Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 22

(Cylan's POV)

I sighed in relief, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Thanks, Ellen. I just feel like I need help in the dating game, especially... in here."

Ellen chuckled. "You don't need it, Cylan. You're rich, after all. You're Cylan Cooper."

I rolled my eyes, laughing. "That's not going to help me with dating, Ellen."

Damn right I was Cylan Cooper, and that came with its own set of privileges. But when it came to love, I was just as clueless as the next person.

I sighed.

"Besides, I'm not even sure I still have claim to the Cooper name," I said, a hint of bitterness creeping into my voice.

Ellen's eyes brow shot up as she looked at me. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice soft but probing.

"My parents," I said finally, "are threatening to disown me if I don't denounce being gay. I'm not sure I even have an inheritance anymore."

Ellen's face darkened, her eyes flashing with anger. "What? That's ridiculous," she exclaimed. "They can't do that to you, Cylan. You're their daughter, no matter what."

I shrugged, resigned. "They can, and they will. They're stubborn, Ellen. And they're willing to do whatever it takes to get me to conform to their expectations."

Ellen's face was red with anger. "That's not right, Cylan. You deserve so much better than that."

I smiled wryly. "Thanks, Ellen. But I'll be fine. I've been dealing with this for a while now."

Ellen sighed. "You'll be fine, really. You're their only daughter, after all," she said. "They'll come around eventually."

I smiled, even though I didn't believe a word of that. My father had let me know that I was indispensable right from when I was young. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually did disown me. She had always been there for me, no matter what. "They want me to marry some guy," I said, my voice laced with disgust. "The first son of the Lloyd family. An arranged marriage, Ellen. Can you believe it?"

"What? That's... that's crazy.

interests, I guess. The Lloyd family has a lot of influence and power, and my parents think that marrying

so archaic. And what about your feelings? Don't they care about what

course not. I'm just a pawn in

construction or something? I think I've heard of them.

They're a big deal in the industry, and my parents think

to go through this Cylan.

"Thank you."

stood up. "I have to be somewhere, Cylan. But I'll talk to

up to hug her goodbye. "Thanks, Ellen.

accepted me for who I was. I sat back down, my mind racing with thoughts of Emily and my parents and everything in between. But for now, I just focused on the feeling of peace that had settled

....

(Unknown POV)

felt uneasy in her stomach. She got into her car and sat there for a moment, trying to process her emotions. She had always

her forehead on the steering wheel. She thought about all the times she and Cylan had spent together, all the laughter and tears they had shared. She realized that she

Cylan. She wanted to be honest with her, to let her know how she was feeling. "Hey, I've been thinking... the fact that you felt like you needed to ask me before seeing someone else shows that I'm still really involved in your life. Alex had said

want to apologize if I've been giving you mixed signals, that I was still interested in you. I mean, I will always love you but not like that. I know I've been around a lot lately, and I don't want you to feel like you can't move on

before hitting send, wondering if she

eyes emoji, followed by a message. "Are you texting and driving? Cus it's been

and typed out a

being ridiculous. I never felt like you were giving me mixed signals." She responded, "I never felt like you weren't giving me space. We're best friends, aren't we? That's why I told you about Emily. I want to be

typed out a response, "I know, I know. I just feel like I need to give you space, you know?

emoji. "You're not that friend, Ellen. Stop

across the screen as she responded to Cylan's message. "Okay, if you say so," she typed, adding

this one a

said "Would you like to hang out later tonight or pass..." Ellen's eyes widened as she realized what Cylan

Emily?" Ellen asked, her voice barely above