Whispered Promises

The Surprise

Josephine POV

The drive to Alex's house is supposed to be my little escape from the chaos. It's a Friday night, my favorite kind of night—no practices, no cheerleading events, just the promise of snacks, laughter, and the mindless comfort of hanging out with Alex. We've always been each other's constant, even in the mess of senior year.

But tonight? Tonight feels different.

Traffic crawls, but I don't mind. The radio hums softly, a pop playlist that should've put me in a better mood. Instead, my thoughts are racing: school assignments, our game tomorrow, Jackson and our "fake" relationship that's feeling increasingly less fake, and, annoyingly, Xavier.

By the time I pull up to Alex's house, I'm ready to unwind, maybe even vent a little. Her parents are on one of their endless date nights, and Alex's house is practically a second home. My home away from home. The place where I don't have to pretend to be anyone else.

But the moment I walk through the front door, the illusion of peace shatters.

Everything happened both fast and in slow motion at the same time. I opened the front door, ready to announce my arrival with the usual "Josy is in the house!" Instead, what came out was, "What in the actual hell?!"

I will never forget the image that greeted me: Marques—my brother—practically devouring my best friend's face, and, to make matters worse, she seemed to be enjoying it just as much. Her hands were tangled in his hair while his were firmly planted on her ass, pinning her against the kitchen counter.

Really, Marques? My best friend? Fury bubbled inside me, aimed at both of them. Was Alex really just using our friendship to get closer to him? That thought stung more than I wanted to admit. My mind went blank, my face frozen, but I knew I wasn't hiding my shock well. I've never been good at hiding my emotions.

The second they heard my outburst, they jumped apart faster than a couple of kids caught by their parents. Both of them were flushed—whether from embarrassment or the heat of the moment, I couldn't tell.

"How long has this"—I gesture between them frantically—"been going on?" My voice came out sharper than I expected, a mix of hurt and anger coloring the words.

Alex and Marques both start talking at once.

"It's not what it looks like," Alex says, while Marques mumbles, "It's nothing serious."

"Really?" I snap, incredulous. "Because it definitely didn't look like I just walked in on my bestie and my brother in the middle of a make-out session in her kitchen," I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Marques winced. "Okay, maybe it does look like what it was."

"No shit, Sherlock," I snapped.

Alex rubs her temples, clearly flustered. "It's nothing, Josy. Just a fling. No feelings, no drama. We're just messing around."

Marques nods, though his expression hardens. "Yeah, it's nothing. Don't overreact."

My eyes darted between the two of them, trying to read their expressions. "I need time to process this."

"Oh my god, Josy," Marques groaned. "Don't be so dramatic. It was just a kiss. Calm down. Jesus."

I narrow my eyes. "Overreact? I just walked in on my brother and best friend making out! I think I'm allowed a reaction."

Marques tries to shrug it off, but I see the guilt flicker in his eyes. "Look, Josy, it's no big deal. You're being dramatic."

"I need time to process this," I say flatly, but inside, I feel hurt and angry. Alex was my one escape from all the fake people at school. Now I don't even know if I can trust her. Or him.

Alex shoots Marques a glare, then turns to me with a sigh. "Josy, please don't be mad. It really wasn't planned, and it doesn't mean anything. Just a couple of kisses—no big deal."

I shake my head, the betrayal stinging a little too much. "Right. No big deal. I'll just... go then or does anyone care to explain before?"

"There's really nothing to explain," Alex said, a little too quickly. "We've kissed a couple of times. No feelings involved. It just... happened."

"Yeah," Marques added. "It's just making out. No big deal. Seriously, don't get all bent out of shape just because no guy wants to—"

"Marques!" I snapped, cutting him off, anger bubbling up again. He wasn't wrong; I hadn't kissed anyone in a long time, but that wasn't the point. "And really, Alex? You couldn't find any other guy except my brother?"

"It wasn't planned," Alex admitted, looking genuinely apologetic. "I've told you a hundred times he's not even my type. It just... got out of hand."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. It was true; Alex had always insisted she didn't have time for a relationship, especially with the pressure of school and the fact that the whole football team had gotten a warning about their grades. She had enough on her plate without adding my brother into the mix.

"Why are you even here?" Alex asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"I couldn't focus on my homework," I replied. "I've just got too much on my mind."

Marques smirked knowingly. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

I shot him a glare. "Nothing I want to share with you, idiot. But I can see you're busy, so I'll leave you two to whatever *arrangement* you've got going on. Have fun."

I winked at them sarcastically, turning on my heel before either of them could respond. As I walked back to my car, frustration gnawed at me. So much for trying to clear my head or get any homework done. Now I was stuck with this mental image of Marques and Alex burned into my brain. Great.

Slumping into the driver's seat, I let out a heavy sigh. What was I supposed to do now? My usual escape—Alex's house—was no longer an option. I needed a distraction or at least a better place to work. I was still sitting there, trying to figure out my next move, when I spotted a familiar car parked in front of the house next door.

Wait... What the hell?

My stomach dropped. No way. It looked like someone was moving in—someone I recognized all too well. He was carrying one of those brown moving boxes, and as I squinted, I realized with horror that it was none other than Xavier. My brain short-circuited for a second as I watched him lug another box inside. He was moving in. Next to Alex.

*Oh, hell no.* This was the last thing I needed right now—Xavier, my almost ex and the biggest jerk, living right next door to my best friend.

I grabbed my phone and quickly fired off a text to Alex.

Josy: Didn't wanna interrupt again, but just so you know, you've got new neighbors. Have fun with those ones! They tend to be super annoying but you will figure that out pretty soon too.

Have fun tonight.

I smirked to myself, then added a postscript:

Josy: PS. Just in case you couldn't tell, that was pure sarcasm, and I'm still mad at you.

Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I sighed again. Tonight was supposed to be about clearing my head, and instead, it had only gotten more complicated. What was I supposed to do now?

I need to figure out how I'm going to survive fake dating Jackson, while my brother hooks up with my best friend, and Xavier moves into my orbit once again.

This fake relationship might just be the least complicated thing in my life right now.

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