Hi, Brother of My Ex

I used to be the ex-girlfriend Leo claimed he was just having fun with.

Then, his younger brother, James, spotted me in a club and roped me into playing his fake girlfriendall to make his childhood crush jealous.

That kiss in the VIP room was supposed to be a show for the crush, but it landed right in Leos line of sight.

Right in front of James, Leo emphasized the word "sister-in-law," chewing on it like it was a bitter betrayal.

"Don't recognize me? Sister-in-law."

Inside the club.

I was carrying a tray of drinks across the dance floor.

The moment I turned around, someone grabbed my wrist.

I looked down.

The guy looked early twenties. Striking features, with eyes that were bright and completely feral.

"You'll do," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Let go."

"You need money."

"Are you psychic now?"

"Would you be working here if you were rich?" He tilted his head.

I didn't argue. My bank account was sitting in the double digits, and rent was due in three days.

"And your point is?"

"Play my girlfriend. One month. A thousand bucks."

I laughed out loud. "Did you hit your head on the way in?"

He let go of my wrist and pulled up a photo on his phone, shoving it in my face.

"Her. Michelle," he said. "I've asked her out 999 times, and she always shoots me down."

"I want her to know I can get a girl too." He paused, his eyes lingering on my face for a second. The tips of his ears turned a suspicious shade of red.

"Plus, you're prettier than her. By a lot."

I smirked. "Then go find a real girlfriend."

"Too much work." He said it like it was a universal truth. "A fake one is easier. When it's over, we go our separate ways. Clean."

I sat down, giving him a slow once-over.

His ears turned even redder. "What are you looking at?"

"Seeing if you're worth my time." I curled the corner of my lip. "A month is too long. Three appearances, max. A thousand bucks, paid upfront."

"Are you robbing me?"

I made a move to stand up.

"Deal!"

He added my number. The name popped up on my screen: James Vance.

The next day, James sent me an address.

When I got to the lounge, I sent him a voice note: "Hey babe, I'm here."

He replied instantly: "Don't talk like that!!!"

Three minutes later, he walked out of the lounge and just stared at me, dumbfounded.

"Look good?" I blinked innocently.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

I slid my arm through his. "Let's go, boyfriend."

His entire body went rigid like a coiled spring.

The girl from the photo was definitely the center of attention in the private booth.

When she saw us walk in arm-in-arm, her eyes locked on me.

"And this is?" She scanned me from head to toe.

James tried to play it cool. "My girlfriend."

One of the guys started hollering. "Holy shit, James! Since when? You never said a word!"

"Recently." James kept stealing glances at Michelle out of the corner of his eye. "Love at first sight."

Michelle smiled tightly. "What should we call you?"

Everyone looked at me.

I slowly slipped my jacket off.

The slip dress underneath left very little to the imagination.

I rested my chin on James's shoulder, smiling sweetly at Michelle. "You can just call me a little older and wiser."

James completely froze.

Michelle blinked. "You're older than James?"

"Doesn't matter." I turned my head, letting the tip of my nose brush against James's ear. "What matters is he likes it. Right, babe?"

James's ear was hot enough to fry an egg on.

"...Yeah."

The vibe in the booth shifted instantly.

"I'm gonna get some air," I said, standing up. I leaned in and whispered in James's ear, "Keep up the act."

Out in the hallway, I leaned against the wall and pulled out a cigarette.

Footsteps echoed from the end of the hall.

I looked up by instinct

The cigarette dropped from my lips.

Leo Vance.

His features were even colder than I remembered.

He stopped in his tracks.

Then, he smiled.

It was a smile that chilled you to the bone, like a bitter November wind.

"Long time no see."

I picked up the cigarette, held it unlit between my lips, and said nothing.

He stepped closer, reached out, and plucked the cigarette from my mouth, snapping it in half between his fingers.

Then, his eyes dropped to the thin straps of my dress.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

"What are you doing dressed like this in a place like this?"

"Meeting a guy," I laughed. "Is my ex-boyfriend trying to play chaperone?"

His eyes darkened, like ink swirling in a glass of water.

Right then, the door to the booth swung open behind me.

An arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me backward into a solid chest.

Then, a soft pair of lips landed clumsily on the corner of my mouth.

Someone inside yelled, "Holy shit! James, you're actually doing it!"

Before I could even process what was happening, another force violently yanked James away.

James stumbled back, looked up, and saw Leo. He froze. "Leo? You made it?"

My brain flatlined.

Leo's gaze moved slowly from my face to James.

The corner of his mouth twitched into a dangerous smile.

"And who is this?"

"My girlfriend!" James puffed out his chest, sounding entirely too proud of himself. "Gorgeous, right?"

Leo's eyes dragged deliberately from my lips down to the spot on my shoulder where James's hand had just been.

