I Kissed My Bestfriend's Brother. Now What?

KAIDA'S POV

Liam smells like bergamot and lavender. Always. His signature scent.

I could perceive it from a mile away as I stepped into the restaurant, my hands holding until my bag's strap.

A smile stretched on my lips upon seeing him.

His broad back was unmistakable, a giveaway that he was the one I was looking for. After all, years of hockey had sculpted his athletic build.

Just a few steps away, I paused, then crept up behind him on tiptoes, intending on a surprise. But before I could lean in and whisper in his ear, he froze and turned around, his senses apparently alerted to my presence.

Maybe my scent gave me away, just like his had given him away to me earlier when I walked into the restaurant.

"You're here," he smiled softly. Not his usual wide smile, but a forced one, which made my brows arched.

Was he having a bad day?

"Yes." I replied, returning his smile as I sat across him, the table separating us.

Liam wasn't his usual self, so I finally asked that had been lingering on my lips. "Is everything okay?"

He forced another smile. Again. "Yes, I'm good. Just stressed from practice."

He wasn't exactly telling the truth, I could tell, but I didn't probe deeper into the matter, instead, I chose to relax and enjoy the arts on display, while waiting for the waitress to come attend to us.

"Is this some kind of secret date?" I joked, trying to ease the sudden tension that overwhelmed the atmosphere.

My boyfriend was much too quiet. It wasn't normal, but I couldn't ask. It was as if my tongue were tied against the wall of my mouth.

"No, it's not." Liam replied blankly and straightened up as soon as the waitress got to our table.

"What would you like to have?" I asked him, my eyes on the menu, contemplating on what dish to pick.

All the dishes on the menu looked enticing and probably delicious, but I had to settle for one, which I did. Beef on weck. A popular dish among citizens of Rochester.

"I'm good," Liam replied, and I nodded slowly.

Once the waitress left to get my order ready, I straightened up, meeting Liam's gaze at eye level, but he avoided my eyes.

Last I remembered, Liam hadn't done anything wrong lately that could make him avoid my gaze, which made his behavior all the more confusing.

"Did you do something wrong?" I asked because from my observation since my arrival, it seemed something was wrong, or he had a lot to say to me.

When I saw his text last night, inviting me to a well-known restaurant downtown, I thought it was a date, since we've not had one in a long time.

Liam has always been busy with practices, games with different teams, and we rarely have time for dates anymore, so when he invited me to one last night, I was so excited.

I even wore my favorite summer gown and Ember, my roommate, dolled me up.

"No." He cleared his throat and straightened up once more, as if finding courage to speak up after much contemplation.

"I have something to say, Kaida." He stated, pausing for a second before continuing. "And I hope you don't hate me for this."

I swallowed hard, eyes on him, as I waited for him to continue.

"Why would I hate you, Liam?" I asked, a small smile stretched on my lips. "You're my boyfriend, after all."

I watched as he took in a deep, slow and torturous breath before saying three words that I never knew could shatter my world. "Let's break up."

Everything around me stopped and my head spun.

The laughing couples sitting at the next table, the slow music playing in the background and the waitress taking orders.

Every sound stopped, and it felt like Liam and I were the only one left in the restaurant and probably the whole world.

"I don't understand..." my brows arched, and a painful lump pushed past my throat.

"Let's break up, Kaida. I'm tired of this relationship."

As those words left his lips, they seemed to push past my chest, piercing my heart and leaving it bleeding.

I couldn't come up with a plausible reason why he was breaking up with me. Last I remembered, we didn't have a fight and neither did I say something wrong.

So why?

My lips parted, but no words came out.

"Did.... Did I do something wrong?" I whispered, my voice trembling with emotions.

Emotions which were almost impossible to keep at bay.

He replied, head wagging negatively. "No, you didn't. It was all my decision."

"But why......" my voice trailed off, tears welling up in my eyes.

As if the universe were against me, the waitress returned and placed my order on the table and as if sensing the tension, she bolted.

"I'm sorry, Kaida," Liam rose to his feet and placed a $100 bill on the table. "I thought forever was a deal, I was wrong."

With that, he walked away, his cologne wafting past my nose.

I also thought forever was the deal, but he broke the deal midway.

By the time he was gone, the tears I did well in holding back broke out, drawing attention from strangers in the restaurant.

I placed my head against the table and cried my eyes out.

Liam was my first and only boyfriend, but now, I don't have a boyfriend anymore, and he didn't even make mention of the reason we had to break up.

A few minutes later, I grabbed my bag and headed towards the entrance door, ready to leave, but nothing could have prepared me for whom I saw next.

Maverick Jensen. Ember's older brother. The captain of the Phoenix Hockey team at McCall College.

Our eyes met and he halted.

He stared at me blankly while I tried to avoid his gaze, but my puffy eyes gave away the fact that I cried.

"Did you cry?" His jaw tightened, and his eyes darkened as he asked.

I might be wrong, but I swear, something like anger flickered in his eyes for a millisecond.

"Hi... no, I didn't." I smiled awkwardly, looking away, while holding my bag strap for dear life.

