3. LUKE
Chapter 3
LUKE
Three months ago , at Declan’s wedding, I watched in emotional turmoil as my brother and Dele danced and laughed together. She wore an elegant orange dress that screamed sexy, accentuating every sleek curve of her body. The side slit, exposing her thigh, was killing me, and the more I watched her synchronize dance moves with Osei, the more it gnawed at me. Each time our eyes met, I just gave her a brief nod and quickly looked away, acting dismissive, as if I wasn’t staring. But even as jealousy churned in my stomach, its grip grew tighter with every hug Osei gave her, his arm possessively wrapped around her. I’ve always protected Osei, but just that once, I wanted to break his arm.
“You going to drink yourself to death, or start throwing literal daggers at them?” Declan said to me, breaking my thoughts. I turned to him, flashing a grin I hoped looked real.
“Not working,” he replied, seeing through my fake smile.
“I’m having fun at your wedding, bro,” I lied. “You and Anne are a beautiful love story.” I wanted that too. I could have had it with Dele, but she was Osei’s girl. They were laughing like they were in their own world, his arm casually draped around her.
“Not sure I can say you’re having fun with the way your eyes are laser-focused on the woman Osei is dancing with.” Declan declared.
“Whatever, man,” I muttered, taking another sip of my hard liquor. I was edging dangerously towards being drunk, far beyond tipsy. Even as I kept telling myself not to look at Osei and Dele, I kept failing.
“I’ve never seen you like this. You need to let her know, before you drink yourself into a coma,” Declan said, his concern now painted on his face.
“She’s Osei’s girl.”
He looked over at them and back at me.
“I don’t think they’re together,” he said, shocking me.
“They are together,” I grumbled. I’d known since the night I kissed her, and three weeks after that balcony kiss, when I couldn’t shake thoughts of her. I followed him to drop off her lunch, and he introduced her to me as “his favorite girl,” that moment hit me like a hammer to the chest.
My scowl at the way he grinned at her only made me not want to touch her at all. So, when he introduced her, I muttered “hello” and ignored her offered handshake. Instead, I took out my phone and pretended to answer an imaginary call, snubbing her hand completely.
Osei shot me a death stare, but I’d rather he be upset with me than I touch her and I couldn’t control what happened next. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Osei hugging her, whispering something that made her smile and kiss him on the cheek. She nodded, heading back to the hospital without a second glance, but of course, I glanced at her ass and felt a stir. Fuck!
Osei didn’t let it go. He told me how much he disliked me for acting pompous and annoying with his girl. His words, “Dele is special to me,” are something I would never forget, tearing through me as we drove to his place. He slammed my car door when I pulled up to his building. His anger didn’t stop me from paying for the teardrop diamond earring Osei wanted to buy for her birthday two weeks later, which, to my surprise, was also his birthday. I didn’t like knowing they shared a birthday and were born in the same year. I paid for his watch, making him believe that paying for her earrings was my apology to him. The truth was, I didn’t want him to give her a precious gift. I wanted to give her that gift.
I’ve avoided her like the plague and any talk about her, while torturing myself with images of her in his arms. The few times he mentioned her name—and believe me, Osei made sure not to mention her name around me since our formal introduction—was painful.
I’ve accepted that it’s probably for the best that he’s tight-lipped about the depth of their relationship. I told no one about the kiss we shared at the Halloween party. I should be upset about the fact that she’s with my brother and kissed me, a total stranger. Somehow, I find it impossible to dislike her or be upset with her for kissing me while dating my brother.
“I don’t know, but I doubt they’re together. Close, maybe, but I doubt they’re together,” Declan interrupted my rambling thoughts.
“How can you say that?” I challenged him, as if he must be blind, or so in love with Anne that his eyes weren’t working properly.
“Well, call it the fact that I can see or read these things. Now, watch,” he said.
I followed his gaze. “Osei’s hand on her is carefully placed. If he were dating her, he wouldn’t be so careful. His hand would be on her ass,” Declan succinctly stated.
He’s right. Why didn’t I see this before? I know my hand would be on her ass if she were my girl. I’ve been so consumed with them seeing each other, and my brother being tight-lipped about their relationship, that I’ve been suffering in silence.
“I suggest you make your move soon because that song they’re happily dancing to is a forever love song. And I’m sure my wife is looking for me.” The words barely left his lips when Anne showed up, pulling him to dance to the song.
Since the wedding, I’ve tried to find out more about Dele. Osei, as always, wouldn’t provide any information. His usual line of shutting me down was, “You don’t like her, so you don’t need to know about her.” I usually nodded, sometimes asking myself how he’d feel, if he only knew the truth. I told myself not to involve Bruce, the security intel in our group. He’d surely ask questions that I can’t answer.
Now, with Osei planning to marry her, it’s time I made my move. It’s a situation of act now or forever hold my wrath, because there won’t be peace for me if Osei marries Dele. I refuse to imagine her pregnant with his child. It will certainly kill me, or I’ll have to kill my brother. Devastation will come regardless of the choices, if I don’t act.