5. Briar
brIAR
I don’t know how to bridge the silence growing between the three of us without making it worse, but my tongue betrays me before my brain can stop it.
“I heard what you said earlier,” I blurt, the confession scraping out like shards of glass dragging through my throat. “About your uncle not supporting you.”
The broody one’s jaw flexes, and I can practically feel his irritation slice across the space to land in my chest. “Those weren’t your words to hear.”
I flinch, heat climbing up my neck to my cheeks. He’s right, but I can’t just unhear them.
“Well, for what it’s worth…” my voice dips, quieter now, and stripped of the bite I’ve thrown their way consistently. “My family doesn’t want me here either. Not at this school. Not in this city. They think I’m insane for even dreaming about it.”
The silence stretches. Then, almost imperceptibly, there is a shift. His shoulders loosen, and while his gaze on me is still heavy, it no longer packs the same judgment. It lingers instead, steady and searching, as if he’s weighing me on some scale I can’t see.
My pulse stumbles as the edge of his stare softens, the heat of newfound interest flickering low in my belly.
And just like that, I’m seeing firsthand why I keep letting myself be drawn to jerks.
All I needed was this small glimpse of softness from him and suddenly my mind wonders what else lingers beneath the broody attitude and insults.
As if I will somehow be the chosen one that is let in and can fix the jagged little pieces someone left behind in him.
His gaze holds mine a second too long, steady enough that I feel pinned in place. His eyes are darker than I realized under the streetlight, rimmed in navy so deep it’s almost black, and the intensity in them makes it hard to breathe.
I should look away, but I can’t.
Then Callum shifts on the bench, breaking the spell as he leans forward with his elbows on his knees.
The streetlight cuts shadows over the planes of his face, and there’s a spark in his bright blue eyes that says he’s enjoying himself far too much.
The edge of a grin tugs at his mouth and I preemptively roll my eyes, preparing for what’s about to come from him.
The dichotomy between these two is truly astounding.
A traitorous part of my brain whispers, “ You secretly love it. ”
“Well, isn’t this fun?” he drawls, glancing between us. “My brother is staring at you like an enigma and you are clearly enjoying it. Honestly this feels like foreplay, and I can’t say that I’m not a fan of it.”
My heart flutters at that. Hearing Callum’s perspective of the situation makes it feel more real, like I’m not just creating the scenario and feelings in my mind. It’s palpable.
“Elias never–”
“Callum.” Elias’s voice is sharp enough to cut off whatever words his brother was about to say.
Now that I know they’re brothers, the dynamic between them makes sense. I’d known they were family, as they were talking about a seemingly joint uncle, but in what capacity I was unsure.
“What?” Callum lifts a shoulder, unrepentant as his eyes gleam with mischief. “I’m just saying that you two are vibrating at a frequency that’s a little hard to ignore.”
My cheeks heat, unwanted and impossible to hide, but I roll my eyes hard enough to cover it.
“You’re insufferable,” I mutter, lacking any kind of heat to back it up.
“Guilty.” Callum’s grin widens, satisfied like he’s just won a round of an ongoing game between us.
Elias exhales through his nose, slow and measured, like he’s choosing restraint over strangling his brother in front of me. His broad shoulders shift as he straightens and crosses the short distance between us, extending a hand toward me. His palm is broad, his fingers long and thick.
“Elias,” he says simply.
My pulse stumbles in my throat as I stare at his hand for a beat, every nerve buzzing. I shouldn’t touch him or continue this conversation, knowing everything I have on the line here.
I shouldn’t want to.
But my hand lifts anyway, treacherous, and when our palms meet, the contact sears. His grip is firm and grounding, the warmth of his skin bleeding into mine until I feel it everywhere.
Heat races up my arm like a live current, and I hate the way my body leans toward it…toward him. I swallow hard, pulling my spine straighter and forcing my voice not to shake.
“Briar,” I answer in return.
His grip stays locked with mine, steady as stone, neither of us pulling away.
