The Runaways

My brother and I are professional simps.

Hes obsessed with a cold, ascetic CEO. Ive been secretly in love with the citys brooding Crown Prince for years.

Then, the news broke: both of our crushes were getting engaged to other people.

My brother and I stared at each other in silence for a long time. Then we ran away.

Later, hiding out on a tropical island, we were tracked down by two very angry, very powerful men.

Thats when I found out my idiot brother had posted a status update right before we fled:

[Me and my sister are off to start our new life together. Incest is wincest! Bye, losers!]

1
When I heard Julian was getting engaged, my brain short-circuited.

I thought I was prepared for this. I knew he was out of my league. But when the day actually came, I realized I couldn't lie to myself anymore. It hurt.

Maybe it was because wed gotten closer recently. Just last week, we went to a symphony together.

It was his favorite orchestra. I begged a friend for tickets and nervously asked him if he wanted to go. I even had a speech prepared: If you don't want to go with me, you can take the tickets and go with someone else.

But Julian said yes.

I was floating on pink clouds. I did my makeup, wore my best dress, and memorized facts about Mozart.

And then... I fell asleep.

I had been too excited to sleep the night before. Ten minutes into the second movement, I was out cold.

Not just dozingI was drooling on Julians shoulder for a solid thirty minutes.

If the applause hadn't woken me up, I probably would have started snoring.

I looked at Julian, mortified. He was rubbing his shoulder.

"I am so sorry... is your arm dead?"

"It's fine," Julian laughed, looking amused. "Not dead yet."

We walked out of the concert hall. Just as we reached the exit, someone called his name.

A gorgeous girl ran up to us. "Julian! It really is you!" She looked thrilled. "Are you here alone?"

"Hey, Chloe." Julian gestured to me with his chin. "I'm here with her."

Chloe looked at me with bright, curious eyes. "Hi! Are you Julian's girlfriend?"

My brain, still foggy from the nap, rebooted slowly. Julian didn't say anything. He just looked at me.

I decided honesty was the best policy.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Just a friend."

Julians expression didn't change.

Chloe didn't press. Instead, she turned back to Julian. "Did you drive? My ride bailed halfway through. Can you drop me off? We live close anyway."

Ouch. They were close.

Julian looked down at me. "Is that okay?"

Chloe looked hopeful.

"Sure," I said. "Of course."

"Okay then." Julian started walking. "Let's go."

"Wait" I called out. "I just remembered I need to stop at Target. You guys go ahead."

I didn't need anything from Target. I just didn't want to be the third wheel in his car.

Julian stopped. His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Are you sure? You're okay with me taking her home alone?"

"Yeah, totally!" I waved, pretending to be breezy. "Bye!"

"Right." Julian turned around. Before he walked away, he dropped one last sentence.

"Sarah, you're very generous."

I had a feeling I messed up. After that night, his texts were cold. I didn't know how to fix it, so I stopped texting first.

Then came the engagement news.

I bought a six-pack of beer and sat in my backyard, trying to drown my sorrows like a character in a sad movie.

Halfway through the second bottle, a voice boomed behind me.

"HOLY SHIT!"

My brother, Sam, looked horrified. "You're drinking?! Did you forget graduation night when two glasses of wine made you puke on my shoes?"

Me: "..."

Sam continued, "What could possibly be this bad? Don't tell me you're heartbroken over Julian getting hitched!"

Me: "..."

Me: "Yes."

Sam: "..."

2
I'm Sarah. My brother is Sam.

We are three years apart. We have a lot in common.

We are both pathetic simps.

Hes chasing Adrian, a stoic business tycoon. Im chasing Julian, the wealthy heir to a real estate empire.

Our second commonality: We both like men.

Yes, my brother is gay.

When he came out, our parents almost had a stroke. Thankfully, Sam has been a chaos agent since birth, so their tolerance was high. They eventually accepted it.

My mom looked at me with deep concern. "Sarah, are you also..."

"No, Mom," I said. "I'm just like Sam."

Mom grabbed her chest. "You're a lesbian too?!"

"No! I mean, I also like men."

Mom put down the Xanax.

Our third commonality: We are terrible at dating.

Im shy and slow. Sam is a flamboyant butterfly. Hes been throwing himself at Adrian for months, but Adrian is an iceberg.

Different methods, same result: Failure.

Sam sat next to me. "Forget him! There are plenty of fish in the sea. I'll find you some hot guys!"

"No," I said. "Your hot guys are all gay."

"Not all of them!" Sam paused. "Okay, most of them."

"No."

"Why are you so stubborn?" Sam started trash-talking Julian. "He's not even that great! He looks polite, but he's actually a manipulative sociopath! Haven't you heard of 'white on the outside, black on the inside'?"

I defended my crush. "Oh, and Adrian is better? He's just an ice cube. Black on the outside, black on the inside."

Sam flicked my forehead. "Hey! I'm trying to comfort you!"

I ignored him.

"I told you your method wouldn't work," he lectured. "You're too subtle. You make him homemade sandwiches and say you bought them. You go to boring galas just to see him, hide in a corner, and wait for him to say hi first."

Me: "..."

