Chapter 8

"So, what are you gonna do about it?"

It's been nearly two hours since Phoebe revealed she was in love with her twin brother. Naturally, Cherry was shocked, no, appalled was the right term, because it wasn't everyday you learned your best friend harboured intimate feelings toward their own brother, twin nonetheless.

Yet a part of Cherry wasn't entirely shocked, probably because Phoebe was an extremely emotional person and easily fell in love. Through their sophomore years, she recounted that first time with Cole, which she had categorized as love at first sight since Phoebe was all gaga over the blonde.

Although the crush faded within a month after Cole became just that... Cole, Cherry would still admit that her best friend truly wanted something with Cole, which she defined as hardcore first love in her books.

It took a while to get over him, but she eventually did. Yet, her thirst for love never ended there. Cherry could recall them - Alex, Scott, Jason and Tyler, the latter whom she really felt an attraction to for a short while, going as far as asking the boy out on a date to get to know each other better, which ended horribly if she remembers correctly.

Throughout all this, there was one thing Cherry identified, something that all these boys had in common, that specific trait that drew Phoebe to them like a moth to flame that had her so interested nearly falling head over heels for them; and that trait was their undeniably good looks.

So she tried to partially understand her best friend's feelings towards Max considered everyone who knew Max Thunderman, knew that he was no exception when it came to the looks department.

The blonde inwardly shook her head. She knew the two would always bicker and pointlessly be at each other's throats all the time, but they were inseparable, yet even so she still couldn't place it. Why would Phoebe fall for Max?

In retrospect, Phoebe always claimed Max was selfish, arrogant and self centered, perhaps those qualities were what allowed her to ignore his attractiveness, to acknowledge but safely ignore his charms, maybe that's what it all was, it was plausible that summed it up.

"I have to break up with Link."

"Wait, what?"

"I don't love him anymore.",

"Phoebe, don't say that, you're just confused. You do love him, he's sweet and amazing, you even said it yourself the other day."

"I know, but its not there anymore. I don't feel in love with him, at least not like I used to."

"So what, you're just gonna break his poor heart because you happen to 'think' you're in love with your brother, is that it?"

"Cherry, you don't think of another guy when you're having a romantic dinner with your boyfriend. You don't secretly 'wish' for your boyfriend to be that other guy. You don't go day by day with the other guy constantly on your mind." Phoebe retorted as a matter of fact, not seeing the point of holding everything in anymore. "We both know you can't love two people at the same time, its impossible."

Cherry pursed her lips, out of all the craziness at least that made sense. "So, get me to understand. Do you want to be with Max?"

"I-I don't know okay!"

"Because for all we know, he doesn't feel the same way. And he probably won't take it well if he learns you love him that way."

Phoebe sighed, as much as she needed to listen to that reasoning, she couldn't help but argue that point, simply because of the events that occurred the past few days, particularly three days ago to be precise, specifically that moment they nearly kissed. She saw the look in his eyes, brimming with anticipation, and she was certain, so certain he would have kissed her back, if she had.

"Cherry, look-"

"No Phoebe, you look. This is insane! All this is crazy! You can't be in love with Max, it's wrong!" Cherry stated, flailing her arms. "He's your brother, your twin! He's family, and we all know that family don't fall in love with family!"

"Well, tell that to my heart because it apparently didn't get the memo."

Cherry saw this was eating at Phoebe, and it somewhat put her down as well knowing she couldn't help her friend in this predicament, because this was a first, and simply put; incomprehensible.

"Look, maybe its one of those feelings that just come and go, you know. Maybe all you need is time."

"Cherry, I know I'm a person that easily falls in love, but the truth is, I've never felt like this about anyone before, not even Link."

"Alright, let's put it this way." Cherry asserted, trying it from a different angle. "Let's say your feelings are true, that you're actually in love with Max. What do you intend to do with those feelings?"

"I-honestly don't know. It's like a part of me wants something and the other is afraid."

"What specifically made you fall in love with Max?"

"I don't know how to put it in words, but I feel more at ease when I'm around him, his presence, especially now that he's less of a jerk, I can see that he cares about me."

Cherry shook her head. "The real question is, do you want to be with Max?"

"Yes, I want to," she admitted bluntly, the ugly truth. She did want to be with him, even at the cost of forsaking her relationship with Link.

Cherry pursed her lips. "If you do want to be with your brother, in a relationship, isn't he also supposed to like-like you too?"

"Yes."

"Not to sound pessimistic or anything, but the possibility of that ever happening is probably the day pigs fly Phoebe. And even if you confess your feelings to him, he might find it disgusting and never talk to you again."

Phoebe nodded, slowly. Everything Cherry said was right, but words were only words, they differed from actions which spoke volumes. She remembers that moment she nearly kissed him, and he just laid beneath her, waiting, unmoving with no attempts to stop her whatsoever. Not to mention he even dreamt of her as his Empress, all that had to mean something, it just had to.

