17. Brooklyn
CHAPTER 17
brooklyn
I wasn’t blind. I saw the way they looked at each other when they thought no one was watching. The lingering touches, the private smiles, the electricity that filled any room they were both in. My brother and stepsister were in love, and I was caught in the middle of this beautifully messy situation.
Walking into Carlos's office this morning was like stumbling into a scene from a romance novel. Sebastian had Maxine backed against the desk, her hands in his hair, his fingers tracing her jaw like she might break. The morning sun had painted them in gold, and the intensity between them was almost painful to witness.
Now, I paced my room, replaying all the moments I should have noticed earlier. The way Sebastian's voice changed when he talked to her—softer, warmer. How he positioned himself between her and Dad during arguments, like a shield. The way Maxine's eyes followed him across every room, like he was her true north. Those ‘coincidental’ meetings in the stables at dawn that I pretended not to notice.
The Christmas party last year—God, it was so obvious then. Jason Cooper had asked Maxine to dance, and Sebastian practically crushed the crystal glass in his hand. I'd never seen my brother lose his cool like that. He'd disappeared to the stables for an hour, and Maxine had followed shortly after. I'd covered for them, telling Mom they were checking on a sick horse.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. "Brook?" Maxine's voice sounded hesitant, almost scared.
"Come in, Romeo's sister," I called out as I flopped onto my bed. "Or should I say Romeo's girlfriend?"
Maxine slipped in, her face flushed. She was still wearing the same blue dress from the board meeting, but her hair was loose now, falling around her shoulders. "About what you saw?—"
"Save it." I patted the spot next to me. "I've known something was up for months. Sit. Talk. Spill everything."
She sunk onto my bed, twisting Carlos's locket between her fingers—a nervous habit she'd had since his death. "I don't even know where to start."
"How about with how long you've been kissing my brother in empty offices?"
"That was the first time," she whispered, and the vulnerability in her voice made my heart ache. "But the feelings... those have been there for a while. Since before my dad died. I’ve tried so hard to ignore them."
I took her hand and squeezed. "You know this is going to be complicated, right? With Dad trying to take your shares and your mom... Plus the whole stepsibling thing isn't exactly going to win you any fans in this town."
"I know." She looked at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Are you... are you disgusted? Do you hate me for this?"
"What? No!" I pulled her into a hug, feeling fierce and protective. "Max, you're my sister in all the ways that matter. And Sebastian... I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. Like you're the sun or something equally poetic and gross. He's different with you—better."
A laugh bubbled out of her, shaky but real. "He makes me feel safe," she whispered against my shoulder. "With everything happening with the company, with your dad... Sebastian's the only solid ground I have left besides you."
The door creaked open, and Sebastian poked his head in. His face was stormy—Dad must have really laid into him. There was a red mark on his jaw that looked suspiciously like someone had been crying against it.
"Get in here, lover boy," I called out. "We're having a family meeting."
He closed the door behind him, raising an eyebrow at our position on the bed. "So... this isn't the angry sister confrontation I was expecting."
"Please"—I rolled my eyes—"I've been watching you two since last Christmas. You practically had a meltdown when Jason Cooper asked Max to dance."
"I did not have a meltdown," Sebastian muttered, but his ears were red.
"You broke a glass."
"It slipped!"
"You disappeared to the stables for an hour."
"I was checking on Storm."
"Sure, you were, big brother. Sure, you were."
Maxine looked between us, a small smile playing on her lips. "You were jealous of Jason Cooper?"
The way they looked at each other made my chest tighten. It was real what they had. Messy and complicated and real. Sebastian moved closer, drawn to her like gravity, and I could see his hand twitching to reach for hers.
"Okay, ground rules," I announced, breaking their moment before they forget I was here. "No making out where Dad can catch you. No sneaking into each other's rooms when I'm trying to sleep—these walls are thin. And for the love of God, please let me know if you need a cover story. I'm tired of making excuses for why you're both mysteriously missing from family dinners."
Sebastian took a seat on my other side and pulled me into a headlock. "When did you get so wise, little sister?"
"Someone has to be the adult here." I squirmed away, fixing my hair. "Just... be careful, okay? Both of you. Dad is on the warpath about these shares, and if he finds out about this..." I let the sentence hang.
"He won't." Sebastian's voice hardened, and the protective brother I knew so well emerged.
"And my mom..." Maxine said with a detached bitterness. "She wouldn’t even care what this means to us—just what it could get her. If she ever found out about this..."
I watched as Sebastian's hand found hers, their fingers intertwining like they'd done this a thousand times. Maybe they had. Maybe I'd been blind to more than I thought.
"Well"—I stood up and headed for the door—"I'm going to give you two some privacy. Try not to defile my bedroom."
As I walked out the door, I heard Maxine's quiet laugh and Sebastian's low murmur. Just as I was getting ready to pull the door closed behind me, I saw him pull her close and press his lips to her forehead. It was such a tender gesture, so full of love and protection, that my throat tightened. I was so happy for them, finding love among the turmoil.
For now, that was enough. It had to be.