The night hums around us, city noise fading into a distant blur under the weight of this charged stillness.
His thumb shifts, the faintest drag against my skin, and my breath hitches before I can smother it.
Something hot and dangerous threads between us, sparking along my nerves.
“Alright, I’m cutting in before someone spontaneously combusts,” Callum says as he pushes off the bench.
His words cause Elias to snatch his hand back just before his brother wedges himself neatly into the space between us. Callum’s grin is bright enough to scatter the building tension, but his eyes do nothing to assuage my interest.
If anything, he only adds to what his brother already brought to life within me as he murmurs in a low, sultry tone, “You’ve got that dazed look, baby. Careful, or Elias’ll think he’s the only one here who can keep your attention.”
Heat prickles across my cheeks. I open my mouth to snap something back, but he leans in closer, the faint scent of cedar and spice wrapping around me in the perfect distraction. “Besides,” he adds, voice dipping, “I make a hell of a better distraction.”
The words send a spark skittering through me, lighter but no less potent. I hate the way it curls low in my stomach, how both of them are pulling me like opposing magnets.
Callum lingers close, his smug grin tugging at his lips, but Elias’s low voice cuts through before I can summon a retort.
“You know,” he says, stepping forward into view. “For all your recklessness…I respect it. Doing this alone. Most people wouldn’t have the guts.”
I blink, the compliment hitting harder than I expect. Of all the things I thought Elias would throw at me, this wasn’t one of them.
Heat creeps up the back of my neck, not from his words alone, but from the sincerity threading through his tone. He looks at me differently now, like I’m not just some spoiled girl crashing into their night, but someone who fought for a chance.
“I…” My throat tightens as I blink a few times, letting my eyes fall to the ground. “I didn’t think I’d have the guts, honestly. It was a split-second decision when I accepted the truth that I haven’t been living my life for me.”
The words hang heavy, weighty with the truth I’ve been choking on for weeks.
The rigid set of Elias’s broad shoulders seem to loosen for the first time since I met him, rolling forward slightly. “Then maybe you understand more than I gave you credit for.”
His words still echo in my head when Callum crosses his arms against his chest, his grin tempered for now.
“Hold up,” he says, voice low but laced with sudden concern. “When you say you’re doing this alone and they didn’t want you in this city…does that mean you don’t have anyone here? No family? No place to stay tonight?”
The directness of the question makes my chest tighten. I glance at him, surprised at the way his blue eyes search mine with something dangerously close to worry.
No, no, no. Remember the bright red flags from earlier, Briar?
I swallow hard, my fingers tightening on the strap of my satchel. “I’ll figure it out.”
The words come out sharper than I intend, brittle with the panic I don’t want to admit I feel at truly being alone for the first time.
Callum doesn’t flinch at my tone, though. If anything, the intensity in his gaze deepens. “That’s not an answer, baby. That’s a deflection.”
My pulse stutters. Baby. The word is beginning to feel like a casual endearment instead of a sleazy attempt at a pick-up line. It makes my stomach twist in ways I wish it wouldn’t.
My fingers stay tight on the satchel strap, but I lift my chin. “I’ll manage,” I say evenly, letting the words land like a wall between us. “I didn’t come this far just to crumble because of not having a dorm room immediately. There are hotels.”
I bury any doubt under the steadiness in my voice.
For a moment, Callum just watches me, like he’s waiting to see if I’ll crack. Then his mouth curves, a glint of something that looks an awful lot like admiration sparking in his blue eyes.
Maybe it’s for the best that we won’t be attending the same university. These brothers are dangerous for me.
The quiet hum of the city presses in, headlights sweeping over the walls surrounding the campus as cars roll past. For a moment, it feels like the three of us are caught in a pocket of stillness apart from it all.
Callum trails back to his bench, one arm draped over the top, his grin tugging back into place.
“For what it’s worth, baby, if you hadn’t sounded so sure of yourself, I might’ve offered to bring you home with us.
