Sneak Peek

Accidentally In Love with my Best Friend's Brother

My best friend’s annoying brother, some spilled tea, and a crazy proposition.

Josh Owen’s is the top receiver in the NFL, with a bad boy reputation. He’s click bait fodder for any, and all, gossip columns.

Now me, ‘good girl’ Brie, is in the rumor mills with him.

A released video shows us “kissing”, and the news is spreading like wildfire.

His agent sees a golden opportunity for Josh to get on better terms with his team.

I think it’s crazy, but Josh needs help.

In spite of our love-hate relationship, I agree to be his “girlfriend”.

Spending time with him, I get to know the real person, not just the one who’s constantly pushing my buttons.

I can’t deny that I don’t hate him. In fact, I like him. A lot.

As fake kisses feel more real, Josh brings up making ‘us’ real.

Only one problem, when my parents died, my heart went on lock down.

Can the bane of my existence be the one who’s had the key all along?

(Click here to read Accidentally In Love With My Best Friend's Brother!)

Chapter 1

Josh

Leaning against a tree with her head buried in a book is Brianne, my sister’s best friend and our next door neighbor. I feel a smile creep up on my lips as I think of how often she’s in this same position. That girl studies like no one I’ve ever met before. It’s also the reason she’s top in her class and will probably graduate as valedictorian.

“Hey Brain-anne,” I tease, and feel laughter getting ready to break through as I see her shoulders tense at my nickname for her, but I hold it in. The fact that she hates that nickname makes using it that much more fun. I admire how smart she is, but I would never tell her that. Plus it’s way too enjoyable getting a rise out of her.

“Hey, jerk.” She scowls at me. The laughter I’ve been holding back falls from my lips, making her scowl deepen which just makes me laugh harder.

“Not trying to scare the world today?” I think about the face masks her and my sister Susie were wearing at their usual Friday night sleepover. They’re always doing these girlie things and although I would never admit it to anyone, I’ve never seen anyone look more adorable with a green face.

I laugh even harder as she sticks her tongue out at me. “Witty come back, Brain-anne,” I throw over my shoulder, as I walk past her.

“Dude, she’s so cute,” Scott says. Scott has been one of my teammates and friends since freshman year.

“No.” The word is out of my mouth before I can stop myself. That single word by itself is more of a tell than I would like, especially since there is nothing to tell. Brie is just my sister’s friend.

“She’s serious girlfriend material and not the fling type. Plus she’s like a sister to me and if you ever hurt her I’d have to do something about it.”

“I was just saying.” Scott gives me a questioning look that I ignore. I’ve given away too much already. He shrugs and drops the subject, shaking his head.

Brianne, “Brie”, is two years younger than me and has been friends with my sister since the first time they met when she came to visit her aunt and uncle with her parents. I was five and Susie and Brie were both three. Any time Brie would come to visit they would follow me around like puppies and do whatever I was doing. I would complain to Mom constantly.

“Be nice to your sister and Brie.” I can still hear her words ringing in my head. It used to annoy me to no end. Finally they got their own hobbies and would go off to do those things instead of being my constant shadows. Remembering Brie in her braids and Susie in her pigtails makes me smile. Okay, they were two of the cutest, most annoying girls in the world.

It’s not that I don’t love my sister or Brie, who’s like a second sister; it's just that having two girls follow you everywhere when all you want to do is play with your friends is a bit of a drag. Plus all my friends would tease me about them or tease them. Which was the worst.

Even though they annoyed me, I wouldn’t hesitate to beat up anyone who would pick on them. It’s caused me to get into a few scuffles here and there.

I remember Johnny Smith picking on Brie because she was an orphan and making her cry. She was only eight at the time. I heard Susie yelling at Johnny telling him he was mean, and Johnny just laughing and pointing at Brie. He looked like an idiot.

I couldn’t believe that someone would dare pick on Brie. Before I knew it, red hot anger had me rushing over to him on the playground. The teachers had to pull us apart, and we were both sent home for fighting.

That was the last time he, or anyone else, ever picked on Brie about the fact that her parents died in a car accident, or that she was living with her aunt and uncle.

Brie was mad at me for drawing attention to her, my sister was proud, and my mom lectured me about how fighting wasn’t the answer.

“What Johnny did was wrong, Josh, and I know you were only trying to help, but using your fists is never the answer,” she chided me.

“But Mom,” I complained. “He made Brie cry.”

“Josh, honey, your intentions were good but not your actions. Using your fists to solve a problem is rarely the answer.” She would always say stuff like this to me. Unfortunately, I was never as level headed as she would have liked me to be.

