Even though I was happiest living on cloud nine thanks to my dear Brother Nadrien, my brain refused to relax. Every time I thought about him, my heart fluttered like crazy—but I couldn't stop worrying about Nayel.
He acted totally normal, cool as ever, sipping his juice, teasing me, laughing like nothing had happened—but I knew. I could tell. He was sad, a little down, after that day with that guy.
A few days passed, and finally, I learned what had been going on. Nayel… had a crush on that guy we'd met with Brother Nadrien. The same guy. And now… he was leaving abroad for business.
I felt awful. My love life might be a complete disaster, cause duh, Nadrien hadn't told me to stop thinking about him—but that doesn't mean anything, right? Maybe it's just… me being delulu again.
I sighed, feeling a weird mix of glee and guilt. My heart was too busy skipping beats over Nadrien to fully process anything else—but my best friend deserved happiness too.
So I stayed by Nayel's side, calming him down and supporting him until he finally felt better.
"There's more to life than a mere crush anyway! My birthday's coming up, so I should enjoy life more," Nayel said, standing tall on the couch like a king surveying his kingdom.
I laughed and nodded, but then a thought hit me. "Wait, your 18th birthday? That means you'll unlock the mind-reading ability too, right?"
Nayel's eyes lit up. "Yes! I'm so excited and well-prepared. But honestly, I'm way more curious about you. I have to know what you're always thinking about Brother Nadrien—he gets so off guard and shy because of you! Trust me, you're the only person ever to make him this embarrassed."
I pouted, unsure. "I'm, not sure if that's a good thing."
"Oh, it definitely is," Nayel said with a smug grin. "Trust me. I also think he loves your thoughts. Otherwise, he wouldn't let you get so close, or let his guard down around you. I know my brother. He's only ever this soft with… us, rarely even with me. But with you? He keeps miles of space with everyone else, strict faces, cold distance—but with you, it's different."
I sighed, half relieved, half confused.
Maybe Nadrien does allow it. Or maybe he just thinks I'm a joke and enjoys watching me react, Either way, I didn't know whether to be glad—or completely terrified.
The day of Nayel's birthday had finally arrived. He was bouncing around the room, way too excited, and as expected, he'd just unlocked his mind-reading ability. "Ah! Alvin, stop thinking about my brother pinning you against the wall again!" he shouted, making my face burn crimson.
"Shut up!" I yelled back, quickly covering his mouth with my hand. Lucky for me, we were in his bedroom—no one else could witness my embarrassment.
"That won't help! My brother knows everything, oh my god, no wonder he's so shy and embarrassed around you! Damn, Alvin, I didn't expect you to be this, wild. But hey, you're my best friend, so I'll allow it. We're all allowed to be freaky today," he winked.
I groaned and slapped him away.
"Anyway, I was right," Nayel said, pushing me lightly. "Listen, Weren't some of Brother Nadrien's friends over to wish me? I swear, I heard one of his friends—some girl—thinking about crushing on him. You should've seen him! He was uncomfortable, annoyed, even, disgusted. Totally opposite of how shy and awkward he acts after hearing your thoughts. So maybe you do have a chance."
I pouted. "Or maybe he just thinks I'm a kid and my thoughts are fun to read."
Nayel sighed dramatically. "Yeah, my brother can be a jerk. My poor baby," he said, hugging me for comfort.
I smiled faintly, hugging him tighter. Inside, I could tell he was secretly sad that his crush hadn't wished him, so I tried to cheer him up.
We spent the rest of the day singing, making a mess with cakes and snacks, and laughing until he finally fell asleep.
Gently, I tucked him into bed and quietly crept downstairs, only to find Brother Nadrien sitting on the couch, reading a book.
The TV was on, but only as background noise. Calm, composed and somehow making my heart skip.
I thought he hadn't noticed me, so I just stood there, sulking. Maybe my love is useless. Maybe I should find someone else to crush on.
I flinched at my own thought, stopping mid-mental sigh when I heard the rough thwack of a book closing. "Alvin, come here." His voice—so calm, so serious—made my stomach do somersaults.
I slowly walked over, heart pounding, and found him sitting on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, the book resting on his lap. He looked at me with a seriousness—and almost anger—I rarely, if ever, saw. I felt like an ant.
"What are you thinking?" he asked, his voice deepening with every word. I gulped, blinking. Then, somehow, I gathered courage. "You know what I thought. Why ask? You already know the exact reason why."
He raised an eyebrow, silent, waiting. I took a shaky breath, gathering every ounce of courage I had, every day I'd suffered silently.
