CALEB

I wanted to believe her, but busy was the universal code for not interested. And yet, the way she had looked at me before Silas cleared his throat... that hadn't felt like disinterest.

A few seconds later, Laura returned with our drinks. As she set them down, the silence at the table felt heavier than it should have been.

“So,” Laura said, glancing between us as she gestured lightly toward Silas, “is he the brother you never wanted?”

Silas choked on his drink, coughing into his hand as he scrambled to recover.

I let out a small, nervous laugh. The tension cracked just enough to breathe. She was trying...