"Did you cry, Kai?" He probed further, this time, his voice edgier and deep, sending shivers down my spine.

I would rather let the earth swallow me than let Maverick know I just got my heart broken, hence the tears. Instead, I gave him a witty reply, like a brat that I was.

"Nah.... I'm saving my tears for when I'm alone with Netflix."

KAIDA'S POV

Maverick stared blankly at me, if anything, he didn't find my witty reply funny.

"I need to leave, it's getting late," I said with an awkward smile as I walked past him.

As I pushed the restaurant entrance door open and left, I could feel his gaze boring into my back until I was finally out of sight.

And upon arriving at the apartment I share with Ember, I took off my bag and fell flat onto the bed, the weight of the breakup weighing me down.

Fresh tears cascaded down my cheeks, and my chest tightened.

It was hard to breathe as snorts mixed with sobs pushed their way out. I was sure that by tomorrow, my eyes would be red and puffy.

The entrance door to our apartment pushed open, and I immediately wiped my face clean and sat upright. I didn't want Ember to know, at least not yet.

If she knew, I was sure she'd cuss Liam out and even go to the arena where he practices to create a scene. I didn't want her to do any of that because of me.

As expected, my door creaked open, and she peeked in, her features morphing into a frown with her lips pushed forward in displeasure.

"Why are you crying, Ida?" she asked, pushing her whole body through the door and walking up to me. "Is this about Liam?"

I shook my head negatively, using the back of my hand to wipe away the fresh tears that fell at the sight of my best friend.

"This is about him, after all," she snickered. "So what is it this time?"

"He broke up with me," I said, and more tears followed.

It hurt so much, like my heart was being squeezed out of my chest.

I could vividly remember how our relationship started.

Liam had been into me first.

It was my first year in college, and we met during one of his games at the college arena. We exchanged contacts and began talking until it led to a romantic relationship.

"What was the reason?" Ember asked, her voice revealing her displeasure. "Why did that walking red flag break up with you?"

"He didn't specify. He just said he was tired of our relationship, Ember." The more I spoke, the more impossible it was to hold back my tears. "I didn't say anything wrong, yet he broke up with me."

Through my wet, sticky lashes, I could see anger in Ember's eyes. she was mad.

"Let's go to the college arena," she said, rising to her feet, ready to go cuss Liam out until she lost her voice, but I quickly stopped her.

"Let's not do that, Ember. Liam would think I can't get over him."

"Then stop crying and show him you can do fine without him!" She stomped her feet against the tile floor. "If we can't cuss him out, at least let's bash his car!"

"We won't do that too," I shook my head and wiped my tears. I felt a little better now that Ember was with me.

"Gosh... You're such a joy killer," she rolled her eyes and pulled me into a comforting hug. "You'll be fine, Ida. You've always been a strong girl."

........

I felt a little better last night, but when morning came, the repercussions of my constant tears hit me hard.

My eyelids were heavy, and my head spun like I had drunk ten bottles of vodka the previous night.

"Shit!" I cursed, holding my head as I headed to the bathroom for my morning routine.

Once I was done, I dressed in casual wear and was about to go through my phone when the door to my room slammed open. I flinched in fear and sighed upon seeing Ember standing by the door with a wide grin.

"Why are you here?" I asked, and she walked towards my bed.

"I'm here to take you out. You need to get over your breakup with that son of a gun."

"Okay, so where are we going?"

"To Maverick's hockey game at the college arena."

My heart skipped a bit.

"I'd prefer lying on my bed and catching up on some sleep," I declined as fast as I could.

After yesterday's encounter with Maverick, I wouldn't want to see him, especially not at his game.

"So you can cry again?" Ember frowned. "Stand up right now, Ida. I won't let you become a shell of yourself because of that son of a gun."

"His name is Liam, Ember. Stop calling him that," I said, trying to correct her.

Her brow arched as she eyed me suspiciously. "Now, you're supporting him, aren't you?"

"No, no, I'm not," I heaved a sigh in resignation. "Fine, let's go to his game."

Hockey had never been my favorite game, but because Liam was the captain of a hockey team, I came to like it as time went on.

Yes, I liked hockey, but I could never get used to the loud noises from enthusiastic fans and the screeching of hockey skates on the ice.

I watched in silence as Ember joined other fans in screaming loudly when Maverick's teammates made their entrance onto the ice. But never in a million years would I have thought that the opposing team was Runner Hockey team. Liam's team.

I thought I would be able to get over him if I didn't see him for a while, but I was wrong.

The minute he stepped onto the ice, it felt like I was being stabbed with a dagger. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, but it was nearly impossible.

Ember paused upon seeing him and slowly turned to me. "I'm sorry. I didn't know his team was the opposing team."

I knew she was sincere with the apology, but it didn't ease the pain in my chest. So, I excused myself from the arena to a quieter area nearby.

I needed some space to breathe, far from where Liam was.

KAIDA'S POV

As the door slammed behind me, I rested my back against the wall, dragging it slowly until I squatted with my back against the wall and my hands wrapped around my legs.

