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thirty-three

Chase

The sound of a door slamming echoes through the space of my home, breaking the quiet that had settled in as soon as I got home after the grueling, long day.

I didn’t have time to look up from where I sit on the couch that I’m sitting on before Ethan storms in, his face red and jaw clenched, clutching his phone tightly as if it’s a weapon that he’s going to throw my way.

“What the hell is this?” Ethan demands, shoving his phone in my face.

On the screen are a few blurry photos — Me and Skylar, I’m pressed against her, about to kiss her. I’m leaning against my car in a parking lot, laughing with her hand on my arm. It looks innocent enough, but it could also be taken out of context.

I sigh, bracing myself. “It’s exactly what it looks like,” I say, my voice calm but firm.This is when the truth is coming out. I brace myself.

His voice rises. “You said you would stay away from her! I told you — she’s off-limits. This is how you repay me, after everything I’ve done for you?”

I stand, my tall frame towering over my best friend, but his expression remains steady.

“You mean all the times that you have micromanaged me? My life? Dictated who I can and cannot talk to, who I date, or if I date? You can’t tell me who I can and cannot care about.

I haven’t talked to you about who I date in years.

That wasn’t something that was going to change.

And just because you demand something, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

You’re my agent, my friend. And as childish as this sounds, you’re not the boss of me.

Or hell, anyone for that matter. That’s bullshit.

So yeah, thanks for everything you’ve done for me. My eyes are truly open.”

Ethan narrows his eyes, his anger morphing into something sharper.

“Don’t twist this around on me. Everything that I’ve done for you has been in the best interest of your career.

She’s my sister, Chase. You think I’m going to let you screw up her life?

You’re a ballplayer, not a saint. And you don’t get to waltz into her world just because you’re bored and lonely.

You don’t get to play around with her, toss her aside, and not think about the consequences. ”

My jaw tightens, but I don’t back down. “Skylar isn’t a kid anymore, E.

She’s not yours to control. And for the record?

She’s the one who makes me feel like I’m more than just a ballplayer.

She sees me, E. Not the fame. None of what you said is at play here.

Not the paycheck. Me. When’s the last time you gave her some damn respect? ”

Ethan’s lips parted as if to fire back a snarky response, but he stops short, thrown by the weight of what I just said to him.

“You don’t get it,” Ethan says, his voice dropping into a softer tone, but no less defensive. “She’s been hurt before. I’m trying to protect her.”

“And did you ever think, in doing that, you’re suffocating her?” I shoot back. “You think you’re protecting her, but all you’re doing is pushing her away. She can fight her own battles. She’s a grown woman, Ethan. You need to trust her.”

Before Ethan can respond, another voice cuts through the tension in the room like a whip.

“Exactly!” Skylar says.

We both turned to see Skylar standing at the doorway, arms crossed, her expression a mix of anger and exhaustion, as it was clear that she had been listening to our argument.

“Sky,” Ethan starts, but she stops him by holding up a hand.

“No, I’ve heard enough,” she says, stepping further into the room.

“You’re always so quick to decide what’s best for me, Ethan.

But did it ever occur to you that I do not need your protection?

That I am capable of making my own decisions?

Chase knows about my past relationships; he knows what you did for me then.

And yes, I’m thankful, but that was then, when I was lost and didn’t know what to do.

This is not how it is now. When I’m happy. ”

“Sky, it’s not like that,” Ethan says, his tone softening, shaking his head.

“It is like that,” she said, her voice rising. “You are a good brother, and thank you for wanting to protect me. But I am a grown adult. I’ve taken care of myself thus far in my life. Why do I need your permission suddenly to live my life?”

I glance at her, pride filling my chest as I watch her stand her ground.

“Sure, I’ve been hurt before, but who hasn’t?

It’s part of loving people. It’s part of being in relationships.

Some stay and some go. It’s all part of the experience.

Thank you for being there for me back when I needed it.

You are a great brother. But you need to know when to stop.

And I’m asking you, please stop. Let me live my life.

Let Chase live his. Wouldn’t it be better for me to be with your best friend, someone that you love and trust, over a stranger that you have to put the fear of God in to see if he will become the man you think I should be with? ”

Ethan looked between us, his walls crumbling.

“This thing between us,” I say, stepping closer to her, but with my eyes on her brother, “it’s not fleeting.

” I look at her, “There will be no third-act breakup with us. We’re continuous, we’re forever, I want us to be forever.

And if there’s anyone in this world that you could trust with your sister, it should be me.

I care about her, and I’m going to take care of her, and that person should be me. ”

“You’re not going to lose either of us,” Skylar says, wrapping her arm around my waist. “But you have to let us be who we are. I love you, Ethan. Nothing is going to change that. But you have to trust me to handle my own love life.”

The room is thick with silence. Ethan rubs a hand over his face, sighing in frustration. “This is going to take some time getting used to,” he mutters.

Skylar removes her arm from me and steps closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. Just… try, for me.”

Ethan nods reluctantly, glancing at me with a mix of frustration and resignation, points his finger at me, “you better not screw this up.”

I smile, holding up my hands in mock surrender. “I’m not planning on it.”

The tension in the room eases slightly, though the weight of the conversation still lingers. Skylar smiles at me, and for the first time, Ethan doesn’t stand in the way.