The Brother of My Boyfriend: A Love for Two

Dylan's fingers start to tremble as he dials Mandy's number. He sighs with apprehension after his conversation with Megan. "Hi love, sorry to call at this hour, were you already asleep?" he asks.

"I was just about to go to sleep. I stayed up studying a bit and lost track of time. And what are you doing up at this hour?"

"I thought I'd find my mom awake, but I didn't. So I sat here in the kitchen, reflecting. Before I knew it, time had passed." "Don't let it get to you because of your mom, love. She'll never stop needling me. We can't let it affect us."

"Do you know what surprised me quite a bit?"

"With what?" she asks, curious.

"With Jason. Just a while ago, I bumped into Megan. She was going to meet him for a drink. He argued with Mom." "And why did they argue?"

"Because of you," his voice changes as he responds.

"And why would they fight over me?"

"I don't know. I had no idea you guys were so close. I didn't realize."

"What do you mean by close? He's your brother-in-law, your brother. He's probably tired of seeing your mom make me uncomfortable. Today we had a very tense dinner. We were all upset."

"That might have been it. Today was quite an exhausting dinner. But still, Jason never liked getting involved in anything that wasn't important to him. That's probably why it was a surprise for me."

"My love, he's your brother. He knew the dinner was important to us. I think the argument wasn't about me, it was about you. You two are very close, maybe he wanted to help, I don't know." "You're right, love. I'm getting paranoid, it must be the excitement of today. I'll let you sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Likewise, I love you."

"I love you too. Good night, and see you tomorrow."

"Good night."

Dylan receives a call from Mandy, but after their conversation, he decides to end the call abruptly. He becomes intrigued and suspicious upon realizing that his brother supported Mandy, despite not having a close relationship with her.

Megan arrives at the gate and notices that Jason is acting differently than usual, which worries her. She approaches him and asks if he's had any alcohol. Jason, with a slightly disconcerted expression, admits that he has. Concerned for their safety, Megan asks Jason to get out of the car and take the wheel. She accompanies him to the passenger seat and settles into the driver's seat. Jason, a little reluctantly, complies and settles down next to her. Now, Megan carefully adjusts the mirrors and puts on her seat belt. She glares at Jason, annoyed that he drank before going to pick her up. She drives to Jason's apartment for fear that he'll wake everyone up with his loud talking. Jason looks at Megan, visibly drunk, and starts talking in a disconnected way. "Megan, I love you. Please don't do the same thing that... That little girl did to me. She used me and then said that she was going to be with him. That they're going to get married."

Megan, surprised and worried, widened an eye and asked him urgently, "Who are you talking about?" She began to question Jason, trying to understand the situation.

Jason tried to concentrate, his voice still heavy with alcohol. "Let me talk, I'm already talking too much," he stammers.

When they arrive at the apartment, Meghan puts her hands on Jason's shoulders, helping him up. His hands rest on her shoulders, seeking balance.

When they reach Jason's apartment, Megan encourages him to enter. Firmly, she says: "Now, Jason, I need you to tell me. Who are you talking about? I want to know

Jason, still visibly drunk, asks Megan:" Stop shouting, keep it down, I'm on your side..." He looks at her with misty eyes. "I love you, Megan," he says, still completely under the influence of alcohol.

Megan replies with determination: "Jason, don't make me angry. I want you to tell me now... Who cheated on you? Who just used you? Who's marrying who? I want you to tell me now..."

Jason ends up dropping Mandy's name. "Mandy, is that what you wanted to hear? It was her... She used me... And now she's getting married..." Tears begin to run down Jason's face. Megan looks at Jason, her expression changing to one of shock.

She turns pale, not knowing what to say. After a few seconds in silence, she speaks firmly: "Go to the bathroom now... You need to take a shower. And we need to get this alcohol out of you. Then we'll talk seriously."

Megan accompanies Jason to the bathroom, helping him in. She puts him in the shower, even though his clothes are still wet. Jason sits on the floor of the shower, letting the water fall over him, while Megan watches, worried.

As Megan watches the water fall on Jason, tears start to flow from her eyes. The confusion in her mind is palpable, mixing with the anger growing inside her. Her best friend betrayed her, knowing that Megan was falling in love with Jason and that Jason was involved in all this with his brother.

Megan leaves the bathroom, leaving Jason alone, and goes into the kitchen. She prepares a strong, bitter cup of coffee, trying to control her emotions.

About five minutes later, Jason appears in the living room. He has a towel wrapped around his waist and another in his hands, drying his hair. "I've got a headache," he says.

Megan looks at him, her eyes full of tears, and responds with a mixture of frustration and concern. "From the amount of cachaça you've drunk..."

Jason shifts his gaze to the corner of the sofa next to her and begins to speak sincerely. "I'm sorry, I know I've been a bad boyfriend to you." He tries to caress her, but Megan pulls her hand away Jason, not understanding, asks, "What happened?"

She gets up from the sofa, her eyes fixed on him, and asks with intensity: "What happened? You just confessed to me that my best friend only used you, and now she's getting married, and you started crying. Are you in love with Mandy?" The question comes out of his mouth with urgency.

Jason looks at her, stunned and speechless. Meghan insists, her voice trembling: "Tell me now, tell me that you're not doing this, that you're not staying with my best friend, knowing that we're dating and that she's going to marry your brother. Tell me you're not one of those assholes."

Jason looks at Megan seriously and says: "Sit down, I need you to calm down. I've got a bad headache, and your shouting isn't going to solve anything." Megan obeys, sitting down and staring at him. She begins to speak:

"I just want you to tell me the truth. Our relationship, even though it was short, was based on the truth. You've always been this flirtatious guy, and from the beginning, you made it clear to me that you weren't one to fall in love. But you told me that you would do everything possible to make it work. And that's what made me like you, your sincerity. So now I expect you to be honest with me."

Tears begin to form in Megan's eyes. Jason looks at her and begins to speak, choosing his words carefully: "I like you. And I don't want to hurt you. I don't know if you know, but you probably know, Mandy must have told you. The first day I was here, I came to my brother's house, but my brother didn't sleep at home. He had some things to do at work and... I was lying on his bed, and she ended up mistaking me for him. So some things happened because she thought it was my brother. And since that day, I haven't been able to stop thinking about Mandy. Sometimes I kept it to myself. Because I didn't want to be one of those assholes. I didn't want to hurt my brother. My brother is my best friend."

He pauses, swallows dryly, and continues: "And... And it turned out that the day Mandy and I were stranded on the island, we stayed. But please, before you say anything, it was at my insistence. And she kept demanding it. It wasn't supposed to happen, but we were alone on an island and... I think I put too much pressure on her. E... I think I like Mandy. But that's an impossible thing, something I need to forget. She's going to be with my brother, and I can't hurt my brother. That's why I want to try it with you, Megan. You're an amazing girl. We have the same vibe and the same tune. And I don't want to use you to get over someone. I have to get over this person. And if you don't want to, I'll understand. All I ask is that, please, you don't say anything to my brother or my mother. I think... My brother couldn't bear it. He loves Mandy too much."

Megan listens intently, her expression serious. She takes a deep breath before speaking: "Really, your brother loves Mandy too much. Your brother does everything for her. And now you're telling me that she's stayed with you. Look, please, I like you. But I need some time to think. I need time to digest everything you're telling me. And you can rest assured that I won't... Say anything to... Dylan. Because he doesn't deserve it. You... I can understand you being a guy who wants to be a catch, but Mandy, man... Mandy's never been able to do that. And she knew I liked you because I talked to her. And now you're telling me this."