FORBIDDEN TIES {My brother's best friend}

Chapter 24

SELENA

I placed the food in front of Marco, smiling as he returned the gesture, taking a bite from his burger. He was unusually quiet today, his eyes lingering on his food as if lost in thought.

"You okay?" I asked, trying to sound casual. He nodded, chewing slowly and then taking another bite. Something was off.

I took a fry, popping it into my mouth, thinking about how I still hadn't addressed the issue with Cyrus. I knew it was why Marco seemed distant.

"So, about... Saturday..." I started, hesitating as his gaze finally met mine.

"Hm?" he hummed, taking a sip of his cold Coke, his eyes attentive.

"About Cyrus... uh..." I faltered, unsure of how to phrase it.

"You both used to have something?" Marco asked directly, his tone even. I froze, caught off guard. How did he know? Was it really that obvious?

"Uh... kind of," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. I glanced at him, expecting anger, but he just nodded and swallowed hard.

"How did you know?" I asked, feeling my cheeks warm with embarrassment.

"It's kind of obvious," Marco said, setting his drink down. "The other day, he interrupted our date like he was your boyfriend. He kissed you on the cheek, and the way he looks at you... it's clear there's more."

I bit my lip, feeling a pang of guilt and confusion. "But he doesn't get to keep you at all," Marco continued, his voice firm but gentle. "Just me. I like you a lot, and I won't let him have you."

He leaned in, giving me a soft peck on the lips. It was sweet but it was quite weird though.

"Okay," I murmured, returning his smile, though my thoughts were anything but settled.

~~

"Call me when you're done with classes," Marco said, giving me a peck on the cheek. I smiled, hugging him before waving goodbye.

"See you later," I murmured. He returned my smile and walked away.

We weren't officially dating, but it was clear we were into each other. As I turned around, my smile faded when I bumped into Grey. He raised an eyebrow, glancing from me to Marco, who was just leaving.

"That's the guy who's been choking you?" Grey asked, his tone sharp.

"No, no," I stammered, letting out a nervous laugh. "Not at all."

"So who is that loser to you?" he pressed.

"Just a friend," I murmured, hoping to sound convincing.

"Just a friend?" Grey repeated, skepticism in his eyes.

"Yeah," I nodded, trying to stay calm.

"Hm... because he is bad news," Grey said, walking away.

I sighed, wondering why everyone kept saying Marco was trouble. Shaking off the unease, I headed toward my class.

I met up with Eva, and we attended classes together. During a break, I confided in her about the complicated situation with Cyrus and how he had been unusually nice lately.

She rolled her eyes. "He's just trying to get into your panties again. You should rebuke him like I rebuked your whore of a brother." Her bluntness made me laugh, though her words echoed my own doubts.

"Yeah... he seemed genuine too, but we're just going to stay friends forever, and I'm going to concentrate more on Marco," I said, my voice trailing off as I pondered the situation. Eva fell silent, her eyes narrowing slightly.