"You have to be direct! Like me!"

"But you failed too," I whispered.

"At least Adrian isn't engaged!" Sam shot back.

Ouch. I checked my phone.

A text from my best friend, Zoe.

Zoe: Sarah! Big news! That tycoon your brother is obsessed with? He's getting engaged too!

Zoe: What is in the water? Is there a BOGO sale on engagement rings?

Zoe: Is your brother making fun of you? Roast him back!

I looked at Sam.

He shivered. "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Are you... pitying me? You got it backward, sis."

I kept staring.

Sams smile faltered. "No..."

I nodded. "Yes."

Sam grabbed his phone. He typed furiously. Five minutes later, he put the phone down, eyes glassy.

"Pass me a beer."

I opened one for him. "Sam, are you okay?"

"Don't comfort me."

"I wasn't going to. I was going to say thanks. I feel much better now."

Sam flipped me off.

We drank in silence.

"Sarah," Sam said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

He looked like a mad scientist who just had a breakthrough.

"Kid, let's run."

"Huh?"

3
"Run where?"

"A private island in Southeast Asia. No visas needed. We disappear for two weeks. No phones, no heartbreak. Just sun and booze. What do you say?"

I had vacation days saved up. Sam was a freelancer.

It sounded... perfect.

"Let's do it."

Sam booked the tickets immediately. "We leave the day after tomorrow!"

But I was weak. Before we left, I wanted to see Julian one last time.

I heard he was attending a charity gala. I put on a dress and went.

As usual, I hid in a corner, scanning the room like a creeper.

Five minutes in, Julian walked in. He looked like a Greek statue in a tuxedo.

I shrank back into the shadows.

Was his fiance here? She must be so happy.

The thought made my chest ache. I decided to leave before I saw them together.

But I got caught.

"Sarah?"

It was Kyle, one of Sams friends.

"Kyle," I smiled weakly.

"Here alone? Where's Sam?"

"He's not here."

"Heading out?" Kyle noticed me edging toward the door. "I'll give you a ride. I'm leaving too. Just let me say bye to someone."

Before I could refuse, Kyle walked off.

I looked around. Julian was gone.

"Who are you looking for?"

I spun around.

Julian was standing right behind me.

He always did this. He always found me.

"No one," I lied. "You're here."

He smiled. "I am."

"Are you... alone?" I asked carefully.

"Yes," he said. "Who else would I be with?"

The words Where is your fiance? stuck in my throat.

I reached into my purse and pulled out a small box. "This is for you."

"What is it?"

"A tie clip."

I had bought it weeks ago. If I didn't give it to him now, I never would. It was custom engraved with his initials.

Julian opened it. "Thank you. I like it."

"Do you want to try it on?"

"Sure." He handed it back to me.

Me: "?"

"Aren't you going to put it on me?"

He stood there, chest out, totally natural.

I hesitated, then stepped closer. My hands shook as I slid the clip onto his tie.

I looked up. He was staring down at me.

"How does it look?"

My heart was drumming against my ribs. "Good."

He smiled.

I was mesmerized.

"Sarah?" Kyle was back. "Ready to go?"

"Bunny?" Julian interrupted. (Note: My family nickname).

His smile was polite but terrifying.

"It's my nickname," I explained quickly.

"Ah. You two must be close if he knows your nickname."

Julian was smiling, but the air felt cold.

"He's my brother's friend."

Kyle extended a hand. "Kyle. Nice to meet you."

Julian shook it. "Julian."

I felt like I was suffocating. "Kyle, let's go."

Julian looked at me. "Kyle?"

He was turning into a parrot.

"I'm leaving now," I said.

Julian didn't speak.

"Oh," I took a deep breath. "Happy engagement."

I whispered it.

Julian frowned. "What did you say?"

I didn't have the guts to repeat it. I grabbed Kyle and ran.

When I got home, Sam was drunk.

"Went to see Julian again? You sneak."

I didn't deny it.

"You never learn," he sighed. "Still a coward. No wonder he's marrying someone else."

"You went to the bar again?" I countered.

"Yep."

"You never learn," I shot back. "Still a slut. No wonder Adrian is marrying someone else."

Sam: "..."

4
We flew out the next night.

Waking up to the crystal blue ocean helped.

Sam was thriving. Within two days, he knew every bartender on the island.

I sat on the beach and stared at my chat history with Julian. Three days. No messages.

Sam snatched my phone. "Stop looking at him! Look at the menu! I found you some options."

He swiped through photos of hot guys he'd secretly taken.

"This one is rich. This one is foreignpractice your English!"

"No," I pushed him away. "You keep them."

"You think I don't want to?! They're straight!"

Sam sat down next to me. The sea breeze rustled the palms.

"Sam," I said softly. "Don't be sad."

"Sad? Me? Ha! I'm a catch. Adrian is blind."

"Yeah. He is."

Sam looked at me like I was possessed. "Did you tell Mom I killed her succulent?"

"No. I mean it."

People think Sam is a player. But I know the truth. He flirts with everyone, but he's only ever loved one person. Adrian just couldn't see past the glitter.

Sam sighed. "Let's go to the bar."

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