Best Friend's Brother: Chapter One

Dinner and Unexpected Guests

The doorbell rang out through the house, and I raced to open it. Matt was standing there in a navy blue button down shirt. I let him in and brought him to the dining room as Harry was finishing up dinner.

"I'm going to get Kari, I'll be right back," I said to Matt and walked up to Kari's room. I knocked and entered Kari's room seeing her laying on her bed staring at the ceiling. She didn't flinch when I sat next to her on her bed. She was wearing the dress I got her for her birthday, a mid-thigh, sleeveless black dress with a tan underside. She also had her black tights on.

"What's the point?" Kari said monotone. She slowly blinked and sighed.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my nose wrinkling in confusion.

"Katie, me, and Hannah have tried to get you and Nathaniel together for so long. You two are literally perfection together," Kari sat up and looked at me, "Everyone could see that you and Nathaniel were head over heels for each other, but you denied it because you thought he deserved better. He deserves someone like you because you are the best but because of Alexa, you have come to hate your entire being all because she's jealous of everything about you.

"You are stable. You're confident in your skin, you are confident in who you are. You don't let your past control you and who you will become because you know that you are not mom or dad or Harry or Nana, you are your own person with your own story," Kari paused looking down at her lap she shook her head and let out a short airy laugh, "You are so incredible, Jessica. I don't understand how you can't see that about yourself. You're so beautiful, smart, funny, athletic, and so much more. You have two jobs, play a sport, care for your two stupid siblings, care for a little girl; you're about to move in with Katie, Nathaniel, and Matt.

"You have accomplished more than the average high school student has, yet you still have time for yourself and have two boys, closer to men, chasing after you. After all these years waiting for Nathaniel, he finally admits to himself that he has fallen in love with you, but you've moved on... Haven't you?"

I turned my eyes to my lap feeling slightly guilty for waiting so long then moving on. I looked up at Kari meeting her beautiful blue-green eyes, "I have moved on, but can you blame me? I've been waiting almost ten years for him to admit that he liked me too. There's only so much I'll put myself through before I give up. I'm human; I can only take so much. Matt makes me happy, and all I want is for you and Harry to be happy that I've finally found happiness."

"You know what I really think you feel for Matt? Lust. You like him because he likes you. You said yes because you needed to move on from Nathaniel. You-"

"It's not like that!" I cut Kari off, "I was falling for Matt since the moment I met him. I gave up on Nathaniel six months ago. I can't take being rejected anymore, okay?! Every single day I saw him, I would want to hold his hand, kiss him, be held in his arms so tenderly like if he held me too tight, he would crush me and if he let me go, I'd disappear. I have longed for these things from someone for so long, and now that I have it, no one wants to be happy for me. Why can't people understand that I'm happy with Matt? Why won't you accept that I'm happy?"

"You would be so much happier with Nathaniel, Jessica!" Kari tried to convince me.

"I'm happy with Matt, and that is that!" I stood up, smoothing out my dress, and took a deep breath, "Dinner is ready if you want to join us." I turned and exited Kari's room and returning to the kitchen. I took my spot next to Matt who put a comforting hand on my shoulder. Harry dished out the spaghetti, and Kari joined us across from me.

Harry finished dishing out the food and sat down across from Matt, "I hope you like spaghetti, it's one of Jessica's favorites."

I awkwardly smiled when Matt turned to look at me, "Mental note taken."

"So, Matt, what do you want to do when you graduate?" Harry asked and flashed a devilish smile at me. 

Harry, I will cut you. 

"I'm hoping to go to college and major in programming or music production. Music has always been a huge part of my life as well as video games and computers. I've always been fascinated with how computers work," Matt shifted in his seat; confidence was radiating off him which comforted my troubled conscience. 

Harry raised his eyebrows with a surprised look on his face, "Really? It's exciting for me to hear that someone wants to be something other than a doctor, lawyer, or a first responder. That's honestly really cool. Jessie has had her heart set on becoming a singer, novelist, or science teacher."

Matt turned to me with an amused look on his face, "Jessie?"

"I will cut you if you call me Jessie," I laughed and pointed my fork at him.

Harry continued asking Matt question after question but making sure it didn't feel like an interrogation. Some of them were the basic questions like 'what's your favorite color' (which are orange and grey), and others that had a bit more depth to them like 'if you could spend the rest of your life without having to do one thing, what would it be' (he said washing dishes).

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your number one lifetime wish?" Harry asked finishing his glass of milk.

"Hmm..." Matt took a few seconds to think about this question, "I think it would be to have forever happiness with my future family. Matt's hand found mine underneath the table and I smiled as I finished my drink.

Harry smiled at me and said he would do the dishes. I took Matt into the living room and sat on the couch. I leaned my head on Matt's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around me and intertwined our fingers.

"Ugh," I heard Kari groan loudly, "Guys, look outside. It's snowing."

I sat up and sure enough white fluffs were falling from the sky, already covering the grass. Matt stood up, pulling me off the couch with him. He pulled me onto his arms and hugged me, I could practically feel the affection transferring from his body into mine.

"You're my favorite person," Matt whispered to me and kissed my forehead. I giggled and kissed his cheek before he let me go, "I should get going before the roads get bad."

I stood with my back against the door as Matt put on his shoes, "You can never leave! Ha ha ha."

Matt wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me off the door. He placed his lips on mine, tenderly kissing me. A knock at the door interrupted our kiss. Matt's arms dropped from around my waist as I turned around and opened the door.

A familiar blonde stood at the door with a bright red nose, bloodshot eyes, and trembling body, "I-I need your h-help. P-Please."