"Sister-in-law."

He chewed on the word, spitting it out like it tasted like poison.

"Hey there," I blinked at him innocently. "Brother-in-law."

Leo's breathing hitched.

"Wait, you two know each other?" James frowned, his eyes darting between me and his older brother.

"Never met her."

"Nope."

We spoke at the exact same time.

Leo didn't look at me again. He pushed past us and walked straight into the booth.

James leaned in close, dropping his voice. "Are you sure you don't know my brother?"

"Positive." I flipped my hair over my shoulder and smiled at him. "What, afraid I'm sleeping with him behind your back?"

"No" He scratched the back of his neck. "It's just... the way he looked at you was weird."

"What kind of weird?"

"I don't know how to explain it." He thought for a second. "It was like... he wanted to tear someone to pieces."

"You're overthinking it." I looped my arm through his, pressing myself against his side. "Let's go back in."

He didn't move.

He looked down at me, a strange look in his eyes.

"Were you... acting a little too real back there?"

"Isn't this what you paid for?" I looked up at him, my eyes crinkling in a smile. "Babe, I'm a professional. If you pay me, you get the premium package."

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he turned his face away.

Bright red.

I laughed to myself. Kids are so easy to read.

When we walked back into the booth, Leo was already seated. The only open spot was right next to him.

I sat down beside James, melting against his side like I had no bones.

His arm stiffened for a second before he slowly relaxed, his hand tentatively resting on my waist.

Leo didn't stop drinking, but his jaw clenched so hard a muscle feathered in his cheek.

My phone buzzed.

I looked down.

A text from an unknown number:

"Do you enjoy parading around half-naked in front of other men?"

I didn't reply.

Delete. Block.

Then, with a bright smile, I picked up a piece of fruit on a toothpick and held it up to James's mouth. "Say ah, babe."

James looked like his soul was leaving his body. He took the toothpick from my hand and whispered, "Can you... tone it down a little?"

"Tone what down?" I leaned in close, letting my breath ghost over the shell of his ear.

He practically shrunk into the sofa, nearly knocking the fruit platter onto the floor.

I couldn't stop laughing.

When the night finally ended, James stood outside the club, struggling to find the right words. "You were really good tonight. Michelle looked like she wanted to puke."

"Thanks for the glowing review."

"But," he paused, "I still think my brother was acting weird around you."

"Is that so?"

"Though I heard he just got dumped by his girlfriend recently, so maybe he's just in a bad mood."

"Right, right. He's probably just jealous of you," I brushed it off.

"Oh, wait." I suddenly remembered the stunt in the hallway. "You kissed me without my permission tonight."

James looked like a deer in headlights. He whipped his head away, his ears burning crimson.

"They were calling me a liar! I had to prove it!"

"That wasn't part of the base package, honey."

He immediately pulled out his phone and hit send on a transfer.

A notification popped up. Ten grand.

I stared at the screen, genuinely shocked. "Are you always this reckless with your money?"

James tilted his chin up, trying to sound tough but just sounding defensive. "Are you saying my first kiss isn't worth ten grand?"

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing. "Alright, well, this girl needs her beauty sleep."

As I turned to walk away, I could feel his eyes glued to my back.

But I could feel another gaze, too.

Piercing down from the second-floor window of the club.

Heavy, suffocating, like it was trying to nail my feet to the pavement.

Once I was in the cab, my phone buzzed again.

A new number.

"See you soon."

Ten seconds later, a second text came through, as if he was intentionally giving me time to panic.

"Ex-girlfriend."

The second act happened sooner than I expected.

James texted me: "Party tonight. Michelle's going to be there. You need to come."

He followed it up with: "Maybe keep it low-key tonight. After you left last time, my brother didn't say a single word for the rest of the night. It was terrifying."

I was lying in bed, holding my phone above my face. I smirked.

"Low-key? Go hire someone else."

He replied instantly: "NO WAIT! WEAR WHATEVER YOU WANT! PLEASE COME!"

Then, another transfer hit my account. One grand.

I accepted the money and sent back a blown-kiss emoji. "Good boy. Mommy will take good care of you tonight."

"Witch!"

I tossed my phone aside, laughing, and started digging through my closet.

I finally settled on a deep burgundy velvet mini dress. It completely exposed my collarbones, so I paired it with a microscopic gold chain holding a single ruby pendant that rested right on the edge of the neckline.

If I walked out in this, forget the childhood crushI could make a priest break his vows.

This VIP room was even bigger than the last one, complete with a private karaoke stage and a full bar.

When I walked in, it was already packed.

"The queen arrives!" the same guy from last time hollered. "James, your girl is insane. Every time she walks in, it looks like a red carpet."

James grinned like an idiot, throwing his arm around my shoulder and pulling me down onto the sofa next to him.

