Twisted love

Shadowed by love

(Andrew's POV – Present Day)

Chapter three

The moment I stepped into the room, the tension was suffocating. It was as if all the oxygen had been sucked out, leaving only the thick, unbearable weight of the past. There they stood—Oliver and Katherine. The air between them crackled, and I felt my chest tighten.

Katherine's eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted in shock. I could almost hear the sound of her heart shattering all over again, the echoes of her pain from eight years ago flooding the space between us. Oliver's smirk twisted his face—cool, composed, completely indifferent to the chaos he'd caused.

My blood boiled. I clenched my fists to the point of pain, but I couldn't lose control now. Not here. Not in front of her.

"Oliver," I growled, stepping further into the room. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Oliver didn't even flinch. His eyes flicked over to me, and he had the nerve to smile—like he hadn't just set off a bomb in Katherine's world.

"Nice to see you too, little brother." His tone was casual, like this was all some sort of reunion. "Been a long time."

Katherine's gaze snapped between us, her confusion written all over her face. "Little brother?" she whispered, her voice shaking. "What is he talking about, Andrew?"

I swallowed hard. This was the moment I'd dreaded, the one I knew was coming but had hoped to delay. How could I explain to her that the man who broke her heart, the man who left her to drown in her misery, was my brother?

My hesitation was enough of an answer. She took a step back, looking between us again—this time with a mixture of disbelief and hurt.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said, her voice hardening. "He's your brother? All this time, Andrew? And you never told me?"

I opened my mouth to speak, to explain, but Oliver cut in, his voice smooth as ever. "It's true, Kat. I'm his big brother. You didn't know? I guess Andrew kept that little secret to himself." He shot me a pointed look. "Wonder why?"

I gritted my teeth. "This isn't the time, Oliver."

But Katherine wasn't finished. She shook her head, her expression shifting from confusion to betrayal. "You let me get close to you. You were there for me when I was falling apart because of him," she gestured to Oliver, her voice rising. "And you never thought to mention that you're his brother? Why?"

"I—" I started, but the words felt heavy, impossible to say. How could I explain the complexity of it all without revealing the truth?

Oliver, of course, made things worse, stepping forward with that damned smirk still on his face. "Seems like we have a lot to catch up on, Katherine. Especially this friendship you two have." He glanced at me, his eyes glinting with something dangerous. "Didn't realize you two were so close."

Katherine's gaze burned into me. "You should've told me."

"I didn't think it would help," I admitted, my voice low. "I didn't want to cause you more pain."

"More pain?" She laughed bitterly, but the sound was hollow. "You don't think finding this out now hurts? I trusted you, Andrew."

Her words sliced through me, but I couldn't show weakness—not in front of Oliver. He was watching, enjoying every second of this trainwreck, and I needed to regain control.

"Katherine," I said softly, stepping toward her. "Please, let's talk about this."

But before I could get any closer, Oliver interrupted. "I'll be staying here for a while," he said casually, like he wasn't dropping a bomb on everything. "Hope that won't be an issue."

Katherine froze, her eyes widening. "What?" Her voice was barely a whisper. "You're staying here? At Andrew's place?"

Oliver's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Yep. Looks like I'll be around for a while. We have a lot of unfinished business, Kat."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Oliver... staying here? How could this be happening? I glanced at Katherine, her face pale, her body trembling with a mix of fear and anger.

"This can't be happening," she murmured, almost to herself. "This is a nightmare."

"You can't be serious," I said, stepping in front of Oliver, my voice hardening. "You're not staying here."

"Why not?" Oliver's grin didn't falter. "I need a place to stay. And besides, you and Kat look like you've been getting close. Maybe I'll stick around and see how things play out."

I clenched my jaw, but Katherine spoke up before I could.

"Oliver, I don't know what you're trying to do," she said, her voice shaking but firm. "But this isn't a game. You can't just waltz back into my life after all these years and expect everything to be fine."

"Who said I expect it to be fine?" Oliver's tone was cold now, his smile gone. "But I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Katherine looked to me, desperation in her eyes. "Andrew... please, tell me he's joking."

I wished I could. I wished I could tell her that everything would be fine, that Oliver would leave, and that she and I could go back to the life we had before he showed up. But I couldn't lie to her. Not anymore.

"I'll talk to him," I promised, glancing at Oliver. "But right now, Kat... we need to calm down. I don't want you getting more upset."

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly. "I can't deal with this right now," she muttered, turning on her heel and walking out of the room.

I stood there, watching her leave, my chest tightening with every step she took away from me. I wanted to go after her, to explain everything, to hold her until all of this madness disappeared. But I couldn't. Not with Oliver here.

"Nice work, Andrew," Oliver said, breaking the silence. "She looked pretty upset. Think she'll forgive you for keeping this from her?"

I glared at him. "What are you really doing here, Oliver? What do you want?"

He shrugged, completely unfazed. "I already told you. I needed a place to crash, and this seemed like the perfect spot. I didn't realize you and Kat had gotten so close, though. I guess we have more to talk about than I thought."

I stepped closer, my voice low and threatening. "Stay away from her."

Oliver's smile returned, but this time it was sharper, more dangerous. "I don't think that's up to you, little brother."

With that, he turned and walked out, leaving me standing there, fury and fear swirling inside me.

I had spent years building this life with Katherine. I watched her rise from the ashes, from the broken girl she was to the powerful, resilient woman she is now. I'd seen her struggle, seen her fight her way to the top, and my love for her only grew deeper with every step she took.

I stood by her side through every challenge, every heartbreak, hoping that one day she'd see me the way I saw her. And sometimes, I thought she did. Sometimes, I'd catch her looking at me in a way that made me believe she felt something more. A touch that lingered just a little too long, a smile that seemed just a bit too soft.

But those moments never lasted. She'd always pull back, her walls going up again, and I'd be left standing there, knowing that in her eyes, I was still just her friend. Her protector. Nothing more.

Now, with Oliver back, I could feel everything slipping away. He still had some kind of hold over her, even if she didn't want to admit it. And I couldn't stand by and watch her fall for him again. I wouldn't let it happen.

I'd waited long enough. Katherine belongs with me. And if Oliver thinks he can come back and take her away, he's dead wrong.

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