"I say just ignore this, ignore the feelings you have for Max if you value the healthy relationship you guys have, including your family's." Cherry advised, placing her hand atop Phoebe's. "but if you really, as in seriously love Max, please make sure he feels the same way."

Phoebe looked up. "You're seriously rooting for me?"

Cherry shrugged. "What can I say? I'm your best friend, no matter how crazy the situation is, I'll always be on your side."

Phoebe smiled, and pulled Cherry into a firm hug, "Thank you, Cherry."

"Don't mention it."

She stepped in, to find him laid back on the couch with his legs dangling over the armrest. At the sound of the closing door, Max hoisted himself up.

"Pheebs, where were you?" he asked, trying not to sound worried, which he was given she was gone for nearly the entire day.

"At Cherry's." she lied, she left Cherry hours ago, in favour of going to SplatBurger for obvious reasons.

He sunk back into the seat, sighing in relief, without her looking of course.

"Figures."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean your social life is what we'd call stagnant because you limit yourself to only one friend." he quipped.

"How rude of you Octavius, how rude."

"Touché, Monica, touché."

"Anyway, have you had dinner?" she asked, moving into the kitchen, "Or let me guess, you and Jessica ate at Splatburger?"

Max rose an eyebrow. "See, now when you put it like that you make it sound like she's my girlfriend or something."

"An honest mistake, since its only a matter of time before you make your move on the poor girl."

"You're still going with the 'you can't make a girl happy because you know nothing about love' card?"

Phoebe smiled, prompting him to send her a dirty look.

"So, is she the one?"

"I'm not sure, but what I do know is that she has dark hair, a decorated personality and she's extremely gorgeous."

"So was Alison."

He groaned.

Once again, they were slouched on the couch, just the two of them, watching television, except this time there was no arguing, no, this time it was silent, the only sound that marred the tranquil atmosphere being that of the content on the television.

Phoebe fiddled with the sheet, her eyes nervously flickering to him and back to the television.

"I broke up with Link today."

"Did you now?"

His answer was immediate, too immediate in her opinion. That, and it lacked curiousness and the baffled reaction she was expecting from him.

"That's it?"

"Well, what did you expect?" he asked with a shrug. "You probably had your reasons to break up with him, and you did, that's all there is to it."

"Don't you want to hear the reason I broke up with him?"

"Do I need to?"

He didn't need to, but she knew she couldn't put this on hold anymore so he had to know. She figured it would be best to just come out with it. But before she could utter a word, he spoke up.

"Okay, I'll admit I'm kind of curious as to why you let me go through all the trouble of getting the two of you back together only for you to eventually dump the guy which that doesn't make sense." he said, sarcasm dripping from his words, shifting a bit, sparing her a glance. "How did he take it?"

"He said he already suspected I wasn't happy,"

"He was actually cool with it?"

"Yes," she replied curtly.

Max remained quiet, wondering why his twin would break it off with a guy even he had to admit treated her reasonably, days after they reconciled. It didn't make any sense to him, it all seemed too rushed. "Why did you break up with him?"

Phoebe didn't blink, but she felt him turn to face her, persuading her to face him as well. "I didn't love him anymore."

"Why?"

"I just don't."

"Did you realise this before or after he took you out to dinner at a fancy restaurant? I'm kind of lost here, because in your case I expected it to be the other way around." he remarked with a supressed laugh.

Phoebe frowned, nudging him hard, satisfied when he unceremoniously hit his head against the hard armrest. "That's for asking stupid questions and not accepting the simple fact that Link and I are over."

Max stuck his tongue out at her, regretting it with a resound groan when she retaliated by pulling his head into her lap, not wasting time to pinch on his earlobes and pull.

"Ow! Ow! I'm sorry! Phoebe, let go!"

She decisively ignored his protests and continuously kept pulling his earlobes, noting how the tip of his ears tinged with a light red, deducing he had enough as she let his ears go. He kept on wincing, releasing pained whimpers as he cautiously nicked his earlobes with a finger.

"You're such a baby Max."

He glared upwards, but the glare was instantly replaced by confusion when her thumb wiped at the corner of his eye left, her face vertically hovering over his, mindful of her hair that draped like a curtain on both sides of his face. He didn't question why her thumb moved to caress his cheek, the rest of her fingers drumming beneath his chin.

Phoebe summoned courage, peering into his hue browns, nostalgia, wondering why it felt so right, so perfect.

There are many things left unsaid after the other day they found themselves in this particular position, but for the briefest of moments, Phoebe could read his mind, urging her to just do it and get it over with, she was no telepath, but for now, she'd forget her priorities.

She dipped her head and pressed her lips against his, with resolute want, desperation and yearn.

She found it incongruous and strange at first, when he didn't kiss back, in that one moment she instantly knew she messed up, but her thoughts were thrown out the window, thrown out to be long forgotten when she felt her pulse rise, acknowledging the fact that he was kissing her back.