"You exactly know how I feel. But neither of you are accepting or rejecting me. So, what else am I supposed to do? Since you won't do either, I guess you just don't care. So I thought, maybe I should stop. Or maybe you just want me drooling over you all my life."
Honestly, I would have loved him in secret forever, keeping him my little secret. But since he knew—and yet refused to speak, accept, or reject—it felt cruel, harsh, and unbearable.
Tears pricked my eyes as I stared at him. Nadrien's face twisted in surprise. He put the book aside and stood up, looking down at me, his voice lowered as if choosing each word carefully.
"Alvin, that might be why I haven't responded to you." He looked away, searching for the right words. "You're still young. Free-spirited, open-minded, while I am, not. I'm afraid, if we ever gave this a chance, you'd get bored of me. And I can't handle that—not when I know I'm already attached, deep, and I'll only fall harder."
I blinked, utterly shocked. He shut his eyes, gripping his fists. "Alvin, I like you. A lot. More than you could ever measure. It's just, I think you won't be happy with me. I don't deserve you. I'm afraid of disappointing you and that's why this is so hard for me."
My mouth dropped open for a moment. Then, in pure frustration, anger, and relief all at once, I blurted out, "Seriously, Brother Nadrien? I thought you were smart, but since when are you this dumb?" He froze, his eyes widening slightly, caught completely off guard by my words.
I didn't waste a second. I stepped closer, tiptoeing just enough to grab his collar and tilt his face down, locking our eyes.
"I love you! I've loved you ever since I even knew what love was. You're a mind reader, genius—you should know exactly how much I love you! How could I not? Of course I know your personality, I know you, and I've never gotten bored of loving you in silence all these years. And you think I'll get bored after dating you? What kind of joke is that? How can you just decide all this on your own without asking me?"
I pulled closer, our noses nearly touching. "If you want, I can spend my entire life loving you in silence. I wouldn't get bored—not at all. And if we date? Oh gosh… that would be the ultimate treasure for me, mine alone, a secret from the world. Can you hear it? Can you see it? Can you read it? Can you feel how crazy my brain is over you?"
Tears slipped down my cheeks as I spoke.
Nadrien blinked, his face flushing hotter by the second. A low chuckle escaped him. "I guess, I'm dumb. I'm sorry," he muttered.
"That won't work," I said sharply. "If you're sorry, date me!" I repeated, the words pounding like a mantra in my head, loud enough to make Nadrien twitch and frown.
"Okay, calm down," he said, chuckling, rubbing his head, probably feeling it start to ache from my energy. I finally softened a little, trying to calm myself.
"Answer me," I muttered. He smiled, gentle, loving, eyes full of longing and warmth.
"Okay, let's date."
My brain short-circuited. I leapt onto him, hugging him so tight I might have crushed a rib. "Yes! Finally! Oh gosh, I'm so happy!"
My thoughts screamed louder than my voice.
Nadrien, sure to get a headache from my over-the-top brain energy, didn't stop smiling. He hugged me back, holding me close and firm.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, finally realizing how chaotic I was. "I'll try to calm down, I don't want to give you a headache."
"It's alright," he said softly. "I don't mind having a headache, if it's from you thinking about me."
I wiggled my eyebrows, arms comfortably draped around his neck. "Oh, so you've been enjoying my thoughts all this time?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" he said, his voice serious, though a faint blush crept over his cheeks. "It's just, sometimes, you're over the top, which surprises me."
I giggled. "That's because I love you so much."
I looked into his eyes, feeling the intensity between us for a few seconds before my gaze drifted down to his lips.
"No, no, don't even think about it."
Suddenly, his palm covered my lips gently. His face was already flushed, and I realized he knew exactly what I was thinking—which wasn't exactly PG.
"We can't, not now. Stop thinking those things," he said, lowering his head shyly, clearly trying to control his own thoughts. Then it hit me—I wasn't even 18 yet. No wonder he wasn't allowing me.
I didn't argue, but, I couldn't stop thinking. "Okay, I won't do anything, but you can't just stop my thoughts, can you? It's not even half of what I usually think about you before I sleep."
"Stop already, please, let me take a break," he muttered, sounding breathless.
I couldn't help but blush, finally stopping myself from speaking further, instead giggling like the most innocent being alive.
Nadrien's eyes softened, hazy with something I couldn't name. He gently cupped my face and leaned down, pressing a soft, tender kiss on my forehead.
I froze, shocked. "For now be happy with it," he whispered gently against my cheek.
My eyes went wide, cheeks burning red, and I hugged him tightly, hiding my face in his neck.
This, this all felt like a dream. Don't wake me up!