Ruining His 'Bro'

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Mackenzie is sprawled across my fiancs lap, wearing his favorite hoodie and absolutely nothing underneath.

I stand in the doorway of the living room, gripping the handle of my purse until my knuckles turn white.

Oh, hey Kennedy, she drawls, not moving an inch. She picks a piece of popcorn off Adrians chest and eats it. "Don't be weird about this. My AC broke, and Adrian said I could crash here. Were literally just watching a movie."

Adrian looks up, his expression painfully oblivious. "Babe, chill. Its just Mackenzie. Shes basically a dude. Its not sexual."

Mackenzie smirks at me over his shoulder, her hand resting possessively on his thigh. Her eyes say what her mouth won't: He might be marrying you, but he belongs to me.

"Right," I say, forcing a sweet, trembling smile as I hide the rage boiling in my veins. "Im sorry. I guess Im just overthinking it."

Enjoy the hoodie, Mackenzie. Itll be the last thing you ever steal from me.

Chapter 1

Mackenzies leopard-print lace bra assaulted everyones eyes.

Tacky. Loud. Desperate.

I leaned in, my finger hovering inches from her chest, inspecting the merchandise like I was checking for defects. "Damn, Mackenzie. Didn't peg you for the wild type."

I squinted, tilting my head. "Though thats mostly engineering, isn't it? Thats at least two inches of foam padding."

I let out a low, appreciative wolf whistle.

Mackenzie snapped out of her shock. She shrieked, scrambling to yank her shirt back down over her chest. "You psycho! That is sexual harassment!"

She turned on Adrian, eyes wide and watery, playing the victim card instantly. "Adrian, are you going to let her do that? What is wrong with her? Shes trying to humiliate me in front of everyone!"

She looked ready to tear my throat out.

Adrian frowned, a subtle crease forming between his brows. "Kennedy, thats enough. You crossed a line. Apologize."

Luckily, I know how to play the game.

I dropped my head, twirling a lock of hair around my finger, the picture of innocence. "Im so sorry, Mackenzie. Was my math off?"

I looked up, blinking rapidly. "If its not two inches of padding, its definitely one. I mean, looking at the physics thats a solid A-cup situation."

"Or are you mad I pulled your shirt up?" "I thought we were all 'bros' here. Bros don't hide things, right? Isn't that your rule? Next time, just tell me if you can't handle the heat. I'll go easy on you."

That hit a nerve. Mackenzie prides herself on being "one of the guys," not some fragile snowflake. Now that Id stripped away her "cool girl" mask, she stiffened, forcing a laugh through gritted teeth.

"Who said Im mad? Please. You think you can rattle me?"

She forced a laugh, but it sounded like grinding glass. "I was just surprised. I wasn't ready. If I knew we were stripping, I wouldve worn something actually sexy."

She slinked toward Adrian, pressing her entire body against his arm. "Besides, between bros, there are no secrets. Weve seen it all before."

She smirked, looking directly at me. "Especially Adrian. Hes had his hands all over me. Back in the day, he used to check my development. Daily. Just to see if theyd grown. You could say I taught him everything he knows. I was basically his mentor."

Adrian shot me an awkward glance but didn't push her away.

My expression went ice cold.

Mackenzie saw it and grinned, thinking shed finally scored a point. "God, girls are so insecure," she sighed, shaking her head. "It was just curiosity during puberty. Were all bros. You aren't actually jealous of history, are you?"

I pouted, turning my big, sad eyes to Adrian. "Of course I mind."

Adrians patience snapped. "Its in the past, Kennedy. Were all friends here. Don't be dramatic."

I didn't let him finish. "I don't mind the history, Adrian. I mind that you were so deprived."

I let my gaze drift over Mackenzies flat chest, then back to him, full of pity. "I had no idea you were starving so badly you had to settle for cheap scraps. But don't worry."

I straightened my back, thrusting my chest forwardall natural and significantly more impressive than her foam architecture. "You have me now. You won't have to lower your standards ever again."

The guys erupted in laughter, their eyes shifting to compare Mackenzies padding to my reality.

Chapter 2

Mackenzie bit her lip so hard it turned white. She glared down at her own chest, humiliation radiating off her in waves. "Are you throwing shade? I'm not some girly-girl. I don't need to use my body to please men."

She scoffed. "What's the point of big boobs anyway? Bimbo energy."

I immediately dropped my head, twisting the hem of my shirt, looking like a kicked puppy. "Shade? I'm just stating facts."

I looked up, eyes wide and sincere. "Besides, without the body what else do you have to offer a guy?"

I started counting off on my fingers. "Average face. Short. Bad skin. Personality is a walking red flag"

Mackenzie snapped. "Enough! Shut up! Why are you even here?"

