Forbidden Desire: In Love With My Brother's Best Friend

Lina's POV

I sauntered down the stairs, humming a song, when my eyes twitched at the crowd pulled close to my locker, cheering and chanting.

My feet halted as I glanced up, my eyes melting into his when our gaze locked, warmth pooled underneath his, the gentle thud of my heart against my rib cage as it pounded had me running a hand over my chest.

He tore his gaze off, peering at whoever he was standing with. I was lost in my thoughts when a hand hooked itself around me, pulling me with her.

" Are you just going to stand here? Aren't you going to watch the biggest proposal in all history?" Emma, my best friend, asked.

She pulled me alongside her, dragging my feet ahead as I watched.

Josh stood, eyes on Emily, the cheerleader, as she handed him a paper, before chewing on her lips nervously, while twirling a strand of her hair.

My eyes watered as I took in what was happening. Josh was my brother's best friend and my secret crush, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him about it.

He had told me severally times that he saw me as his sister and nothing more when I had jokingly brought up the topic.

"Say yes, say yes, say yes..." the crowd cheered as hands jammed together.

I pivoted my gaze around, dread tore through me because I knew it was going to be the same as always; he was always going to give in.

My wolf writhed in pain as I forced myself out. I had my feet stuck at the door when he spoke up.

" I have someone I love, Emily", he uttered, cheers ran down with voices whispering about.

I flipped my head around, glancing at him when a hand ruffled my hair, stealing my attention.

" Is there a reason why you are doing this?" I questioned Ma, who wrapped a hand around my shoulders, taking in my appearance.

" You look like shit, you left your breakfast untouched, is there a reason why?"

I chewed on my lips, trying to hide the makeshift card I had made. I had finally decided to place it in Josh's locker today, damn it all and let it all go, but I bet it was all gone now.

My hands jabbed him on the arm.

" Your friend would need you. Can you tell him to stop doing this all the time? This is a school for Selena's sake, and not his pack; some of us actually want to learn"

"I asked you a question, Lina. Why did you leave your food untouched? Mum and dad are worried, you're barely sleeping, barely going out anymore, and you are a shadow of yourself"

I let out a sigh, wondering what exactly was keeping Josh still.

"How about we get to know ourselves better first?" His velvety smooth voice rumbled across the hall at me.

"A date or two and who knows?" He leaned against her ear, whispering words into it while locking gaze with me.

I broke it off, pushing against the crowd before breaking into a race. My wolf purred as I did, but I couldn't stop; I wasn't able to.

" Where the hell do you think you are going?" My brother Max's voice thundered behind me as I sprinted, not giving a fuck about whatever it was he was going to say.

The tears slipped down in torrents as my feet crushed the leaves underneath my feet, plopping on the bench. I dragged in gasps of breath, tapping on my chest at how futile it was.

If I had a chance, I would have torn my heart and clamped down on this feeling that had grown in me; it wasn't like I hadn't tried, I had, especially when I knew he didn't like me as well. I had tried to kill mine, but I just couldn't.

It kept aggravating.

My hands ran across my eyes, pushing off the streak of tears when I noticed a shadow lurking around me.

"Lina.." a voice drawled, flickering my gaze at him, I tried to put a name to the face.

His hands weaved through his dark hair, one that glimmered against the rays that filtered down.

" It's Darren"

" Darren?"

" We took a class together, and I thought you would recognise me, I..." his eyes went gloomy at me.

" Didn't know you wouldn't"

I pushed myself up, glancing at him. He had dark hair that fell slightly over his shoulders, a nose that went as high as anyone could imagine and orbs, a honey brow, and just a shade darker than Josh's.

" Oh, I don't really have..."

My words caught in my throat when he shoved a box in my arms, before chewing on his chapped lips nervously.

"I don't really know if this is the right time to do this, but..." he let out a peal of rustic cackle.

" I would love to take you on a date, anywhere you want is fine by me, and..."

"Fuck off", a hand shoved him aside, pushing him against the barricaded wall.

"What exactly do you think you are doing?" Josh roared as he asked. His breath ran off as his gaze roamed from Darren to me.

"Why should I be the one fucking off?" Darren pushed himself off the wall, his steps drawing closer until he had his eyes on Josh.

" Excuse me?"

He scoffed. " Why should I be the one to fuck off? The last I checked, you have no right to say words like that, especially when you aren't related to her and..."

