The Brother of My Boyfriend: A Love for Two

"Judith, Mandy's mother, left the room, leaving her alone. Mandy receives a call from Dylan, worried that she didn't return to the apartment after college. "Hello, Love?" he says.

"Hey, baby," she replies.

"Did something happen? Jason said he offered Megan a ride, but you didn't want to come back to the apartment."

"Nothing happened, I just need to study a bit and wanted to spend some time with my parents, that's all."

"Are you sure? Your voice sounds a bit sad. If something's bothering you, just tell me."

"I'm fine, baby. It's just because of that, and I didn't want to spoil their romantic moment."

"When did this romance happen? Because he seems quite excited about her, and he's not usually like that," he laughs as he speaks.

"On the day he picked me up, they met. I don't know how he got her number, I just hope he won't hurt her," she says.

"My angel, you know Megan has the same outlook on life as my brother, so don't worry, they'll understand each other."

"I hope so because he's not very reliable," she speaks her mind.

"What do you mean he's not reliable?" he asks.

"Oh, nothing, love, just a figure of speech. You know how men are," she evades.

"You've never lied to me, and you know that's not like you. So, don't try to do it now," he presses.

"You're right, forgive me. The other day, when we watched a movie, he brought a woman to the apartment, and I got so angry that I ended up making her believe we were a couple just to get her to leave," she confesses anxiously. "You two a couple? (he bursts into laughter) It must have been hilarious, Jason's face. I think even if we didn't know each other, you'd never fall for Jason. He's not like me. I can't remember the last time he fell in love with someone. He has to be with women like Megan, who live life without labeling relationships."

"Are you telling me he's never been in love?" she asks curiously.

"Only in adolescence. He had a girlfriend, her parents were friends with ours. But at 16, she was diagnosed with cancer and died a year later. He was crazy about her and suffered a lot. After that, he changed a lot, started drinking, going to parties, and showing up at home weeks later, until my dad decided to send him to study in Canada. He couldn't stand seeing Mom suffering, afraid that Jason might end up dead. That's why sometimes I understand him because I wouldn't know how to live life without you," he's emotional as he speaks.

"Wow! It must have been tough, not just for him but for the parents, to lose a daughter so young. I can't imagine living without you either, love. Just thinking about it makes me panic," she says.

"Let's change the subject. Nothing is going to happen. We still have a lot of time ahead of us to be together, build our dreams, get married, have children, and grow old together," he speaks passionately.

"Yes, a wonderful life we're going to have. You could come over for dinner tonight, my mom is making your favorite lasagna, and I miss you already."

"I love my mother-in-law, and her lasagna even more. Of course, I'll come, love. I'm also dying to see you. But for now, I need to hang up, I have to finish the new project. See you later, I love you." "See you later, and good work. Kisses on the corner of your smile."

Dylan hangs up, leaving Mandy even more pensive about Jason. It's a mixture of pity and other emotions she can't quite understand herself. She only knows one thing: Jason is on her mind much more than she'd like, and that frightens her.

Mandy lies down on the bed for a while and checks her social media. Opening her Instagram, she notices a message notification from Megan. Upon opening it, there's a photo of Megan in a hot tub with Jason. The purple LED light in the background indicates they're at a motel. That photo of them kissing in the tub makes Mandy angry. She starts talking to herself.

"Why am I angry about this photo? He means nothing to me, I shouldn't care about this. Besides, I just want Megan to be happy. But why am I feeling bad about this? My God, please get this out of my head," she says, placing her hand on her head, lost in thought.

Mandy decides to call Megan and check if everything's alright, but to her surprise, Jason answers and even leaves the call on so she can hear how he pleasures Megan. "Hello, friend?"

"Hello, sis-in-law," Jason answers.

"What the hell are you doing with Megan's phone?" she asks.

"She went to get a drink for us, and I saw it was you, so I answered."

"There's something called privacy. You have no right to answer her phone," she says, irritated.

"Okay then, I'll hang up to respect her privacy. Bye, sis-in-law, if I remember, I'll tell her you called," he mocks.

"You're insufferable! Go get Megan, I need to talk to her," she retorts.

"And you're Mrs. Perfect. I already told you she went to get a drink. Now leave me alone," he hangs up.

Jason places the phone on the bedside table and doesn't end the call.

"Hello, Jason, Jason, say something, you... darn it, he's leaving me on the line," she mutters.

Mandy starts to hear Megan's voice talking to Jason. She stays quiet, hoping he'll mention she's on the line.

"I brought a Gim for us. Were you talking to someone?" She hands him the drink.

"I wasn't talking to anyone. I was going to put on some music, but I decided to wait for you to come back."

While he makes up an excuse on the other end of the line, Mandy listens in, saying, "What a sneaky liar. Now I'm 'no one'."

As she continues to listen, she hears a sound that suggests they're kissing and continues to eavesdrop attentively.

"You have such a delicious kiss," Jason says.

"Yours isn't too shabby either. But we can do more than just kiss," she teases him.

"I like women like you, straightforward."

"Life is meant for us to enjoy," she whispers in his ear.

"That's the way I like it," he responds."