FORBIDDEN TIES {My brother's best friend}

Chapter 16

Cyrus spent the next few days brooding over his encounter with Selena. Despite his usual aloof attitude, her cold dismissal lingered in his thoughts. He hadn't texted her or tried to reach out, figuring she'd only push him further away. Yet, he couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that he needed to see her again, even if it meant facing her anger.

One afternoon, as he wandered through the school courtyard, he spotted Selena with a new group of friends. He noted how unusual this was-Selena typically only hung out with Eva. Seeing her laugh and interact with others sent a ripple of unease through him. She seemed to be moving on, finding solace in new company. But was this genuine happiness, or was she masking her pain?

He really wanted to talk to her so he walked over, ignoring the curious looks from her friends. "Selena," he called out, his voice steady and composed. The laughter died down, and Selena turned to face him, her smile fading into a wary expression.

"What do you want, Cyrus?" she asked, her tone edged with irritation.

"We need to talk," he said coolly, glancing briefly at her friends before focusing on her. "Alone."

Selena exchanged a look with Eva, who shot Cyrus a glare but nodded to Selena, prompting her to step away from the group. Her friends whispered among themselves but kept a respectful distance, watching the interaction closely.

"Well?" Selena said, crossing her arms, her eyes fixed on him with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. "What do you want to say?"

Cyrus took a deep breath, his face calm but serious. "I'm not good at this kind of thing, but I need to clear the air. I handled things badly the other day, and I shouldn't have treated you the way I did."

Selena raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "That's your version of an apology?"

"It's not about apologies," Cyrus replied, his tone even, though his eyes were intense. "I didn't think about your feelings, and that's on me. I was caught off guard, and I reacted like an idiot."

Selena's eyes narrowed. "You made me feel like I was just some problem you wanted to get rid of."

"I get that," he said, his voice calm, yet firm. "And I didn't mean to. But I'm not here to beg for forgiveness or make excuses. I just wanted to let you know I recognize that I screwed up."

Selena's expression remained guarded, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You hurt me, Cyrus. And now, you think saying this makes it better?"

"No," Cyrus said, shrugging slightly. "It doesn't make it better. I'm just telling you the truth. What you do with that is up to you."

She studied him for a moment, her gaze searching his face for any hint of insincerity. "I don't know if I can just move past what you did. You acted like I didn't matter."

"I won't pretend to understand how you feel," Cyrus said, his voice softening just a bit. "But you do matter. I just handled it wrong."

Selena shook her head, a flicker of hurt passing through her eyes. "That's not good enough, Cyrus. You made your choice, and now I'm making mine."

"Fair enough," Cyrus replied, nodding. "I'm not here to change your mind. Just wanted to set things straight."

Selena sighed, her expression conflicted. "Fine. You've said your piece. Now, let's just leave it at that."

"Sure," Cyrus said, his tone final. "Take care, Selena."

He turned and walked away, feeling the weight of the conversation but keeping his composure. As he headed down the hallway, he couldn't shake the image of her with her new friends. She was rebuilding, finding a new way to cope. And while it stung to see her moving on without him, he knew he couldn't change what had happened.