Before Marcus could respond, Lily stepped in, smiling again, this time with that quiet, careful composure she always wore when she didn't want to make things awkward.
"I'm starving after that flight. Marcus, what do you want for dinner? I'll cook."
He started to answer, but she waved him off before he could get a word out.
"Don't worry about it," she said quickly. "You've probably been living on takeout since I left. I'll make something real tonight."
There was something tight behind her smile, a shadow he couldn't quite name. Before he could figure out what to say, Amber jumped in again, grinning.
"Fine! Then I get to pick what we're eating. Grilled cheese and sweet potato fries!"
Lily laughed, the tension easing from her face. "Alright. And for Marcus… let me guess. lemon butter salmon, a mixed salad, and maybe some roasted veggies?"
He couldn't help but smile. "You still remember my favorites."
"Of course I do," she said softly.
"Big bro, go grab the groceries," Amber said, puffing up with enthusiasm. "Lily and I will handle the cooking!"
Marcus froze. 'Wait. She's going to cook?'
Every alarm bell in his head went off. "Actually," he said quickly, stepping between her and the kitchen, "why don't I help Lily? You can go get the groceries."
Amber shot him a look. "What, don't trust me?"
He gave her the kind of smile you give someone holding a lit firework indoors. "Let's just say I still remember your 'omelet experiment.'"
Amber pouted, cheeks puffed up in protest. She was bright and full of energy, her looks already catching up to her personality; sharp eyes, pale skin, an easy, natural charm. But when it came to cooking… yeah, that was where the magic ended.
Her last attempt in the kitchen had been such a disaster that Marcus had hired a housekeeper just to save the appliances. It wasn't her fault; their mom had always handled everything herself. After she passed, Amber had tried to take over, insisting she could cook for him, but Marcus hadn't been ready to turn himself into her test subject. She'd also been buried in preparation for her college entrance exams, and he hadn't wanted to distract her.
Now, though, seeing Lily here; someone graceful, calm, and skilled, Amber's enthusiasm reignited. The chance to learn from a real master was too good to pass up, and Marcus could already see the determination sparkling in her eyes.
Amber ignored Marcus at first, heading straight toward the kitchen with Lily. But after only a few steps, she stopped. She waited until Lily was out of earshot, then turned and marched back to her brother.
"Ow! What's your problem?"
Amber grabbed Marcus's ear and twisted, her voice a fierce whisper. "You are such an idiot. I hand you a perfect opportunity, and you completely blow it. You made her sad again! I thought you were finally getting a clue, but you're still just as clueless."
"Does it hurt? Here."
Her tone shifted in an instant. She let go and gently rubbed the reddened skin with her slender fingers.
'Jekyll and Hyde much?' One second she was twisting his ear like she meant it, the next she was rubbing it gently, almost… kindly. What was going on with his sister? Still, he had to admit, her touch was unexpectedly soothing.
"You only asked me to get groceries to get some alone time with Lily, right?" she said with a knowing smile. "Well, fine. I'll take one for the team. I'm going to the store." She kept rubbing his ear. "Is that better?"
Marcus was speechless. Alone time? He'd just wanted her out of the kitchen. If he said that out loud, he'd probably lose the ear for real.
"Uh… yeah," he mumbled.
Amber sighed. "You're hopeless. How are you not crazy about Lily after all this time? Are you just going to let her get away? You have no idea how many guys were showing up at her place when I was staying there. She got enough bouquets to start her own florist, it was driving me nuts!"
She shook her head. "Look, I'll stop. I know you're still hung up on what's-her-name… Serena. But that's over, Marcus. You can't live in the past. Don't be the guy who lost Serena and then turned around and lost Lily, too."
"What are you even talking about?" Marcus frowned, embarrassed to be getting a lecture from his kid sister.
"Nothing. I'm done. Good luck, big brother. Don't screw it up with Lily again, or I will actually murder you when I get back."
Before he could answer, she threw her arms around his neck, planted a quick kiss on his cheek, and bolted for the door.
Unbelievable. She was eighteen, a legal adult, but she still acted like a little kid.
And yet, watching her run off with that goofy, innocent look on her face, Marcus couldn't help but smile. No matter how old she got, she'd always be his little girl.
Amber was truly his treasure.
Amber Storm; six years his junior, had always been bright, lively, and beautiful, the kid everyone adored. As her only older brother, Marcus had watched her grow up and protected her fiercely.
