FORBIDDEN TIES {My brother's best friend}

Chapter 41

"Ezra," Cyrus tried to speak, but Ezra landed another punch, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Ezra!" I cried out, stepping closer in a desperate attempt to intervene. But Ezra turned his furious gaze towards me.

"Seriously? Cyrus?" he demanded, his voice heavy with betrayal. The hallway was now crowded with onlookers, all staring at us with wide eyes.

"Don't ever set foot in my house again," Ezra spat at Cyrus, who struggled to get up.

Ezra then turned to me, gripping my hands with a vice-like grip. "Fucking bitch," he muttered through clenched teeth, dragging me towards the exit. I looked back one last time at Cyrus, who was watching me with a mix of pain and regret in his eyes.

This was all my fault. I had caused all of this...

"I thought Cyrus was her brother," I heard someone whisper.

"Me too," another voice added.

---

Ezra slammed the car door shut and circled to the driver’s seat. He started the engine and sped off, the car jolting as he did.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he roared, his voice seething with anger. "Cyrus, of all people... my best friend? And I was just too blind to see it," he continued, hitting the steering wheel so hard that it made a loud thud.

I sat quietly, my head lowered, fingers nervously fiddling in my lap.

"Just wait until Dad finds out you’ve been sleeping with Cyrus all this time," Ezra said bitterly.

"You don’t need to tell Dad about this," I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady.

"You're hilarious," Ezra replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Please," I begged, but he remained silent.

The rest of the drive was filled with a tense, heavy silence.

When we arrived home, I saw Dad’s car parked outside. My heart sank as I realized he was home and Mom wasn’t. I was in so much trouble.

Walking inside, I found Reggie and Dad in the living room, engrossed in a football match. Both had beers in hand and looked tense, clearly upset by the game’s outcome.

"Selena," Dad called out, his initial smile fading when he saw the look on my face. "What happened?" he asked, his gaze shifting to Ezra. I turned to Ezra, who was glaring straight ahead, avoiding my eyes.

"Guess who I saw kissing your daughter today?" Ezra announced, his voice laden with frustration. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the inevitable.

"Who?" Reggie asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Cyrus," Ezra dropped the bombshell. I opened my eyes to see Dad’s stunned silence and Reggie’s growing smirk.

"So, are we killing him or... what?" Reggie asked, grinning.

"Get out," Dad said firmly to Reggie, who nodded and cast one last smirk in my direction before leaving.

Dad stood up and walked towards me, his expression a mix of anger and concern. He stopped right in front of me. "So tell me," he said, his voice sharp. "Since when have you two been seeing each other?" he demanded. I opened my mouth to respond but then hesitated.

"And don’t even think about lying," he warned. I swallowed hard, glancing at Ezra, who was staring intently, waiting for an answer.

"Um, it’s been a while now," I managed to say, my voice trembling.