Josh had his fist clenched as he demanded. " Repeat what you just said," he dared.

That was it. I had to do something before this went off the wrong way.

" Stop!" I summoned up the strength in me as I tried to utter.

" Please stop," my eyes hovered between them as I let out a plea.

" Darren, I will take you up on that date, and Josh, what exactly are you here for?"

Josh's eyes grew stormy as he uttered. "You won't"

Darren's lips curled into a smile as he bobbed his head before his footstep receded.

"What exactly do you think you are doing? A date? With him?"

I let out a cackle at his words. Why was he acting this way when he didn't even care? Why was he here in the first place?

" What do you want! Why are you here!"

He let out a breath, weaving his hands through his hair.

" Max tried to find you after you broke off in a race, he said You aren't eating, you haven't been talking, and you have been blank. What exactly is wrong with you?"

" Why do you care?"

I knew what it was going to be; I was his best friend's sister, and so, it was his right to look after me, make sure I wasn't hurt, but why couldn't he see? Why couldn't he see what it was that I wanted?

"Lina...Max..."

I exhaled, chewing on my lips.

" Can you just let me be? I am tired of you lurking around me. I want to think, I want to feel...I want to..." I bit down the train of words that attempted to sneak out.

" Stop pursuing everyone who wants me away, stop trying to make it look like no one is worthy of me, I am sick of it"

" I am trying to protect you; they don't deserve you, not him..." his hands poked in the direction Darren had walked off in.

" No one does"

" I am going to go on that date, and you aren't going to tell me what to do!"

I gazed at his eyes, those honey brown orbs that always had me short of words to say, before sauntering off, I had barely taken steps when he said;

" Then let's do it" My feet halted as I flipped my head around.

" Do what?"

" Fake dating, this experience you want, let's do it"

Josh's POV

The words were out before I could force them back; it had been out of rage and fear, the fear that had stemmed from whoever that man was.

None of her admirers had stood up to me in the way that he had; not one of them had even had the nerve to look me in the eyes, until he came along.

Her eyes contorted into a scowl as she flipped her head to the side.

" You don't mean that," she said.

" I do," I confirmed with every ounce in me.

" I mean it, I will give you the experience you need, I am ready to let you know what it feels like and..."

My heart shredded into pieces at the next word she uttered, disgust roaming through them.

" I don't even like you."

" Lina," I groaned at her when she attempted to walk away.

" Lina," I drawled, my voice reverberating across the field.

"You said you wanted to know what it felt like to be in a relationship. I am ready to help you, as long as you don't go out with Darren."

Her hands clenched her back before she spun around, eyes gazing into mine.

" And why would you? You don't like me, you have someone you love who definitely isn't me."

I gulped in my spittle, my heart slammed as I tried to stuff it in. This overwhelming feeling that had suddenly sprouted to tell her that she was the one. That there was no one else.

" I have a proposition to make," I offered.

" Which is?"

"You help me make the girl that I want jealous, and I will help you make yours jealous as well.

" I know you like someone, I can tell by how you act, and if he does find out that you don't care about him anymore, he will surely come to his senses."

She bit into her lips, smearing the gloss she had on as she chewed on it.

" And if I don't want to do this? You know this isn't right, my brother would have your head if he finds out that you ever did this with me,"

Damn him, I was going to be damned before I let anyone take her away from me. I had to do everything, every fucking thing to make sure no one else got to have her.

I had to keep her by my side like I had always done.

" Let me worry about him," I said, edging closer, my hands wrapped around hers, as I implored.

She shook her head, wriggling her hands off as she said to me.

" I am not interested in fake dating with you. I can't risk it, and besides, I am not interested in you."

She spun around on her heels, sprinting away as fast as she could.

My hands patted my chest as I gasped for air.

It was a first for me; no one had ever rejected me, no one but the very same girl I had come to find myself loving.

********************

"Easy, man, what exactly has gotten into you?" Max had a handout for me.

I wiped the sweat that smeared my face off before gawking at him. " Don't tell me that you want to run away; we haven't even started."

He accepted the towel that was handed over to him as he ran it over his face.

" You look sick, are you sure you are fine? You look like a girl rejected you"

" You know that isn't true, I get all the girls I want," except for her. My wolf let out a chuckle at me.

I grunted, ordering it shut.

" What exactly was it with Emily?" He held out a punch at me, aiming directly at my face while we circled the boxing ring.

