Off-Side Love With My Best Friend's Brother
My best friend had one rule: stay away from my brother. But what he didn't know was that his brother kept me up all night.
Wren Mercer had spent years being just Ross's best friend. Fine with holidays at the Calloway house, years of watching Dani, Ross's older brother, move through life like nothing could touch him, fine with the fact that he never once looked at her like she was worth the trouble.
So she did what any sensible girl would do, she found someone else.
Blake Hendrix was everything that made sense on paper. Charming, attentive, and most importantly, not Dani Calloway. She told herself it was moving on. She told herself it was working. What she didn't know was that Blake had his own reasons for getting close to her, ones that had everything to do with the brother she was trying so hard to forget.
When Ross invites her to move into their off-campus apartment, she tells herself it's still fine. She has Blake. She has a plan. Dani barely registers her existence anyway. She can handle proximity.
She's wrong. Because Dani does notice her. He always has.
What starts as tension becomes stolen moments, a secret neither of them planned, and the slow terrifying realization that this is the most real thing either of them has felt in years. But Ross is right there. Blake is closer than she thinks. And secrets don't stay hidden forever.
She fell first. He fell harder. And what breaks between them might not be fixable.
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Chapter: Chapter 64Wren's POVNobody slept much that night. I know because I heard footsteps on the stairs at almost every hour, Ross checking the locks again, Dani's door opening and closing somewhere around two, even Anna shifting restlessly on the air mattress we'd dragged into my room so she wouldn't have to drive home in the dark.By morning, the five of us were gathered in the kitchen looking like a support group for people who'd all had the same nightmare."We need an actual plan," Dani said, sliding a mug of coffee toward me without being asked. "Not just locking doors and hoping.""What kind of plan?" Ryan asked. He'd come back over before sunrise, unable to sit at home not knowing what was happening here. "We can't exactly go arrest him ourselves.""No. But we can figure out where he actually is right now." Dani leaned against the counter. "If he's been in that group chat, there's a chance he's said something about location. Where he's staying. Who he's with.""I can check," Ryan said. "I'll s
Last Updated: 2026-06-28
Chapter: Chapter 63Wren's POVThe campus security office smelled like burnt coffee and old carpet, and the officer behind the desk looked like he'd rather be anywhere else, scrolling through something on his computer that definitely wasn't related to us.“Threatening text messages, do you have a name attached to the number?”“No,” I said. “It's unknown. We think it might be a student named Blake Lawson. He's currently suspended."That got a flicker of actual attention. He typed the name into his system, squinted at the screen, then looked back up. "Blake Lawson is suspended through next week. Banned from campus grounds for the duration.""He was on campus three days ago," I said. "I saw him near the athletics field during cheer practice.""You saw him, or you think you saw him?"I hesitated.“Look, without a clear photo, a confirmed sighting from someone else, or a name actually attached to the number sending these texts, there's not a lot I can officially do beyond logging the report. I'd suggest block
Last Updated: 2026-06-28
Chapter: Chapter 62Wren’s povAnna showed up twenty minutes later, hair still damp from a rushed shower, sweatpants thrown on over what looked suspiciously like one of Ryan's old shirts. She didn't say anything about it, and for once, neither did I.“Show me again,” she said, dropping onto my bed.I pulled the messages up and handed her the phone instead of reading them out loud. She read both texts twice, her face going progressively paler. “Okay. We're telling Ross. Right now.”“I know.”“I mean it, Wren. This isn't a let's wait and see situation anymore.”“I said I know.”We found him downstairs, already elbow-deep in cleanup from the night before, a trash bag in one hand. He looked up when we came in and immediately set the bag down.“Why do you two look like that?”“Like what?” I asked.“Like someone died. What happened now?”Anna didn't bother easing into it. She held her own phone up, the screenshot already pulled up from when I'd forwarded it to her, and handed it over. “Read this.”Ross read i
Last Updated: 2026-06-28