She'd always been his shadow. As kids, she followed him everywhere, playing video games, getting chewed out by their mom, tagging along to their dad's office. They were inseparable.
Now she was a freshman in the School of Management at Crestwood University. She was legally an adult, but to Marcus, she would always be his little sister, his precious troublemaker, the jewel of the family.
Then, out of nowhere, a thought hit him. He could still feel how tall and graceful she'd felt in his arms a moment ago, her warmth and energy. It was like a flower bud had quietly bloomed, full of life and promise.
The old saying popped into his head: The beauty in the house has come of age.
Amber was growing up. A faint melancholy washed over him as he wondered what kind of guy would eventually win her heart. A strange, sour feeling twisted in his chest.
'What the hell am I thinking?' He shook his head hard, forcing his thoughts back toward Lily, who was busy in the kitchen.
Lily had been his college classmate, a graduate of Crestwood's School of Design, majoring in advertising.
He remembered their first day of class, how he'd lucked into sitting next to her. She was stunning, one of Crestwood's so-called "campus queens," and from that day on, they'd become best friends.
During sophomore year, Marcus had publicly kissed Serena, the girl everyone called "Snow" for her pale, almost platinum-blonde hair, and announced she was his girlfriend. The crowd went wild, their friends cheered, and Lily stood by his side, smiling her polite, perfect smile.
But Lily, who always seemed so strong, so effortlessly graceful, suddenly burst into tears and ran. The whole crowd fell into a stunned, awkward silence, nobody knowing what to make of it.
It was only later, through her roommate, that Marcus pieced it together. Lily had been in love with him the whole time. Too reserved to ever make a move, she'd had her heart shattered the moment he put his arm around Serena.
After that day, Lily stayed his close friend. On the surface, nothing changed. But Marcus started to notice it, a flicker of loneliness, a shadow of hesitation in her eyes when she thought he wasn't looking.
When things with Serena finally fell apart, he'd selfishly leaned on Lily's feelings to make the breakup easier to stomach. It was a coward's move, and the memory of it filled him with a deep, unfixable regret.
After graduation, with her portfolio, Lily could have landed a job at any top design firm in the country. Instead, she chose to stay for grad school. Marcus knew why. She was staying for him, clinging to some faint hope that he'd finally see her.
The thought of her quiet devotion gutted him. The memory of her silent sacrifices filled him with shame. After his own relationship crashed and burned, she was the one who'd quietly been there, a constant, gentle presence.
And what had he done? As a man, even though what he felt for Serena had been real, that chapter was closed. How could he keep being so cruel to Lily, so blind to a love that patient and true? He genuinely cared for her; how could he stand by and let her be hurt anymore?
With this realization burning through him, he couldn't wait another second. He turned and walked into the kitchen, his heart hammering against his ribs, determined to finally say the words he should have said years ago.
The sight that greeted him made him pause. He was one of the few guys ever allowed this close to her, and he was struck all over again by her beauty. But now, watching her work, he was truly overwhelmed. Her every move was pure grace.
Lily was focused on her cooking, her back to him. Her figure was slender and tall, her waist soft and narrow, her hips curved just right. She was long and elegant, like a living sculpture, and the gentle rhythm of her breathing was captivating. She had this inexpressible, quiet elegance that, right then, made him feel utterly unworthy.
"Marcus? What are you doing in here? Where's your sister?"
"Amber went to… to get some things," he managed, his mind still reeling from her presence. "I… I came to help you."
"No need," Lily said, turning back to the counter. "Dinner's on me tonight. I want you to try my cooking."
Looking at this woman who had so completely stirred his heart, Marcus was filled with a profound sense of happiness, and something more, a fierce, protective longing. He couldn't hold back any longer.
He stepped forward and, without a second thought, wrapped his arms around her slender waist. He pulled her lithe, graceful body tightly against his own. The feel of her curves molding against him, mixed with her faint, intoxicating scent, short-circuited his brain.
This was the first time he'd ever held her like this, and he knew it was her first time being held by any man. Yet, it felt so natural, so perfectly right, that a fire ignited inside him.
"Lily, I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair, his voice thick as he tightened his hold, his hands completely encompassing her delicate waist.
—
Author:
Just to be crystal clear: Marcus and Amber are very, very close (maybe too close) siblings. Their borderline insane, codependent, ear twisting, cheek kissing, "I will murder you for your own good" dynamic is 100% certified sibling energy. They are weird, not in love.