FORBIDDEN TIES {My brother's best friend}

Chapter 31

~~SELENA~~

I stepped out of my tent, the early morning sunlight. Grey was standing nearby, his tall frame towering over me as he watched with a smirk. I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Why didn't you come to pick me up yesterday?" I asked, my tone teasing but tinged with genuine curiosity.

Grey chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Oh, you know how it is, Lena. Plans change," he replied cryptically, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Plans change, huh?" I raised an eyebrow, pretending to be offended. "And here I thought you were being the responsible older brother."

He laughed again, rolling his eyes playfully. "Blame it on Ezra," he said, nodding towards Ezra who had just emerged from his tent, stretching and yawning dramatically.

I turned to look at Ezra, who was now rubbing his eyes and tousling his hair. He caught my gaze and grinned sheepishly, clearly caught in the act.

"Ezra!" I called out, trying to sound reproachful but failing to suppress a smile that betrayed my amusement. "I know you stopped Grey from picking me up, and you knew there was no supermarket close by," I said, hands firmly planted on my hips.

"What?" Ezra feigned innocence, though a mischievous glint danced in his eyes.

"Don't act clueless," I retorted, rolling my eyes at his attempt to deflect.

"But there is a supermarket nearby," Ezra persisted, trying to hold his ground.

"You lying piece of..." I started, stepping closer to him with a mock-threatening air.

"If you break her heart, I swear I'll kill you and then apologize to Mom later," I warned half-seriously, though a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

Ezra chuckled nervously, sensing the seriousness underlying my playful threat. "You'd think I'm joking until I feed your balls to the dogs," I added in a more serious tone, watching as his chuckle faded.

"She only gets to break your heart, not the other way around," I pointed a finger at his chest, emphasizing my protective stance.

"Seriously, and you wouldn't do anything about it?" Ezra challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't even say anything, because you deserve it times ten," I shot back, folding my arms across my chest.

Just then, Cyrus emerged from his tent shirtless, a sight that momentarily distracted everyone. "What's up, man?" Ezra greeted Cyrus warmly, extending a hand which quickly turned into a brief hug. I caught Ezra whispering a quiet 'thank you' to Cyrus, and irritation flared up inside me at Ezra's subtle gratitude.

"Dang, man, what happened to your back?" Grey's voice cut through the tension, drawing my attention to Cyrus's back. My eyes widened as I remembered the intense night we had shared, leaving visible marks that I now felt slightly embarrassed about.

Cyrus glanced at me briefly before answering Grey, "Oh, that? Uh, rough day yesterday, you know. Mosquitoes," he replied nonchalantly, but the knowing glances exchanged between Ezra and Grey suggested they weren't buying it.

"Uh, well, bye," I interjected awkwardly, feeling Cyrus's gaze linger on me, bringing back vivid memories of our passionate night. My cheeks flushed red almost immediately.

Turning away to hide my embarrassment, I caught Reggie staring at me. His gaze flickered briefly to Cyrus before returning to me, his expression unreadable.

"Hi," I greeted Reggie with a nervous smile before quickly walking away, eager to escape the awkward tension that hung in the air.

I walked over to where the girls were gathered, each of us already dressed and ready to head for our morning bath in the nearby lake.