The Brother of My Boyfriend: A Love for Two
Chapter 31

Jason walks into the kitchen and grabs two bottles of water, offering one to Mandy while she lies on the sofa, catching her breath. "Do you want some water?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," she replied.

"Look, Mandy, I know you were upset that I brought Megan here, but she's my girlfriend and you're my brother's girlfriend. Let's not blur the lines any further than they already are," Jason confides.

"I know I might have overstepped, but you made it seem like this place was special for both of us. Maybe I misunderstood," she justifies.

"I did say it was special. I had never brought anyone here before you. But do you remember when I asked you to stay, you told me to bring Megan, and that's what I did. I can't put my life on hold for someone who's with my brother. Maybe it's best if we forget everything that happened," he explains.

"Once again, you use me and then suggest it's better to forget. Okay, Jason, maybe you're right. This won't work. The two of us, it's a mistake. And in the end, Dylan will suffer. We can't do this to him. I'd better leave," she says. "Don't do this, Mandy. I already feel like a total jerk for doing this behind my brother's back. I didn't use you. I genuinely enjoyed being with you. It was all very sincere. But this can't and shouldn't happen again," he pleads. "Okay, Jason, I understand. I'm leaving."

Before Jason could say anything, Mandy got up and slammed the door shut.

Mandy left Jason's apartment, her steps heavier than ever. The corridor, a silent and empty passage, seemed to echo her sadness.

As she reached the elevator, she pressed the button somewhat impatiently. While waiting, Jason's words echoed in her mind, a painful repetition. "We can't, Mandy... Because of my brother..."

The elevator doors opened, revealing a mirror reflecting her weary face. She stepped in, pressed the button for the lobby, and the doors closed again, isolating her in a temporarily private space.

Upon reaching the lobby, Mandy felt a lump forming in her throat. The security guard greeted her with a friendly smile, but she could hardly respond.

The revolving door of the building opened before her, revealing the world outside, but everything seemed distant and blurred. She walked away, moving along the sidewalk with slow steps, lost in her thoughts and the weight of the reality she now had to face alone.

Mandy raised her arm at the edge of the sidewalk, signaling for an approaching taxi. The red and yellow lights of the vehicle cut through the late afternoon, and in a few moments, the car stopped in front of her.

She got into the taxi and gave her home address. The driver nodded and set off, taking her through the city as the evening lights passed swiftly.

As the taxi continued on its way, Mandy picked up her phone and unlocked the screen. A flood of messages awaited her. They were from her mother, worried and anxious.

The messages piled up: "Where are you, Mandy? Is everything okay?" "Why aren't you responding? I'm worried!" "Please, tell me you're safe!"

Mandy's heart tightened. She felt a mix of gratitude and guilt. It was comforting to know that her mother cared so much about her, but she also felt bad for worrying her so much.

She typed a quick response, promising that she was okay and that she would explain everything soon. She put her phone back in her pocket, gazing out of the taxi window, lost in thought as the city continued to pass by.

---

An hour had passed since Mandy left Jason's apartment. When she arrived home, her mother was waiting, concerned and anxious. "Daughter, did something happen? I sent you several messages. You sent me a message saying you're okay. I got really worried. I just didn't call Dylan so as not to worry him," Mandy's mother said.

Mandy responded, a bit irritated, "Why do you always want to control me all the time? If something had happened, you would know. Give me some peace. You want to control every step I take, what I do, what I don't do. I'm already an adult woman. Just because I live in your house doesn't mean you get to control me."

Mandy's mother widened her eyes, not understanding why her daughter was so upset. At that moment, Mandy's father came home from work and overheard the argument. He asked, concerned, "What's going on here?"

Mandy looked at her father and poured out her feelings, "Your wife is always messaging me to know where I am, who I'm with, what I'm doing. I need a bit of privacy, I need some peace." "Look at how you talk to your mother, young lady. Is this the education we gave you?"

Emotions overwhelmed Mandy, and she couldn't hold back her tears, rushing to her room.

Mandy's mother looked at her husband and said, "I'll go talk to her. She'll have to explain to me what's going on."

Her husband looked at her with understanding and replied, "My love, let me talk to her. I'll go upstairs, have a conversation with her, and then I'll tell you what happened." Franco went upstairs, worried about the situation, determined to understand what was going on with his daughter.

Franco stood in front of Mandy's bedroom door and gently knocked three times. "May I come in? Daughter, we need to talk," he said in a calm voice. Mandy remained silent for a moment and then replied, "Come in, Dad, you can come in." Franco entered and turned his back to close the door. He looked at Mandy and asked, "May I sit here?" She nodded, and he sat at the edge of the bed, but before doing so, Mandy said, "Can you?"

He settled in and began to speak with a gentle tone. "Daughter, I know your mother sometimes goes a bit overboard. She calls you all the time and sends many messages, but it's because you're the only daughter we have. I know it can be suffocating, but it's her way of showing how much she loves you."

Franco continued, revealing a secret he had never shared before. "We never told you, but when you were little, we almost lost you. You had a very severe pneumonia, and the doctors said you probably wouldn't survive. Your mother suffered a lot, and stayed by your side all the time, without sleeping, praying to God to save you and take her in your place. Thank God, you got better."

He went on, explaining the fear they had felt when Mandy was stranded on the island with Dylan's brother. "That shook your mother. She's afraid that something might happen to you, and she won't be there to protect you. Please, don't speak to her in that manner."

Upon hearing everything her father said, Mandy responded, "Dad, I'll apologize to her. I'm going through a difficult time in my life, a lot is going on. Dylan's engagement proposal made me nervous, even though I think I'm ready. Plus, the final exams of the semester and being close to his brother... It's a lot."

"Adulthood is like that, my daughter, a challenge every day. When the exams are over, you'll see it wasn't as daunting as it seemed. You've been doing well. As for Dylan's engagement proposal, we knew this would happen sooner or later. He loves you so much, he's a good young man."

She looked at her father with eyes full of understanding and remorse. "I know I shouldn't have acted like that, Dad. I'll try not to lose it with everything that's happening. I'll apologize tomorrow, I was wrong."

"Come here, hug your dad, come. I want you to know that we love you, and you can talk to us about anything," he said, hugging her.

"I know, Dad. Thank you."