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He studied the email briefly before glancing at me with a knowing smile.

“There’s no mistake.” He said. “I referred you.”

I wanted to pinch myself. None of this seemed real.

“How?” I asked. “I never submitted that painting.”

“You didn’t, but someone did on your behalf.”

I felt a mixture of awe and disbelief. Who would do that?

“Do you know who?”

“Mr. Hart.” He said. “He was adamant you were perfect for the internship.”

Joshua.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I couldn’t contain the bubble of joy. Joshua vouched for me. He believed in me. He loved me.

I thanked Mr. Lombard before sprinting out of the gallery. A jubilant cry escaped my lips once I was alone, and I wiped away the tears of joy. I couldn’t believe Joshua did this for me. He recognized the importance of this internship to me and witnessed my frustration when it didn’t happen. Perhaps I had judged him too harshly. Why would he have done all of this if he didn’t love me?

??

As I stepped through our front door, I saw Noah in the kitchen. However, as I got closer, I took in the scene before me. He had an ice pack pressed against his knuckles. There was tension etched on his face.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice filled with concern.

I hadn’t seen him since the party last night. For a moment, he hesitated, his eyes flickering with guilt and defiance.

“I punched your boyfriend.” He admitted, his voice filled with regret.

My heart skipped a beat, and my mind reeled with disbelief and confusion.

“Why?” I asked, my voice trembling with fear and anger.

He sighed and slumped over the counter as he pressed the ice pack harder against the split skin.

“Are you seriously going to ask me why?” He said, his shoulders slumped. “He treated you as if you were some kind of object.”

I felt conflicted because Noah defended me, but I was also surprised. He’d never played the protective older brother role before. He never needed to. With a heavy heart, I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

“Thank you.” I said. “For looking out for me.”

We didn’t speak after that, just stood in the kitchen as our shared burden weighed heavily on us. I wanted to tell him what Joshua had done for me, despite the earth-shattering revelation of the bet. It’s as if I wanted to eradicate his wrongdoings, all in the name of his selflessness. Deciding it was best to let Noah spew his anger, I headed for my room, but his voice beckoned me.

“What are you going to do about Asher?”

I bit my lip as my swirling thoughts made me feel lightheaded.

“I don’t know.” I said, sighing in resignation. “I might pretend last night never happened.”

Noah frowned, his bushy brows furrowed in concern.

“It’s not that simple.” he said, his voice gentle but insistent. “The guy publicly declared his love for you.”

The reality of the situation sank in with painful clarity. I’d been trying to push the memory down, but no matter how hard I tried, it floated to the surface. I knew ignoring the issue won’t make it go away, but it was less terrifying than approaching the situation head-on.

This wasn’t just a love triangle between two guys vying for my affection. They were brothers. Twins. How would I ever forgive myself if I got between them?