I’m In Love With My Brother’s Best Friend?! – Episode 34
Ryan asked why Kaitlyn remained in bed so late. She countered by asking why he was home, buying herself a few seconds to think. Cole hid nearby, scarcely breathing.
Ryan explained that he had returned early for fall break to surprise them. He expected a hug from his little sister. Kaitlyn climbed from bed carefully, keeping Cole’s shirt pulled low.
The reunion should have been happy. Instead, she felt every hidden detail of the room accusing her. Ryan studied her smeared makeup and disheveled hair.
Then he noticed the shirt. It was clearly a man’s, far too large for Kaitlyn. Protective suspicion replaced amusement.
Ryan demanded to know whose it was. He swore he would kill any random fraternity guy who had taken advantage of her. The threat made Cole close his eyes in the hiding place.
Kaitlyn denied being with a stranger. That answer only narrowed the possibilities. Ryan repeated the question.
She admitted the shirt belonged to Cole. Her brother’s confusion deepened. Why was she wearing his best friend’s clothing in bed?
Kaitlyn invented the first explanation available: laundry day. She claimed she had stolen the shirt from Cole’s room because she had nothing clean.
Ryan did not entirely believe her. She was acting strangely, still in bed late, wearing makeup from the previous night, and dressed in Cole’s shirt. He asked what was truly happening.
Kaitlyn glanced toward Cole’s hiding place before forcing herself to meet Ryan’s eyes. The movement was small, but danger seemed to fill the room.
She said she would tell him the truth. Cole braced for disaster. Instead, Kaitlyn offered a different confession.
She had used a fake ID and gone drinking at the campus bar. She had become so intoxicated that she grabbed the first shirt she found after returning home. The lie contained enough truth to sound convincing.
Kaitlyn begged him not to tell their parents. Ryan’s anger shifted from suspected romance to irresponsible drinking. Relief entered his expression despite the new concern.
He admitted she had frightened him. For a moment, he thought something had happened between her and Cole. The possibility seemed ridiculous once spoken aloud.
Ryan laughed and said Cole regarded her like a little sister. He was glad his best friend lived there to keep her safe. Hidden only feet away, Cole absorbed each word like a verdict.
Kaitlyn agreed that Cole had been very good to her. The understatement nearly broke her composure. She asked Ryan to leave so she could change.
He agreed and suggested the three of them have lunch. When he asked where Cole was, Kaitlyn claimed he had gone for a run.
She added that Cole had exercised a great deal the previous night, then immediately regretted the phrasing. Ryan noticed nothing and left.
The door closed. Kaitlyn released the breath trapped in her lungs, but safety did not return. They had lied directly to the brother whose approval they hoped to earn.
Cole emerged from hiding, shaken. Ryan had trusted him to protect Kaitlyn from men who might use her. Now Cole wondered whether loving her had made him the very betrayal his best friend feared.