She told him she had feelings for him too. They had begun long before Brent and survived every effort to bury them. Living together had only made denial impossible.
Cole listened in stunned silence. Desire he understood; love carried the possibility of losing her as well as Ryan. That possibility frightened him more than any confrontation.
He admitted his feelings were strong—so strong they scared him. He had never felt this way about another woman. Amber had wounded his pride, but Kaitlyn could wound everything.
The confession filled the spaces left by weeks of uncertainty. Kaitlyn no longer had to translate jealousy into affection or protection into commitment. Cole had named what existed.
She moved closer, relieved and furious over how long two intelligent people had avoided a simple truth. Cole smiled faintly, acknowledging the absurdity.
Then it was his turn to challenge her. Kaitlyn assumed he considered her a prude and did not truly want her. The question exposed the final scar Brent had left.
Cole told her she was wrong again. He had never wanted anything more. His refusals came from fear, not disgust.
Kaitlyn searched his face for hesitation. She found caution but no rejection. The distinction finally became clear.
She said she was ready for him. This was not the reckless challenge she once used to provoke jealousy. It came after patience, truth, and weeks of thinking about what she wanted.
Cole asked her to be certain. Kaitlyn said his full name and repeated the choice. She wanted this with him, not to prove anything to Brent, Amber, or herself.
The game was forgotten. Cole set their drinks aside, unwilling to let alcohol become part of a decision that mattered. Kaitlyn appreciated the gesture even while insisting she remained clearheaded.
He approached slowly. Every movement allowed her room to stop him. Kaitlyn met him halfway and kissed him with the confidence of someone finally believed.
Cole promised they would do this properly. Her first time would not be rushed between arguments or treated as a prize. It would belong to both of them.
Kaitlyn took his hand. The discarded layers and intimate questions had stripped away more than clothing. Neither had another assumption left to hide behind.
At the bedroom door, Cole paused. Ryan’s trust and the university still existed beyond the moment. Kaitlyn reminded him fear would remain tomorrow whether they chose happiness tonight or not.
Cole kissed her forehead before her mouth. The tenderness nearly overwhelmed her. She had imagined passion for years but never the gentleness of being fully seen.
They entered together. Cole repeated that they would do it right, and Kaitlyn answered that she trusted him. The words carried responsibility rather than surrender.
As the door closed, Cole understood there would be no returning to the safety of pretending. He was not crossing a line with Ryan’s little sister; he was choosing Kaitlyn Sinclair, the woman he loved enough to fear losing.