MANDY
I was so excited when my parents told me Brian was coming for supper tonight. Brian is my dad’s best and oldest friend, and he’s also the man I’ve been in love with for as long as I can remember. I’ve never told anyone how I feel about him, but I recently turned 18, and it’s getting harder and harder to keep it a secret.
When I hear the doorbell ring, I run for the front door, eager to see his beautiful face again, but when I open it, I feel like my whole world has collapsed. Standing on the step is Brian, looking perfect and gorgeous as usual, but next to him stands a leggy blonde with her arm wrapped possessively around his.
“Hey, kiddo,” he says with a big grin.
I can barely manage a small smile before standing back so they can come in. He notices my unusual behavior but doesn’t say anything, just quirks an eyebrow at me, silently asking me if I’m okay. I can’t bring myself to look into his deep brown eyes, the ones that are as familiar to me as my own, so instead I duck my head and lead them down the hall to the kitchen where my parents are getting the food out of the oven.
“Hey, Brian,” my dad says, clapping him on the back. He holds his hand out to the blonde. “You must be Raquel.”
Of course her fucking name is Raquel!
I try not to snarl when I look at her. She’s perfect, of course she is. Tall, slim but curvy in all the right places, with big blue eyes. I suddenly feel very short and very ugly compared to her, and I don’t like it. I especially don’t like the way she looks at Brian.
He’s mine, lady!
I want to scream at her and kick her in the ass, but I take a seat at the table and ignore the confused looks I’m getting from Brian over her head.
I tune out whatever the hell my parents are talking about with the perfect Raquel, but my head jerks up when I hear my name.
“And this is our daughter Mandy,” my mom says to her.
“Nice to meet you,” Raquel says with a big smile.
I smile, or try to, but I’m pretty sure it probably looks more like a grimace.
“Brian told me you just turned 18. That’s a pretty exciting age. Any college plans?”
I suppress a groan. The last thing I want to do is have a conversation with the woman who’s touching my Brian. A part of my brain corrects me that he’s not actually mine, but I tell that part to go fuck itself and keep my voice even as I respond.