For a moment, no one said anything.
The words "Faye's boyfriend" just hung there between us, slicing through the air. I stared at him, then at her, trying to make sense of what I'd just heard.
Boyfriend?
Faye's eyes darted to the floor. Her hand gripped the edge of the couch cushion, knuckles pale.
"Boyfriend?" I finally repeated, my voice lower than I intended.
Daniel shifted, clearly feeling the weight of the silence. "Yeah," he said, offering a small, uncertain smile. "I'm Daniel. You must be her brother. She talks about you a lot."
I didn't respond right away. My mind was still catching up. I reached out and shook his hand, mostly because it would've been weird not to. His grip was firm, steady. Mine wasn't.
"Right," I muttered. "Her brother."
Faye forced a small laugh, awkward and brittle. "He came over to help me study. For the entrance exam," she said quickly.
My eyes flicked to the coffee table — no books, no papers, no laptop. Just a half-eaten bowl of popcorn.
"Yeah?" I said. "Looks like you're putting in a lot of effort."
Her smile faltered. "We were taking a break."
Daniel, either oblivious or trying too hard, grinned. "We were watching that movie you hate, remember, Faye? The one you said was so bad it's good?"
She laughed lightly, but it sounded forced. I didn't laugh at all.
I folded my arms, leaning against the doorframe. "How long have you two been… together?"
"Harry," she said, a warning buried in my name.
But Daniel answered anyway. "Almost four months."
Four months.
The number rang in my head, echoing until it turned into something else — something heavy.
Four months. The entire time she'd been calling, coming over, acting like she couldn't breathe without me.
I forced a small nod, pretending it didn't matter. "Huh," I said quietly. "Didn't know that."
Daniel glanced between us, clearly catching on to the tension. "Uh, I should probably head out," he said, reaching for his jacket. "I'll see you tomorrow, Faye."
She stood quickly, walking him to the door. I stayed where I was, hands shoved into my pockets, jaw locked. Their voices dropped low, but I could still hear the soft sound of her laugh.
Then the door clicked shut.
Silence.
When she turned around, she looked unsure — like she didn't know which version of me she'd just find.
"Harry, I was going to tell you," she said.
"When?" I asked, my voice low. "After I walked in on you two?"
"It's not a big deal," she shot back, frowning. "He's my boyfriend, not a criminal."
I let out a hollow laugh. "Yet you hid the fact that you were dating."
She didn't answer.
"Does mom and dad know?"
"Why do they have to know everything I do? I'm not a kid, a lot of my friends have boyfriends. What's so wrong about that? It's not like I let it Interfere with my studies."
"What's so wrong? You barely know him."
"He went to the same high school. I think I know enough," she said. "You don't have to approve of everyone in my life."
Her words hit like a challenge, and before I could stop myself, I said it.
"Is this why you moved out of the house? Is this why you wanted to live with me? So you could have the freedom to date?"
Her eyes widened. "What? No. You know that's not why."
I honestly thought I did. I thought she was here because she couldn't live without me.
Had I been deluding myself?
I laughed under my breath, a bitter sound I didn't recognize. "I don't know anything right now."
She took a step toward me. "Harry—"
But I couldn't think straight. Finding out she had a boyfriend felt like a punch I hadn't seen coming. Anger twisted with something uglier, something I didn't want to name. Because deep down, I knew I had no right to feel this way. No right to be jealous.
And yet, I was.
My voice came out harder than I meant. "If this is why you came here, Faye, then maybe you should go back home."
She froze, her expression crumpling. "What? Are you kicking me out?"
"I'm saying," I said tightly, "I'm responsible for you as long as you're staying in my house."
Her brows drew together. "And what does that mean?"
"It means," I said, staring straight at her, "you either end it with your boyfriend, or you go back home."
"Harry—"
I didn't let her finish. I grabbed my keys and walked out before she could say another word.
The door shut behind me, but the noise in my head didn't stop. By the time I reached my car, it was deafening. I sat there, gripping the steering wheel, breathing hard.
She had a boyfriend.
A normal, harmless thing. Something any brother should be fine with. But I wasn't. I was unraveling.
She had never seen me as anything more than a brother — and here I was, losing my damn mind because someone else touched what I could never have.
The realization hit like a crack down the middle of my chest.
What the hell was I even jealous of?
I didn't have the right. And I never would. Because Faye was my sister.
I leaned back in the seat, staring at the roof of the car, feeling sick.
I needed to stop this — whatever this was. For both our sakes.
Even if it meant hurting her.
Even if it meant sending her back home.
So that's what I decided.
I'd send Faye back.
Before I crossed a line I couldn't come back from.