Chapter: Chapter 61Wren’s POVI woke up with my head pounding and my makeup half down my face, still in last night’s dress, the blanket Ross had pulled over me tangled around my legs. For a second I just lay there, replaying the night in pieces, the kiss, the fist connecting with Dani’s jaw, Theo’s headlights disappearing down the street.I groaned and pressed my palms into my eyes.Someone knocked softly. “Wren?” Dani’s voice, careful. “Can I come in?”I sat up too fast and regretted it immediately. “Yeah.”He opened the door slowly, like he wasn’t sure what he’d be walking into. He had a bruise blooming along his jaw, dark and ugly, and he was holding two mugs of coffee, one of which he held out to me.“Thanks,” I said, taking it, not quite meeting his eyes.He sat on the edge of the bed, leaving careful space between us. “How are you feeling?”“Like I got hit by a truck.” I glanced at his jaw. “He really did you dirty.”“Theo’s got a mean right hook. I’ll give him that.”“Dani.”“I’m fine, Wren.”I wr
Last Updated: 2026-06-27
Chapter: Chapter 60Dani’s POV Ryan pressed the ice pack against my jaw harder than necessary, and I winced. “Easy.” “It’s not even that bad, you’ll have a bruise for like a week, that’s it. Maybe a little swelling tomorrow morning. Theo’s got a decent right hand, though, I’ll give him that much.” “Thanks for the diagnosis, doctor.” “I’m not a doctor, but I’ve taken enough hits on the field to know the difference between broken and bruised.” He hopped up onto the counter beside me. “What the hell were you thinking, by the way?” I didn’t answer right away. I was still replaying it on a loop, Wren’s face crumpling as she told me about the girl kissing Theo, her voice cracking and instead of being someone she could actually lean on in that moment, I’d kissed her. Like that solved anything. Like that wasn’t the single worst possible moment in the history of moments to do it. “I wasn’t thinking,” I admitted finally. “That’s the whole problem.” “Yeah. I noticed. Everyone noticed, Dani. There we
Last Updated: 2026-06-27
Chapter: Chapter 59Wren’s PovI went back inside, pushing through the crowd, looking for Anna. I couldn’t find her anywhere. Ryan wasn’t there either, which meant they’d probably slipped off somewhere together, leaving me alone with whatever was happening in my chest right now.I turned a corner too fast and walked straight into someone solid.Dani.His hands came up automatically to steady me. “Hey. What’s wrong?”“I just saw-” My voice cracked. I tried again. “Theo. There was a girl, she was kissing him, by the pool, and I don’t-”I didn’t get to finish. His mouth was on mine before I’d registered him moving, one hand sliding to the back of my neck, and for a few stunned seconds, I just stood there, completely frozen, the noise of the party fading into nothing around us.Then I was being shoved aside, hard, and the world snapped back into focus just in time to see Theo’s fist connect with Dani’s jaw.Dani staggered, then swung back, and the two of them collided again, fists and shoving, somebody’s dri
Last Updated: 2026-06-26
Chapter: Chapter 35 : Safe Harbor FadesElara’s PovI stayed in the garden corner, leaning against a stone bench that felt cold through my leggings. Marcus hadn’t left. He was standing near a rose bush, pulling at a loose leaf. He looked like he had a lot on his mind, but he wasn’t rushing me to speak. I liked that about him. He never pushed."You're thinking about what I said," Marcus finally said. He didn't look up from the plant."I am," I admitted. I looked at my hands. They were steady for once. "You said you're developing feelings. Real ones.""I meant it, Elara." He let the leaf go and turned to face me. "I’ve watched you for a long time. Even before you started breaking floorboards and scaring the guards. I liked the way you never let them see you cry in the kitchens. I liked that you were stronger than all the Alphas combined, even when you were just scrubbing floors."I looked at him, really looked at him. Marcus was handsome, but it was more than that. He was safe. "You aren't afraid of me, are you? Even after wh
Last Updated: 2026-05-26
Chapter: Chapter 34: Whispers of the QueenElara’s PovI walked through the hallway toward the dining hall, and the silence followed me like a shadow. It wasn't the kind of silence where people ignore you because you're a servant. It was the kind where they stop breathing because they're afraid you’ll notice them. "Is that her?" a girl whispered behind a pillar. I didn't look, but I heard her heart rate spike. "Yeah," a boy answered. "Jax says she didn't even touch him. He just hit the dirt like he’d been shot. They’re calling her the awakening queen.""Shut up," the girl hissed. "She'll hear you."I kept walking. My back was straight, and I didn't pull my collar up to hide the faint scar on my neck anymore. If they wanted to stare, they could stare. I reached the double doors of the training center. Usually, I’d wait for a guard to open them for me. Today, I just pushed them open myself.The room went quiet. About ten warriors were in the middle of a sparring drill. Miller was leading them. When he saw me, he stopped mid-sw
