The Big Brother's Mission (#3)

Chapter 8

I heard Casey's soft footsteps come down the stairs before I saw her walk towards the kitchen pantry.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Casey asked as she leaned on the kitchen's doorframe.

I raised my head and looked at her. I observed her body language and took note of how she looked hesitant. She had one foot in and one foot out, as if she hasn't really made up her mind on whether to confide in me or not.

"Yeah, of course. Do you want some hot chocolate?" I asked, offering her my cup.

She shook her head and wrung her hands together, walking towards the living room.

I followed behind her and sat beside her on the couch, placing my cup down on the coffee table in front of me.

I turned to her and waited for her to start talking. I didn't rush her, giving her time to gather her thoughts and space to tell me what she wants to at her own time.

"It's about Dom." She began, sounding nervous.

"What about him?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He told me he loved me and made it very clear that he meant it as something more than a sibling love," Casey rambled without pausing to breathe.

It took me a while to digest what she just said but when it finally dawned on me, I frowned at the idiot in question. He knows Casey doesn't like anyone that way and has never bat an eye for any guy before so why confess his undying love all of a sudden?

He's probably lost his marbles.

"When was this?" I asked Casey. As far as I know, I should be the closest friend Dom has. There's no way that he would do such a thing, knowing that he's risking his friendship with Casey, without discussing it with me first.

"A few days ago," Casey said, raising the cup of hot chocolate from the table and taking a sip.

A few days ago? That would be around the time that Dom asked me to go meet him in the café before we were attacked by the loan sharks.

I shook my head and turned my attention back to my sister.

"Don't worry, I'll deal with him," I assured Casey, reminding myself to pay that guy a visit and knock some sense into that hot headed dumbass.

Casey's face lost its color and she turned to me with a horrified expression as her hand shot out and gripped my arm tightly. What?

"Bry, promise me you won't do anything stupid. No matter what he does, he's family," I shook my head at her.

"I won't hurt him, sis. I'll just talk to him, I promise," I patted her hand that latched onto my arm and she looked into my eyes for a few seconds before letting go of her grip on my arm and nodding.

"I don't even know why he would like me in that way. I'm no one special, just plain old Casey. I don't have the beauty of all those girls in school and I don't have the charm, so why me?" she muttered under her breath. She probably didn't mean say it out loud but she did and I caught her words and I was on my knees in front of her in an instant.

"Hey, what did I tell you about beauty and people?" I asked seriously, not wanting her to continue that train of thought.

She looked at me before casting her eyes away guiltily as if by saying the words she just did was a crime in itself.

"Beauty lies on the inside,"

"-where the heart is," I finished for her and smiled softly while keeping two of my fingers right above where her heart lies. I've been trying to drill this into her thick skull for years and I needed her to feel it, not just memorize it.