The Other Brother (London Hearts Book 1)

by Tierney Page

thought I was getting better… But seeing him just brought everything back.” Her nose scrunches. “For him, today was just another ordinary day. I won’t even be a thought. But for me, every day has been a struggle. It feels like there’s a weight pressing down on my chest. I just want to reach out to him, to hear his voice.” Tears streak her cheeks as she speaks. “He was my best friend.” She turns to look out the window again, her lower lip wobbling. “Everyone who was supposed to love me has left me… He didn’t want me,” she whispers. “April, that’s not true—” I start, reaching for her hand. I entwine our fingers to provide some comfort when she interrupts me so softly that I barely hear it. “Mourning someone who is still alive is a pain no one can prepare you for.”

“Some lucky prick is going to find you and have enough sense to not let you go. Can you imagine being loved the way you

“You are so screwed,” Gemma says, shouting in my ear over the music, and I quickly turn my attention to her. “What do you mean?” I ask. “You two can’t keep your eyes off each other.” “It’s not like that,” I say. “April, the sexual tension between you is about as subtle as a boner at church,” Anna yells over the music. “We’re not giving you a hard time,” Gemma says, touching my forearm. “There’s nothing wrong with it. In fact, it’s lovely. I’m just saying you don’t have to deny it anymore. There’s clearly something between you two.”

It’ll be real. Tangible. And deep down, I know James and I could never have a meaningless fling. With him, it’s different. He’s different. If I let this happen, there’s no turning back. Oh, for fuck’s sake, who am I kidding? “I’m going over there,” I state with as much confidence as I can muster.

give her some time… and then what?” “Do you want her?” “Of course I want her.” “Then do what Lucas didn’t—chase her.”

I can’t go back to that place. I’ve come so far, thanks to the strength and comfort my best friends have given me, I won’t allow myself to be drawn back into the black hole. It’s not worth it. He isn’t worth it.

Lucas doesn’t get to have power over that.” She continues, her voice a little firmer now. “You’re human, and humans don’t choose who they fall for or when. You deserve to be with someone who cares about you, who treats you right. You’re allowed to find happiness with someone who values you—without Lucas looming over your decision.”

Fuck, yes, this is really happening. I brush my nose against her head. “You’re in my blood now, April. Every song I play, I hear you in it. I feel you in the spaces between every word I speak. No one’s ever affected me like this. Being around you, feeling this way… it’s as natural as breathing. I can’t close my eyes without seeing your face or hearing your voice. You’re under my skin, April. So, yeah. This is really happening.”

“I’ve tried to guard my heart, but with you,

every wall just falls away.” My voice cracks. He places a soft kiss on my knuckles. “Your heart is precious to me. I promise to treat it with the care it deserves.”

Tears fall, gathering at the corners of my lips as I catch them in a smile. He sings about stolen glances, longing, and waiting. He sings about hope, forgiveness, and new beginnings. And just when he reaches the final verse, he sings about finding love in unexpected places, and that’s when it hits me. My stomach bottoms out and I float away. He’s singing about me. About us.

I don’t know how long we lie there, watching each other, kissing, touching, feeling. But it’s perfect. He’s perfect. This man is it. He’s my home. My forever. “Always?” I ask. He presses a kiss to the tip of my nose. “Always.”