Last Updated: 2026-05-23
Chapter: Chapter 33: Silver PulseElara’s PovThe ground was cold against my cheek. My lungs felt like they were full of dry sand, and every time I tried to pull in a breath, my ribs felt like they were rubbing together. I didn't move. I just lay there, staring at a single piece of gravel an inch from my eye. The silver heat was still humming in my ears, but it wasn't a roar anymore. It was a dull throb.Aiden was groaning nearby. I heard him roll over, the dirt crunching under his weight."Elara?" he croaked.I didn't answer. I was busy checking my own body. My fingers twitched. My legs felt heavy, but they weren't broken. I pushed myself up, my palms stinging from the scorched earth. I sat on my heels and looked at him. He looked like he’d been hit by a truck."That... that wasn't supposed to happen," Aiden said. He was sitting up now, holding his chest. "The bond wasn't supposed to have that much kick.""Everything your father told us was a lie, Aiden," I said. My voice was flat. I didn't feel sad. I didn't even fe
Last Updated: 2026-05-21
Chapter: Chapter 32: The True NameElara’s PovI didn't have to turn around to know who it was. The air changed. It got heavy and smelled like copper and expensive soap. I kept my back to the entrance, my hands tightening on the grip of the staff."Go away, Aiden," I said. My voice was steady, but my heart was starting to thump against my ribs. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.He sounded different. His voice wasn't thick with whiskey anymore. It was sharp and raw. I heard his boots crunching on the dirt, getting closer. I spun around, raising the staff to chest level.I stopped. He looked like he’d been in a car wreck. His jaw was swollen and turning a nasty purple color. His lip was split, and there was a dried smear of blood on his chin. His shirt was torn at the collar, showing the frantic move of his chest as he breathed."What do you want?" I asked.Aiden stopped about six feet away. He didn't look like he was going to apologize. He looked like he was vibrating with a fever. His eyes were dark, and they were fi
Last Updated: 2026-05-14
Chapter: Chapter 31: Bloodline LiesAiden’s PovI didn't knock. I just pushed the heavy oak doors open and walked into my father’s study. Rowan was sitting behind his desk, looking over a map of the northern territories. He didn't look up when I came in."You're late," he said. His voice was like a saw hitting a stone. "And you look like hell, Aiden. Wash your face before the council sees you.""The council isn't here," I said. I pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down. I didn't ask for permission. "And I don't care how I look. We need to talk about the vials I found in your desk."Rowan finally looked up. His eyes were sharp, scanning me for weakness. He leaned back and folded his hands. "You've been snooping. That’s a dangerous habit for a boy who can barely hold his liquor.""I’m not a boy," I said. I leaned forward, my hands gripping the edge of the desk. "You've been putting that stuff in the Omegas' tea for years. You’ve been putting it in mine, too. I checked the logs from the healer’s wing. It’s a suppre
Last Updated: 2026-05-11
Chapter: Chapter 30: Faint TremorElara’s POVI walked down to the secluded training area behind the old barracks. I didn’t want to see anyone. I had already had enough of Aiden’s drama.I picked up a heavy training staff and swung it hard against a wooden post. The sound was like a bone breaking."Damn it," I muttered.I swung again. And again. I wanted to hit something until I stopped thinking. "You're going to break that pole," a voice said.I spun around, my staff raised. It was Jax. He was standing a few feet away, holding a water skin. He looked nervous. Ever since I’d stood up to Rowan, the warriors looked at me like I might explode."Maybe the pole needs to be broken," I said. I lowered the staff, but I didn't relax."You look like you're trying to kill the air, Elara," Jax said. He took a cautious step forward. "Marcus told us to give you space, but the guys are worried. You haven't eaten since yesterday.""I'm not hungry, Jax. I just want to move.""Is it true?" he asked, his voice dropping. "What they're s
Last Updated: 2026-04-30
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