" You know how much you have always wanted her. She is hot, pretty, intelligent, her father is the beta, and you aren't risking anything."

I shook my head at him before driving a fist into his stomach.

" You will lose out in sparring to me. Is this how you want to be alpha?"

He roared before diving into my arms, shoved me down, and pummeled me directly into my arms as I had a hand blocking my face.

"Now, who is the champion?" He roared as I forced myself up, a hand on one knee while I gulped down the bottle of water pushed on the boxing ring.

" Is something wrong? Your face has been etched with worry?"

" Is it so obvious?"

" I can tell," he wriggled his hands over my face.

" That it is a girl's issue, who is she? I mean, this is a first; you always get all the girls you want, so who exactly is giving you a tough time? Is it the one you mentioned that you loved? Why don't I know about her?"

" Because you would have my head," I answered absentmindedly, his brows etched into a furrow at my word.

" What do you mean? Why would I have your head? I would never hurt you unless..." his orbs pierced into mine as he let out a cackle.

" That isn't true, it wouldn't be Lina, you see her as your sister, and we both know she is out of bounds."

I gave a slight jab at his arms.

" You know she is just a sister to me, your sister is an ugly duckling that would never be like a woman to me," I lied.

He burst out laughing before he poked me.

"You almost had me right there and...?"

The rest of his words faded when I heard my phone dinging before sliding out of the boxing ring as I read through its content.

'Can we see? I am at the diner close to school, and I will be waiting'

I threw a punch in the air before twirling around to see Max gazing at me.

I placed my shirt hurriedly before yelling out as I dashed out. " I have to go, I will get back to you soon".

" Be careful, look out..."

I gave a thumbs up to him while I tried to avoid bumping into the door. The drive down to the restaurant took forever while I tried to navigate my way to the diner.

My hands held the door firmly when I saw her. She had her hair out, which fell down to her waist, while she donned a bright peach gown, one that complemented her skin.

I swallowed when I noticed how out of place I looked, compared to her elegant self.

Bridging the distance between us, my finger tapped her shoulder gently while she turned around, eyes fixated on me.

"I...I...had to be here", she fiddled with her hands, while her words came out incoherent.

" Is something wrong? I mean, your message sounded urgent, and I was sparring with your brother, so?"

"Your proposal, is it still up? I would like to take you on your offer if it still is".

My hands went into the pockets of my shorts while I urged her to go ahead.

"Why do you want it? You said you weren't interested?" I questioned, while trying to hide how giddy I was feeling.

She shrugged, gazing at the pavement.

"I thought about it, and helping you get who you love doesn't sound like a bad deal. Also, I need experience before getting into the dating pool. I heard it is a bit messy, and you seem to be the perfect tutor for that".

Tutor? Really? Why would she even say that?

"I have terms", I blurted out, once I had had in mind for a while.

"Which are?"

"You wouldn't go on dates with anyone else when you are with me. We are exclusive, and also, your brother wouldn't know. Two months, two months, and we are done."

"One?"

" Two Lina, I insist."

Her gaze drifted, as she murmured, her words pissing me off in an instant.

"Two months then, that is how long I have to make him fall in love with me".

Lina's POV

That this could be the worst mistake I would be making had occurred to me a dozen times, but I pushed it off.

I was certain that I was going to make him come to love me; two-thirds of me was certain that he loved me, just like I did.

Pushing myself off the bed, I went through the daily ritual of taking my bath before slipping into my skirt that hung just above my knees and a white shirt over a blazer.

I hummed alongside a song that had drifted into my mind before I picked up my Gucci bag, strolling down.

My feet came to a stop before my parents, who seemed to be munching on breakfast, and breakfast seemed to be a whole lot.

" Mother, father," I kissed them on their cheek, pushing off the startled looks they both had on their faces from my mind.

" What?" I lifted my shoulders, while slipping a shortbread in between my lips, the soft, delicious biscuit melted in my mouth.

They exchanged glances before my father placed the day's paper on the table.

" Was I dreaming, or did that just happen?"

" Really?" I blurted out.

" I have to go," I raced outside, a hand on the door already, when my father yelled.

" Be back by 4, we have a pack party..."

" Where?" I screamed back, waiting for an answer while chewing on my lips.

" The Raiders pack, Alpha Ethan has an announcement to make"

My nails dug into my palm, wondering what exactly it was about. Alpha Ethan was Josh's father. Was this about Josh? Or would this be about him?

