William has always kept his distance from his sister Layla's boyfriends-until Colton arrives.
With his charm and easygoing nature, Colton quickly becomes a welcome presence in William's life.
As the two bond over shared interests and late-night co...
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I didn’t think much about William. I mean, he was Layla’s little brother, and I liked him well enough, but that’s where it ended. Hanging out with him was just another part of being close to Layla—something I did because it made her happy. She loved having me around her family, and I liked seeing her happy, so I didn’t mind.
Besides, William was a good kid. A little quiet, kind of moody sometimes, but he wasn’t a bad guy to spend time with.
Right?
But honestly? My mind was on other things.
College was in full swing now, and while I had the routine mostly down, there was always something to keep me on my toes. Classes were harder than last year, and balancing work with school didn’t make things easier. I’d picked up a job over the summer, and I was still holding onto it—part-time, but enough to keep me from having to rely on my parents too much. They weren’t those kinds of parents, the type who’d cut me off if I didn’t pay for my own stuff, but I liked the idea of being independent.
Adrian was the one who got me into it, really. He’d been my best friend since freshman year of college, and we’d clicked right away. Same sense of humor, same interests, and a similar work ethic. The dude had been working since high school and convinced me that having a job would give me some extra freedom. And he wasn’t wrong.
Adrian and I had the kind of friendship where we didn’t need to talk every day, but when we did, it was like no time had passed at all. He was the guy I trusted with everything. We shared notes, worked out together, and hit up parties whenever we had the chance. He was one of those people you could count on, the kind that made life easier just by being around.
So, when I walked into our favorite café near campus after class and saw him sitting at our usual table, I felt the familiar ease wash over me.
“What’s up, man?” I said, sliding into the seat across from him.
“Not much,” Adrian grinned, pushing a cup of coffee toward me. “Figured I’d order for you. You’re predictable.”
I snorted, taking a sip. “I’m predictable? You’ve been drinking the same black coffee since freshman year.”
He shrugged. “If it works, it works.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a while, scrolling through our phones and catching up on the day. This was our routine—meet up after class, complain about whatever assignments were piling up, and eventually talk about anything but school.
“Layla still coming by this weekend?” Adrian asked, not looking up from his phone.
“Yeah,” I said, stretching out in the chair. “She’s bringing her brother, Will, too. You remember him, right?”
Adrian raised an eyebrow, finally glancing up. “Vaguely. He’s the high school kid?”