I knew how pathetic I looked while crying, but I couldn't help it. It sure wasn't easy to move on from someone you love so much, but seeing Liam smiling with his teammate as if nothing had happened made me realize I was the only one fooling myself.

He had fallen out of love with me, but I kept forcing myself on him in our relationship.

I felt guilty for trying to make a sinking relationship work.

"Kai," I heard a deep voice call my name, and I paused for a second, wanting to hear if the same voice would call my name again. Or maybe I was now hearing things.

"Kai, you're in there." I heard once again, and I stood up, wiped my face, and pushed the door open.

Only one person calls me Kai, and that is Maverick, Ember's older brother.

Once the door pushed open, his face was the first thing I saw. I hated how much his looks made my heart skip for a second.

Sharp jawline, lush eyebrows, deep oceanic eyes.

Jesus Christ... I shouldn't be ogling at my best friend's brother like that, yet I couldn't stop myself.

"Why are you here?" I asked, my voice low. "You should be in the arena. You have a game."

He ignored my words and stepped closer, causing my breath to hitch.

As he stepped closer, his cologne wafted past my nose, and dare I say he smells divine. I've always been a lover of good scents, and I can tell a good one once I spot it. Maverick's cologne is definitely a good one.

"What are you doing?" I stuttered, blinking rapidly, but he didn't reply.

Instead, he leaned closer, our faces just inches away from each other. "You were crying," he said.

It wasn't a question, just an observation.

"No, I wasn't crying," I said, shaking my head negatively, refusing to admit.

"You were," he said in a deep low rumble, his face blank.

"I don't see how that concerns you, Maverick," I said, folding my hands under my chest, trying to stay strong under his scrutinizing gaze.

"You're my sister's best friend. Of course, I should care for you, just like I care for my sister," he replied, his gaze not leaving mine.

"Why now of all time?" I scoffed. "Last I remembered, we've known each other for five years, but you never cared, so why now?"

"Because I just felt like it," he shrugged, his hands in his hockey pants' pockets.

"Well, thanks for the concern. I don't need it," I rolled my eyes and made an attempt to walk away, but he was fast to grab my wrist.

His touch sent tingles spreading all over my body, and I quickly dragged my wrist from his hold.

"What is it again?" I asked, my voice higher than normal. I was a bit annoyed.

"Liam broke up with you, didn't he?"

"Maverick, when did you start snooping around?" I asked, my brows arched and my voice filled with sarcasm.

"I don't do that," he smirked. "The whole college knows about it. Not just me."

Shit!

It had only been a day since Liam and I broke up, yet the whole college already found out about it.

Seems bad news spreads faster than good news.

"So, are you here to mock me?"

"Why would I do that? I've got no time to mock you, Kai," his voice became soft all of a sudden, making a pull of warmth fill my stomach.

"My name is Kaida, not Kai," I corrected, but that only made his lips stretch into a lopsided smile.

"I'll call you whatever I want."

"Suit yourself then," I rolled my eyes and turned around, walking down the hallway.

Halfway through, I heard Maverick called my name. "Kai,"

I turned around with a frustrating sight. "What now?"

"Wish me good luck against your ex-boyfriend."

"I don't think you need a good luck, because I'm sure you'd win against him."

"Well, thanks for the assurance," he smirked, turned around, and disappeared into the darkness, while I chuckled before heading back to the arena to watch the game.

By the time I returned, the arena was filled to the brim, and if not for the fact that Ember had already kept a seat for me, I wouldn't have found a place to sit.

"What took you so long?" Ember asked, watching me with a soft gaze. "Did you cry?"

"No, I'm fine now. You don't have to worry."

"We can leave if you want," she added, trying to make sure I was fine.

"We don't have to leave. I'm fine now."

The screaming of fans made us snap our heads towards the ice rink, where Maverick walked in confidently. The way he carried himself with confidence and pride made me smile.

Soon enough, the game began.

It started as an intense game between the two teams, but soon the Phoenix team began to win against Liam and his team.

Surprisingly, it felt so good. I didn't know why, but I loved how annoyed Liam was and how he kept screaming at his teammates on the ice rink.

It was a 1-5 goal point. The Runners scored 1 goal, while the Phoenix scored 5 goals.

Left with a point to crown the Phoenix team winner of the game, Maverick took it upon himself to score the point.

He skated towards a Runner player and grabbed the puck using his hockey stick.

He skated past Liam and his team and made sure they couldn't take the puck from his hold.

Maverick made sure to control the puck with precision, and his speed, agility, and stickhandling skills were top-notch.

Just before Liam could get the puck from his hold, Maverick hit the puck into the goal net, and immediately, the arena erupted with screams from enthusiastic Phoenix fans, while Runners fans' shoulders slumped in disappointment.

A wide smile spread on my lips as I watched, while Ember rose to her feet, jumping and screaming Maverick's name.

Suddenly, he turned towards the arena, his eyes falling on mine, and for a second, my heart skipped a bit.

Where he stood was far from where I sat, yet I heard every single word he mouthed at me.

"That goal was for you, Kai."