Falling In Love with Younger Brother

Half a year ago, I met Chandler for the first time at a bar.

At the time, he had just graduated from college. I, on the other hand, was dragged there as a distraction for my friend who had just gone through a breakup.

In the corner of the bar, I saw Chandler.

He was curled up in the corner, his face flushed strangely, his eyes unfocused. It seemed he was out of it.

I thought he looked handsome, so I walked over and teased him, "Hey, boy, can I get your contact info? I'll help you find your friends."

Calling me a flirt wouldn't be too far off.

I wasn't exactly the innocent type either.

But he was extremely resistant.

"Get lost!"

After being rejected, I didn't push my luck.

Still, as I was leaving, I couldn't help but glance back at him.

I vaguely saw tears sliding down the corner of his eye.

I thought that would be the end of it.

But fate had other plans.

By the time I left the bar, it was past four in the morning. The sky was a dull gray, with a hint that daylight might soon break.

It reminded me of how miserable this world and life could be.

My friend was completely drunk. I was about to take her home, but she insisted she was fine and wanted to go alone. I had no choice but to put her in a cab and give the driver a few instructions before letting her go.

The road was beginning to fill with cars, and my dizziness made my head heavy, and my steps unsteady. I didn't see the car speeding toward me.

"Watch out!"

A somewhat familiar voice rang in my ear, and the next second, I fell into an embrace.

The gust of exhaust from the speeding car blew through my hair, scattering any trace of my drunkenness.

I quickly turned my head and met a pair of charming eyes.

At that moment, I didn't know his name was Chandler.

Nor did I know that the gears of fate were pushing us toward the next chapter of our lives.

When I woke up, Jayvon was still sound asleep.

I gently moved his arm from my waist and got out of bed to wash up.

Chandler must have used every bit of strength he had last night when he held me. My wrist still bore two red marks from where he had gripped me, and they hadn't faded overnight.

I couldn't let him affect my life.

We were over. There was no future for us.

When I got to the office, my colleague told me that we had a new intern today.

"He's so handsome! I've never seen such a good-looking guy in my life!"

I laughed and teased, "You say that about every good-looking guy you see."

"This time it's different!"

She leaned in close to my ear, whispering mysteriously, "Rumor has it, this intern is the boss's nephew, and he's here to experience the life of ordinary people."

"Then welcome. It's not like he has to worry about food or money."

We chatted casually until a shadow loomed over my desk, and I finally looked up.

Chandler stood there in a trench coat, looking a little uneasy.

Next to him was my department supervisor.

In an instant, everything clicked.

The supervisor flashed a smile, "Gisselle, this is our new intern. You've been here for years, so make sure to show him the ropes."

I forced a smile. "Sure, I'll take care of it."

Internally, I was rolling my eyes.

"For years?" I had only been working for two years.

Chandler's approach seemed incredibly low-level.

Once the supervisor left, I didn't even glance at Chandler, focusing on my work. He stood there for a full ten minutes before I finally turned around. "Your desk is in the other office. Stop standing there like an idiot."

"I… I want to be in the same office as you. Is that okay?"

Sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder if he had a split personality.

Yesterday at the arcade, he acted just like one of those dominant CEOs straight out of a novel. Last night, he turned into a pitiful little puppy begging for sympathy. And now, he was back to playing the polite, clueless college student, asking me for permission.

"No."

I walked up to him, locking eyes.

I always liked Chandler's eyes.

From the beginning, they were what had bewitched me.

"Chandler, I don't care what your motive is, and I don't care why, when we were together, you never talked about your family. The fact is, we broke up. Did you get that? Break up means we're done. There's no need to keep dragging this out and disgusting each other. Understand?"

I bumped his shoulder as I passed him, causing him to stagger.

He didn't argue back for once, only muttering hoarsely, "I understand."

For the rest of the day, he didn't come looking for me.

Just as I thought this whole ordeal was over and that I'd finally rid myself of him, Jayvon sent me a message.

[I've got something tonight. Won't be coming home.]

I replied, [Alright. Stay safe out there.]

I added a sticker at the end for good measure.

Though Jayvon hadn't told me what he was doing, I picked up on a few clues from my social media feed.

Jayvon's ex-girlfriend was my college classmate.

Her latest post said.

[Thank goodness for you.]

A picture of a pair of sneakers on a shoe rack was attached.

Those sneakers were a birthday gift from me for Jayvon.

I immediately lost interest. I just casually liked the post and then stared out at the rainy weather with a frown.

I hadn't brought an umbrella, and with the evening rush hour, getting food delivery or a cab would take too long.

I debated whether to just walk home in the rain.

Behind me, Chandler's voice sounded, "Going to leave?"