I Was His Bro—Now I’m the Threat / Chapter 2: Main Girl vs. Wannabe Bro
I Was His Bro—Now I’m the Threat

I Was His Bro—Now I’m the Threat

Author: Rachel Ortiz

Chapter 2: Main Girl vs. Wannabe Bro

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I smiled. “Large Americano, no sugar.”

I made sure my voice was steady, casual, like I ordered coffee here every day. The peanut gallery in my head lost it.

[Who does she think she is, just barging in and bossing the main girl around?]

[Does she think sitting there makes her special? The guy was never hers, what’s she so smug about?]

[He hasn’t even gotten with the main girl yet, and she’s here making drama. Yikes!]

The girl hesitated. “Do you want ice or no ice?”

“No ice, thanks.”

I gave her a polite smile, but her eyes flickered, sizing me up. She turned away to make the drink. The espresso machine hissed, filling the awkward silence. Guilt flashed in Ryan’s eyes. “How’d you find this place?”

I just stared at the chalkboard menu. Pretended I cared about the seasonal drinks.

He scrambled. “This is... my friend’s place.”

I stayed silent.

Ryan probed, “Layla, are you mad?”

He sounded nervous, almost boyish. I could see the gears turning in his head, trying to find the right thing to say. I just kept my eyes on the menu, letting him sweat.

“Here you go, ma’am,” the girl said, polite but chilly. “Your iced Americano.”

A pale hand set the coffee in front of me. Her nails were the same soft pink as her lipstick. She stood there, not budging.

The peanut gallery in my head went wild.

[Wow, the main girl just started liking him and the wannabe bro shows up.]

[The main girl’s heart is about to turn to ice!]

[Does this girl bro not get she’s in the way, still acting all high and mighty?]

Whatever. Let them talk.

Ryan looked at me. Then at her.

He gritted his teeth and stood, grabbing the girl’s arm.

“Emily, this is—”

“I’m Ryan’s...” I let the word hang, caught the pause in the air, and then finished, “bro.”

I let the word dangle, the silence stretching between us. Their faces both changed, the tension snapping tight.

[Oh my god, she actually said it!]

[It’s okay, supporting girl, I get you. I used to be a wannabe bro too—after getting burned, never tried again.]

[This is wild, pulling this move right in front of her!]

Under the chorus of comments, Emily’s eyes went red.

Ryan stood, flustered. “Emily, don’t be upset.”

He reached for her hand, but she pulled away. I took a sip of coffee. The bitterness made me wince. My hand tightened on the cup, grounding myself. I just tapped my phone to pay with Apple Pay and turned to leave.

The transaction beeped, the only thing cutting through the tension. I just needed to know if those comments were real. Dragging it out made no sense.

Pushing open the door, the early summer breeze hit my face.

Outside, the air hit me—fresh-cut grass, car exhaust. I took a breath, tried to clear my head. Someone caught up to me, looking ticked off.

“Layla, did you come here just to make things hard for her?”

My eyes landed on the red mark on his neck.

It was half-hidden by his collar, but I knew exactly what it was. I handed him my compact. "You missed a spot."

He froze, staring at his reflection, flustered. “Uh... must’ve been a mosquito.”

He tried to cover the mark with his collar, still fumbling to hide it. His ears turned red. I’d already turned away, letting the moment hang.

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