I slipped into the car, watching as it navigated its way to the familiar building. My heart skipped when I placed a foot in.

Today was the first day of our relationship, screw fake dating, it was our relationship all right.

" Thank you," I waved off the driver before strolling down the vast hall. I placed my bag in the locker, sauntering down to the class.

The cranking of the door before I could get in caught my attention, but I threw it off my shoulders, still walking in, while texting Josh about when we would be meeting today.

The thought of being with him made me giddy with excitement, the smile that had cascaded my face a minute ago fell when I saw him.

Darker honey orbs, ruffled long hair, glossy lips and sharp piercing gaze.

Darren stood just beside my desk, hands laced behind him. When I approached, he stiffened up a bit before standing to his full height.

"Lina", he whispered, his lips curled into a smile.

" I have been waiting," I walked past the eyes that stared at me, wondering why he was here.

"I had to come, you know, I would have messaged, but I didn't have your cell number, and you know, the date"

The date. The one Josh had demanded that I not go to.

Emma sat behind my desk, overlooking the large field down to the vast forest. We had sparring classes soon, and I knew that I had to get Darren out of here.

"I am not sure I would be able to come with you," I chewed on my lips while I tried to look beyond the fact that his eyes were shrouded with disappointment.

"But... you promised"

My eyes went to my wrist as I counted the time I had left before pulling him with me.

Leaning against the wall, I explained.

"I am not single, my boyfriend wouldn't want me going on one...you see, he is rather possessive and..."

"You have a boyfriend?" A voice questioned behind me, and I let out a gush of air when I saw Emma

" What are you doing here?" I question in between clenched teeth.

Darren looked lost, his gaze averted to the ground for a second before he uttered.

"I guess it will be next week., I am taking you on a date next week, and I don't care if you have a boyfriend or not"

I tried to say a word, but all I was given was his receding footstep.

A hand jabbed mine, pulling me out.

"What were you saying? You have a bf? Why don't I know about it?" Emma pouted her lips.

I clasped her lips shut with a finger before hooking my hand around hers.

"Let's go, you know how the professor is like, it is almost impossible to get into his class once he is inside"

"But..."

I broke into a race, forcing her to move with me. I couldn't tell her yet, at least not now.

" A little bit more and we would have stood right outside," I whispered to Em, ma, whose hands were underneath her chin. I flipped my head to the side, rolling my eyes as well.

"You are practically drooling, shut your mouth"

She gave an awkward gaze before her hands went over her lips. When she saw there was nothing there, she glared at me.

" Lina," I stiffened in my seat when I heard my name being mentioned.

" What did I just say?"

I swallowed, chewing on my lips.

"You know just how much I hate students who don't take my class seriously, get your ass off that chair, and you either walk out, or you stand up untilIi I am done"

I glared at him, forcing myself up before as I decided on the latter. Ass hole, I glared at him, his voice fading into the background while he taught.

**************

After what felt like eternity and torture, classes finally ended, and I was spared a long period of torture while I headed to the raiders' pack, curious as to what the announcement would be.

" Stop putting that thing on your lips, you look ugly as fuck" Max smacked the lip gloss I had wrapped around my finger before dashing out.

" Max! Hand that over! Now!"

I knew I was going to see Josh, and so I had to look my best.

He dashed out, before sticking his tongue at me when my mother handed hers to me.

" Take this, who knows? We might be able to get you a mate here, or rather yours might be here"

That was clearly exaggerated because how exactly was that going to happen?

" I still have two weeks before I turn 18, mother, stop trying to get rid of me", I yelled after her before letting out a cackle.

If there was anything I wanted, it was the love she had with her father; he was ready to do everything for her, even if it displeased him.

"Done", I smacked my lips together before grasping my clutch tightly as I stuttered in.

My eyes glossed around while I searched for my parents when I heard laughter from where they stood.

"Lina, beautiful Lina."

I gave a dashing smile to Alpha Ethan, who clasped me into his arms.

" You look dashing as ever,"

"And you look as handsome as I have always recalled."

He let out a peal of throaty laughter before letting out a sigh.

" You would have been a better choice for Jos, but..."

" A better choice? What are you talking about?" My mother has beaten me to it.

" Oh, I am here to announce Josh's engagement to Emily, my beta's daughter, you should know her, right?"

My steps faltered as a pang went off in my head, a hand caught me, and when our eyes met, I whispered with tears clogged in my throat.

"Josh"