Michelle was sitting directly across from us, her makeup flawless but understated.

"Want to sing?" Michelle offered the microphone, her smile tight.

I took it and picked a song.

When the chorus hit, I turned around and sang directly to James.

My eyes locked on his, my voice low and breathy, like I was whispering a secret just for him.

I reached out, tracing a finger from his collar down to his jawline, giving it a playful tap.

James sat up so straight it looked like someone had shoved a steel rod down his spine. His ears were practically glowing red.

When the song ended, the room was dead silent for three whole seconds before anyone clapped.

"So, how did you two get together?" Michelle asked, her voice dangerously quiet.

James was taking a nervous gulp of water and practically choked on it.

I answered for him. "At a club. He grabbed my arm and wouldn't let me leave until I agreed to go out with him."

Michelle's smile slipped for a fraction of a second. "Really?"

"Yep." I turned to look at James, reaching out to trace his jawline again. "He was so cute that night. Like a stubborn little puppy. I just didn't have the heart to say no."

James coughed violently, almost spitting water everywhere.

"I need to use the bathroom." He scrambled up and bolted.

Michelle watched him run away, then looked back at me. She took a slow sip of her drink and didn't say a word.

But the temperature in her eyes had dropped below freezing.

"I'm going out for a smoke." Leo stood up abruptly from his dark corner of the booth.

When he said it, his eyes were dead set on me.

My phone buzzed.

"End of the hall."

"Come here."

I ignored it.

Three minutes passed.

"Don't make me drag you out here."

I let out a soft laugh, downed the rest of my drink, and stood up.

Leo was leaning against the wall, a cigarette pinched between his fingers.

I tilted my head, looking up at him.

He took a step forward, boxing me in against the wall. He didn't touch me, but his scenttobacco and something dark and expensivecompletely engulfed me.

I instinctively held my breath.

"Are you done playing your little game?"

"Who's playing games with you?" I gave him a mock innocent look.

His eyes traced a slow path from my lips down to the ruby resting on my chest. He paused for a beat.

Then he reached out, his thumb and forefinger gripping my chin, tilting my face up to force me to look at him.

"If you need money that badly," his voice dropped to a low, dangerous rumble, "you can come to me."

I smiled, but the warmth didn't reach my eyes. "Leo, whatever we were, it's been over for a long time."

His Adam's apple bobbed. "You vanished. You didn't leave a single word."

"Because there was nothing left to say."

I closed my eyes for a second, the memory washing over me. Standing outside the men's room at that club, hearing his voice drifting over the sound of running water

Mia? I'm just having fun with her.

The laughter. The clinking glasses.

I had turned around and walked out.

No tears. No dramatic confrontations. I never looked back.

"Mia." His lips were inches from my ear. "You owe me an explanation."

I pushed his chest hard.

"An explanation for what? Why I dumped you?"

I smoothed an invisible crease on my skirt, keeping my voice light and completely detached.

"Because you were boring, Leo. Being with you was a chore."

His eyes turned lethal, like polished obsidian daggers.

I didn't back down.

We just stood there, locked in a silent war.

Suddenly, voices drifted from the other end of the hall.

"It's not what you think"

James and Michelle.

I turned my head.

Down the hall, James was chasing after Michelle.

Michelle's eyes were red, her voice trembling. "You've been confessing your feelings to me since we were kids. I never said yes because I was never sure if you were actually serious."

"Of course I was serious before!" James looked frantic.

"James, do you even realize what you just threw away?" Michelle looked up at him, a single tear rolling down her cheek, looking perfectly fragile. "I was actually planning on saying yes. On your thousandth attempt."

James froze, completely stunned.

"Don't cry. I... I just wanted you to notice me. I..."

The words died in his throat, like he was choking on them.

Michelle stared right at him. "If you were single right now, and I said yes... what would you choose?"

James went completely silent.

I leaned back against the wall.

Smart girl.

She didn't demand that he dump me. She dangled the prize he had wanted his whole life in front of his face, forcing him to make the choice himself.

No matter what he said, she got to play the tragic victim.

Leo stepped up right behind me.

He lowered his head, his lips grazing my ear. "Enjoying the show?"

I ignored him.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry, sir! Let me clean that up!"

A waiter rushing past with a cart had accidentally sloshed a few drops of red wine onto Leo's crisp dress shirt.

The commotion made James and Michelle look over.

They saw me and Leo. He was standing so close his body was practically wrapped around mine.

James's face went from confused, to shocked, to absolutely furious.

"Mia!"

He sprinted down the hall, grabbed my arm, and yanked me behind his back, glaring daggers at his older brother.

"Back off, Leo."

The faint trace of amusement completely vanished from Leo's face.

"Excuse me?"

James pushed me further behind him, guarding me like a junkyard dog.

"I saidstay the hell away from my girlfriend!"