“I heard you got into a fight at school with someone picking on Brie,” my dad said that night when he got home, giving me a pat on the back and a proud smile. At my mom’s stern look he tried to look disappointed, failing miserably. “You’re still grounded with no video games for a week,” he said firmly.

That wasn’t the last time I would be grounded for fighting. But that particular incident was completely worth it.

Even now, I am still overly protective of both Brie and Susie, and everyone knows it.

It annoyed Susie a little but at the same time she took advantage of knowing that she could flirt with anyone and just have fun. It only truly bothered her if she had a crush on someone. Brie, on the other hand, completely hated it.

“He’s your brother, not mine, and yet he acts like he has to protect me from the world. It’s annoying,” I overheard Brie as I walked by Susie’s partially open door. I had just come home after a night out celebrating a win that got us a place in the playoffs.

“He just loves you,” Susie responded. Her words made my heart stop and my mouth go dry.

Love? I don’t love Brie.

“No he doesn’t, he hates me! Why else would he tease me?”

“That’s what big brothers do,” Susie laughed. “You’re just being sensitive.” Brie let out that little huff she does when she’s still annoyed but doesn’t have a comeback.

Ahhh yes, brotherly love. I definitely love Brie like a sister.

As we got older, Susie leaned more towards sports like me, but Brie was still seen with a book in her hand anywhere she went. If I didn’t know both of them personally I would never understand why two seemingly opposite people were friends. But Susie and Brie, minus their enjoyment in slightly opposite things, were identical. It was weird, but endearing.

“Hey, big bro.” Susie taps my arm bringing me back to the present moment as she walks by with a smile at Jake and Scott. Brianne, who is walking next to her, gives me a glare and the smirk that was on my face turns into a full-blown smile. I love getting her all riled up and mad at me. I swear pushing her buttons throughout the day is something I wake up looking forward to.

I hear Scott and Jake laugh and I remember they’re standing across from me. We walk toward the building with everyone else.

“Dude, let’s head in, the bell’s gonna ring soon and I need to stop at my locker,” Jake says. He’s the very conscientious student out of our trio. That perfect blend of academics and athletics. Teachers love him.

“Friday night’s game is going to be a tough one,” Scott says. He’s all about sports. “If our D can’t stop that offense there’s no way we’ll be able to win.”

“Well, considering we are the defense and the offense we better find a way,” Jake says, smacking Scott on the back of the head. “Right, Josh?”

“I’m gonna trust Coach to have a game plan,” I say distractedly just as I see Brie open her locker. I grin, and just as I get closer to her, I step over to the right and gently push her locker door closed. The initial surprise on her face as the locker door swings shut immediately turns to annoyance as she realizes it’s me and I chuckle.

“Seriously, Josh? You have the maturity level of a flea.”

“Fleas have maturity levels? You’ll have to tell me more about this one day,” I say as I walk backward and smile at her. She grabs her book and slams her locker door. She’s so easy to poke fun at. I turn around and walk forward still smiling. Scott and Jake join me as we go to our first period. They exchange a look and Jake takes a deep breath.

“Hey, Josh,” Jake says slightly hesitantly. “I’m thinking of asking Brie to Homecoming.”

“You are?” The smile falls from my face and I feel my chest tighten. I pick up my hand and rub circles in the general vicinity of my heart to loosen up the area. I’m ignoring that his words mean anything to me. “That’s probably not a good idea.”

My tone is harsher than I mean it to be so I try to soften it. “I mean, her uncle is really strict about things like that.”

“Sure, that’s what you meant.” Scott glances at me with a sarcastic glint in his eye, and I push him into a locker.

“Stop. Brie’s like a sister and you know how I am about Susie. It’s the same thing. I’d rather not have to hurt one of my friends for breaking their hearts.”

They both give me a side eye. I shrug and roll my eyes.

“Seriously.”

“Okay,” they chorus, but I can tell they don’t really believe me.

“It was just a thought,” Jake says as we head into Homeroom.

Brianne Woodbury is nothing more to me than my little sister’s best friend. I pick on both of them equally, and am just as protective over Susie as I am Brie. There is no way that I would let anyone take advantage or hurt them.

It’s not my fault people think something differently. There is no way that I have anything more than platonic feelings for her. Period. End of story.

As the bell rings, the last thought in my head before I sit at my desk is of Brie’s scowling face when I shut her locker door. A smirk crawls on my face. Okay, so maybe I like teasing her just a tiny bit more than I do my sister. But it still doesn’t mean anything.

(Click here to read Accidentally In Love With My Best Friend's Brother!)