Not sure if dealing with my uncle or sleeping on a potential bed-bug infested mattress is worse, though. ”
The easy tease doesn’t quite mask the tension that flickers across his face at the mention of his uncle. Elias’s jaw ticks at it as well, his gaze shifting down the street.
“Speaking of,” he mutters, “the car he sent is finally here.”
The low growl of an engine drifts closer to us as a sleek black SUV glides closer to us in the parking space next to the curb. Its glossy surface reflects the glow of the streetlights as it rolls to a stop.
Neither brother moves, clearly not thrilled at their ride being here.
The rear window hums down with a mechanical slowness to reveal a man sitting inside, framed by leather seats and darkness.
The street lamps illuminate his face as he leans closer.
Silver-flecked strands shine from a head of mostly dark hair that’s combed immaculately back.
His smile is nothing like Callum’s easy grins.
It feels measured and predatory, the kind of curve that promises he already owns the air you’re breathing.
The suit he wears looks expensive, much like ones my father wears, but somehow it makes this man look more sinister than polished.
His gaze hooks into me. Pale blue eyes rake over me in one slow, deliberate pass, leaving a trail across my skin like grease I can’t wipe away.
I watch Callum's easy-going demeanor disappear in an instant. Elias's body is back to the rigid one I’d seen up until moments before, his jaw clenched and every line of him sharpened with restraint, down to his curled fists at his sides.
“Boys,” the man drawls, smooth and clearly meant to disarm. “Who is your friend?”
I can’t explain why, but every nerve in my body recoils. He hasn’t said anything offensive and remains trapped in the car, yet my instincts whisper the same thing, over and over.
Something about this man is bad.
Before I can move out of his view, Elias takes a step forward, his body cutting cleanly into the space between me and the car. His shoulders square, the dark line of him rigid and immovable, and for the first time his silence doesn’t feel sharp or condescending…it feels like a shield for me.
Callum shifts too, easy on the surface, but I catch the subtle set of his stance, the way his arm brushes mine as he walks to stand next to his brother, anchoring me behind him as well.
My pulse seems to trip, not from fear, but from the startling realization: they’re protecting me.
“Well, well,” Callum says finally, voice lilting with feigned carelessness. “What did we do to deserve you showing up in person, Uncle?”
I watch Elias’s jaw tick, his voice low and edged with his usual steel. “Guess we’re special tonight.”
The man barks out a laugh, sudden and sharp, making the hairs on the back of my neck rise. “No need to pee on your new toy, boys. She’s too young for me anyway.”
My stomach twists, bile burning the back of my throat at the thought.
The man’s voice loses all trace of amusement as he continues, “You know how I am. If the job’s important, I take over myself to ensure it gets done.
I need you both back at headquarters now that you’ve seen just how far my reach extends, and know I’m serious about this year-long trial of working for me. ”
The weight of his words hangs heavily in the night air, pressing against my ribs. Neither brother answers, but I can feel the taut energy radiating off them.
The silence that follows seems to drag out for minutes, despite knowing it’s mere seconds.
Callum’s hand reaches back to brush against mine, deliberate and fleeting as he turns to stare down at me. His grin, when it comes, is edged with a reluctant acceptance. “Well, family duty calls…as you understand.”
I nod, unsure of what to say back, only knowing a heavy weight drops in my stomach as I watch him walk toward the vehicle.
Elias lingers in front of me as the window begins to roll up. Once it’s sealed, he glances back over his shoulder, his eyes catching mine.
“I was wrong about you,” he says simply, the words low but firm. “Good luck chasing your dreams, Briar.”
Then he’s gone, folding into the dark interior of the car. The door shuts with a solid thud, and the vehicle pulls away, taillights bleeding red into the night until they disappear altogether.
I stand frozen on the sidewalk, the echo of their words tangled in the hollow ache their absence leaves behind.
For weeks I’ve clung to this chance to chase something of my own. Yet watching them vanish into that car, duty shackling them to a future they don’t want, twists a sharp ache through my chest.
Why do I suddenly feel guilty for chasing freedom when I just watched theirs being ripped away?