determinant intricacies | 2

xix.

my little brother

was

insufferable.

"oh my god,"

he'd said the other day,

"daisy and ulysses

should just

date

already.

they'd be

the perfect couple!"

i glared at him

from across

the other side

of the car.

"no,"

i said

with gritted teeth.

"no, they wouldn't."

he gave me a look,

and then a smirk.

"you're jealous,

aren't you?"

he asked me,

the tone in his voice

c o l d .

"you're scared

of being

replaced,

aren't you?"

"no,

i'm not,"

i snapped at him

angrily.

he was

testing

my patience,

pushing

my buttons

just to see

whether i'd

snap

and

end up

strangling him

in the car.

if our parents

weren't there,

i would've done it

without any hesitation.

"it's not up to you,

alex,"

he told me.

"it's her choice in the end."

i hated admitting it,

but..

i hated it

when

he was right.