TRUST ME | Brothers Conflict | ✔

21

My purse laid on the desk, but surprisingly enough, figuring out who had placed the bag there wasn't difficult. Sakura looked up from her laptop when I rummaged through my purse with an affronted expression until she caught me staring. Her cheeks coloured, and the slight scowl fell as she spun around in her chair to face her laptop again.

Startled, I scratched the back of my head, still studying Sakura whose shoulders touched her ears by now. Slumped in her chair in an attempt to disappear, Sakura looked like she was afraid that I would punch her.

With an offhanded shrug, I sat down, pretending to be unfazed by the sudden change in behaviour.

How was it possible that the woman who had been so triumphant last night had changed completely?

Surely, guilt wasn't plaguing her?

"I should apologise," Sakura said stiffly, her fingers curled around the edge of the desk, her knuckles white from the force she was exerting on the plywood.

"Be careful," I hissed, "if you break our desk, our manager will give us hell."

Surprised, Sakura looked at her hands, withdrawing them ever so slowly.

"Well? Do you accept my apologies or not?" There was a demand in her question, overshadowing the desperateness in her eyes.

"Did you tell Kaoru about that day I went to that temple with Kaname?"

"Yes, but I don't see why that matters."

"It matters," I huffed.

"Listen. I already said I was sorry. Isn't that enough?"

"Okay." It was easier to give in. "You're forgiven. But I won't forget this, Sakura."

"[Y/N]!" Sakura turned toward me, her fists balled in frustration.

"Why do you want to be friends again in the first place? I thought that you were the one who was opposed to this?"

Sakura stiffened, averting her gaze swiftly.

"Kaoru wanted me to," she mumbled, fidgeting with her fingers; a sign that she was aware of what she was saying.

"I'm so tired of this." My voice was cold, colder than I had expected.

"I swear, I won't—" Sakura cut herself off, the hand that had reached for me falling back to her side. "Fine," she grumbled. "Have it your way."

"Why am I the villain here?" The rhetorical question hung heavy in the air. Laughter bubbled in my throat, fighting its way to my lips. First, I giggled, the high-pitched sound startling both me and Sakura. The giggle transformed into loud laughter that made Sakura's grin as well.

"Don't tell me that you're in love with your brother," I huffed, shaking my head to clear my mind.

"I'm not," she denied, but I had seen enough lovesick siblings by now to know better.

"Well, I guess that we can be friends again," I mused, hoping that I wouldn't regret this decision.

"Thank you," she said, the words tumbling past her lips with a relieved sigh. "Thank you, [Y/N]."

It was strange that weeks filled with suspicion and betrayal were over just like that -although we hadn't addressed the root of the problem yet.

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"I didn't know that you and Kaname were in an actual relationship."

"We aren't," I told her. "Nothing happened between us."