CHAPTER FIFTY: MY BROTHER'S GIRLFRIEND'S BROTHER
What is it that my brother sees in her? I mean, I give her that—she has natural beauty. But still…
As she came closer, she released a bright, wide smile.
"Hey, babe! You came!" she exclaimed, giving my brother a quick hug before turning to me. "And who is this cute damsel here? Your sister?" She came closer and squeezed my cheek.
I wanted to slap her hand away, but my brother reacted instantly, holding her hand gently but firmly. "She doesn't like that!" he said with a smile.
"Oh… sorry!" she said immediately, a little embarrassed. "But I can't help it. She's just so cute. I'm already imagining how she'll look when she's your age."
"Someone as fine as me!" my brother boasted confidently.
"Nah, more beautiful than you… You're handsome, yes, but she'll definitely be more beautiful than you when she's your age," she said, shaking her head and disagreeing with him.
"Now, I am hurt!" my brother said dramatically, touching his chest as if she had just wounded him.
"Sorry, babe! I can't help admiring your sister. My brother must marry you someday so I can call you my sister-in-law," she said without hesitation, already concluding our hypothetical future.
Gosh! I hadn't even spoken yet! They hadn't even given me a chance to say anything. Marry her brother? I barely know her! I haven't even dated anyone yet, and someone is talking about me marrying her brother?! Come on!
"Gosh! I can't believe you ignored me here. If we marry, she can be your sister-in-law too," my brother said, sounding somewhat displeased.
"But it isn't the same. I just want her in my family as well," she squeaked, almost pleadingly.
I stayed quiet, silently observing the banter.
"By the way, I'm Vivian," she said at last, turning to me with a bright smile.
"Nice to meet you, Vivian," I said softly, still trying to process the whirlwind of conversation and teasing between her and my brother.
"Are we going to stand outside all day?" my brother complained, already tired of standing.
"Oh, sorry! Let's go inside… I even made Jollof rice—I'm sure you'll love it," she said with a smile, leading us into her house.
As we entered, I immediately admired the interior. Her house was lively and colorful, decorated in primary colors, unlike my own, which was mostly sparkling white and silver everywhere except for my room, painted light yellow.
The first room we entered was the sitting room. Beside it was the dining area, complete with a four-seater dining table. To the right of the dining room was a door that I assumed led to the kitchen. On the left side of the dining room was a long staircase, all complementing the house's vibrant, cheerful atmosphere.
The living room immediately caught my attention. I felt almost at home there. And then… I spotted Samuel.
The same Samuel I had met at Chapel the other Sunday, the one I had befriended. What was he doing here? Was he her brother, or just a family friend?
He was sitting on a chair, looking handsome and focused, eyes glued to something on his phone. He hadn't noticed us enter.
"Samuel, stand up! Didn't you notice I came in with people?" Vivian called sharply, clearly annoyed at his lack of attention.
I didn't see it as rude; he was simply engrossed in his phone. But the way she said it made me pause.
Samuel jolted, looking up from his phone. "Gosh, you scared me!" he said, closing whatever app he had been on.
"Samuel, look who I brought," Vivian said proudly.
"Yeah, yeah, your boyfriend, like you said," he muttered as he picked up his laptop, seeming ready to leave.
"And his sister," Vivian added, finishing her sentence.
"Sister?" he asked, turning toward me. "Floral?" His surprise was evident.
"You know her?" Vivian asked, a mix of happiness and curiosity in her voice.
"You didn't tell me your boyfriend is Francis," Samuel said to his sister, walking closer to me.
"I told you several times, but you chose not to listen," Vivian sighed, sitting beside my brother.
"When all you ever talk about doesn't interest me," he muttered, giving me a quick hug. "Goodness, I'm glad to see you!"
"And…" he turned to my brother, who was listening quietly to Vivian's whispers. "…what on earth did you see in my sister?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and giving my brother a mock-irritated look.
Just as if he anticipated my reaction, he dragged me upstairs to his room.
"You should thank your stars that my boyfriend is here to save you from me beating you," Vivian said with a sigh, as if relieved I was being whisked away.
Samuel set my things on the desk and exhaled deeply. I couldn't help but admire how neat his room was—unlike my cousin's, which was always messy. His space was simple, boyish, and well-kept.
"At last! I finally get to see your face before school starts. Do you live around here?" he asked, pointing to the sofa beside him for me to sit.
"No, not exactly. My brother drove for a few minutes from our place," I shrugged, still holding my phone tightly. It was my first time being in a boy's room, especially a friend's.