Between Us Was My Brother

Chapter 3

Lila woke up to the smell of coffee.

For a few seconds, she stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Then reality returned.

Ryder was living in the house.

The thought immediately made her pull the blanket over her face.

This was going to be a long summer.

After a few more minutes, she forced herself out of bed and headed for the shower.

By the time she came downstairs, the morning sunlight was pouring through the kitchen windows.

Lila had changed into a comfortable cream-colored lounge set that hugged her figure without being too fitted. Her dark hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her skin still held the fresh glow of sleep.

She looked effortlessly beautiful.

Unfortunately, she had no idea.

She walked into the kitchen.

And nearly walked straight into Ryder.

"Oh!"

Ryder stepped aside just in time.

"Careful, Princess."

Lila pressed a hand against her chest.

"You almost gave me a heart attack."

"I'm standing in my own kitchen."

She blinked.

Then narrowed her eyes.

"Your kitchen?"

"For now."

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Lila hated how unfairly attractive that grin was.

Ethan looked up from the table.

"There she is."

"Good morning."

Ethan pointed his fork at her.

"Where are you going looking like that?"

Lila frowned.

"Looking like what?"

"Like you're about to star in a commercial."

Ryder glanced up briefly.

The little girl he remembered was definitely gone.

Lila had grown into a beautiful young woman.

Confident.

Graceful.

Nothing like the child who used to follow Ethan and his friends around.

Still, the thought passed as quickly as it came.

To him, she was still Ethan's little sister.

"Ignore him," Ryder said.

"I try," Lila replied.

Ethan threw a napkin at him.

Breakfast continued with the usual chaos.

At one point, Lila reached for a piece of toast.

Only to discover Ryder had stolen it first.

"Seriously?"

"You were too slow."

"It was on my plate."

"It was on our table."

"Our table?"

Ryder nodded.

"Sharing is important."

Lila stared at him.

"I don't think that's how sharing works."

"It does when I'm hungry."

Ethan nearly choked on his coffee laughing.

By the end of breakfast, Lila was already exhausted.

And it wasn't even ten in the morning.

---

Later that afternoon, the house became busy again.

People drifted in and out as they always did during summer.

Lila was sitting on the back porch scrolling through her phone when Rebecca arrived.

Rebecca looked stunning.

A fitted blue sundress highlighted her figure perfectly, and her blonde hair shone beneath the sunlight.

She spotted Ryder immediately.

Of course she did.

"Ryder!"

Ryder looked up from where he was helping Ethan sort through a pile of tools.

"Rebecca."

She smiled.

"You didn't answer my message."

"I was asleep."

"For twelve hours?"

"I was tired."

Rebecca laughed and sat beside him.

Close enough that anyone watching would notice.

Lila looked back down at her phone.

Unfortunately, she could still hear them.

"You've gotten boring."

"I've gotten older."

"Same thing."

"No, it isn't."

"It is."

Ryder shook his head.

Rebecca bumped her shoulder lightly against his.

The gesture looked natural.

Easy.

Like something she had done a hundred times before.

Lila hated how much that bothered her.

A little while later, one of Ethan's friends joined the conversation.

Then another.

Soon the entire group was laughing.

Rebecca sat comfortably beside Ryder the whole time.

Like she belonged there.

Lila told herself she was being ridiculous.

Rebecca wasn't doing anything wrong.

Neither was Ryder.

But that didn't stop the uncomfortable feeling sitting in her chest.

---

An hour later, Lila volunteered to run a small errand for Ethan.

Mostly because she needed a break.

When she returned, she noticed something unexpected.

Across the street, Mrs. Wilson stood beside a broken fence.

The elderly woman looked frustrated.

Then Ryder appeared.

Without being asked.

Without making a big deal out of it.

He took the hammer from her hand and started helping.

For nearly forty minutes.

No audience.

No praise.

No attention.

Just helping.

Mrs. Wilson smiled the entire time.

By the time he finished, she hugged him.

Lila watched from a distance.

The sight made something warm settle inside her chest.

People loved talking about Ryder's bad-boy reputation.

The motorcycle.

The tattoos.

The smoking.

The trouble.

They never talked about this.

The side of him that quietly helped people when nobody was watching.

---

That night, the house finally became quiet.

Ethan had gone to bed.

The guests had left.

Even Rebecca had gone home.

Lila lay awake staring at the ceiling.

Sleep refused to come.

With a sigh, she slipped out of bed and headed downstairs for water.

The house was dark.

Silent.

She filled a glass and took a drink.

Then she noticed light coming from the back porch.

Curious, she walked toward it.

Ryder sat alone outside.

A cigarette rested between his fingers.

The orange glow briefly illuminated his face.

He was staring into the darkness.

Not smiling.

Not laughing.

Not joking.

For the first time since his return, he looked tired.

Really tired.

As if he were carrying something heavy.

The floorboard creaked beneath her foot.

Ryder looked over.

For a second, surprise crossed his face.

Then a faint smile appeared.

"Can't sleep?"

Lila stepped onto the porch.

"Apparently not."

Ryder glanced at the empty chair beside him.

Then back at her.

The silence stretched between them.

Quiet.

Comfortable.

Different from before.

And for the first time since Ryder had returned home, it felt like they weren't standing on opposite sides of a crowd.

It felt like they were simply two people sitting beneath the stars.

Neither of them knew it yet.

But that conversation was about to change everything.