She slammed her palm against the table. "Did you come here just to humiliate me?"

I clamped my mouth shut instantly, tears welling up in my eyes, glistening under the bar lights. "Adrian did I upset your friend?"

I sniffled. "I should just go."

I made a move to stand up, my shoulders slumped in defeat.

Adrian grabbed my arm and pulled me back down, wrapping me in a tight hug. "Go where? No one tells you to leave. You're just a little too honest, babe. But it's cute. You're adorably clueless."

I buried my face in his chest, hiding my smirk. "Clueless is fine. As long as you spoil me."

Adrian eats this up. The more fragile I act, the more his ego inflates.

Mackenzie watched us, her face darkening like a storm cloud. She reached over and slapped Adrian on the shoulder, putting on her "concerned bro" mask.

"Adrian, don't say I didn't warn you," she said, jerking her thumb at me. "Your new girl isn't some innocent flower. She's a total manipulator. A classic 'pick-me'. Don't get played."

Adrian glanced down at me, dismissing her concern with a wave of his hand. "Kennedy is sweet. I think I'd know if she was manipulating me. Just worry about yourself, Mackenzie."

Under the table, I saw Mackenzie clench her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms.

My smile deepened against Adrians shirt.

To get back at me, Mackenzie suggested Truth or Dare. She made sure to give me a disclaimer first.

"Just so you know, when the bros play, we go hard. No limits," smirking. "If you can't handle the heat, Kennedy, you should bail now. Wouldn't want you to kill the vibe."

I narrowed my eyes, a thrill shooting through me. I didn't shrink back.

I rubbed my hands together, eyes gleaming. "Oh, I love going hard."

Id done my research on Mackenzie long before I even looked at Adrian. Her trashy little games had scared off plenty of his exes.

But I wasn't them.

They wanted Adrian.

I wanted her.

"That's perfect! I'm actually super open-minded, I just never have anyone to play with," "I think we're going to get along great."

Mackenzie snorted, clearly not taking me seriously.

The cards were dealt.

Mackenzie pulled a Dare: Touch a player of the opposite sex intimately.

She made a show of scanning the room, tapping her chin. Her eyes locked onto Adrian instantly. She waved the card at me, a challenge in her eyes. "Sorry, Kennedy. It's just a game. You get it, right?"

Without waiting for an answer, her hand shot toward Adrians crotch. Fast. Aggressive.

Adrian frowned and shifted slightly, a token attempt to dodge, but he didn't move far enough.

She grabbed him. Hard.

"Damn, bro. Getting bigger every time I see you," squeezing with a cruel, possessive glint in her eyes. "Let me check the goods. You're not gonna get hard for Daddy, are you?"

Adrian let out a strangled groan, his face tightening as he fought to keep his composure. If there had been a bed right there, they would have been tearing each other's clothes off.

I didn't get mad.

I leaned in, eyes wide, staring directly at her hand on him. "So? How is it?"

I tilted my head, voice full of genuine curiosity. "Is it bigger than last time? How big was it before? Have you guys measured it together?"

Chapter 3

Adrian flushed, shoving Mackenzies hand away like it was radioactive. "What 'before'? What 'now'? It's not like that, Kennedy! Don't make it weird."

He stood up, adjusting his jeans, looking everywhere but at me. "It's just a game. If you're going to get paranoid about me and Mackenzie, we'll just stop playing."

Classic gaslighting.

I didn't say a word. I just shifted a few inches to the right on the couch, putting physical distance between us.

Men touched by other women disgusting.

Mackenzie, however, wasn't done. She brought her hand to her nose, inhaling deeply, and smirked. "Ugh, having a girlfriend around is such a buzzkill."

She leaned back, manspreading across the cushion. "We're all adults here. If we can't get a little wild, what's the point?"

She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "We touch each other all the time. It's a bro thing. If you can't handle it, Kennedy, maybe go play with your dolls or something."

I burst out laughing.

I tilted my head, flipping my card over to reveal the text. "Who said I don't like to play? I love games."

I tapped the card against my lips. "Actually, I got a Dare too. Since 'bros' can touch each other whenever they want I guess all you fine gentlemen are up for grabs!"

I scanned the room, my eyes lingering hungrily on Adrian's friends.

The guys froze. Hands instinctively flew to cover their crotches, terror flashing in their eyes.

Adrian and Mackenzies faces went pitch black.

I reached for the guy next to me.

Adrian lunged, grabbing my wrist. "No! Absolutely not!"

His voice cracked, high and pathetic. "You're my girlfriend! You can't just go around groping other guys! What is wrong with you?"

Mackenzie sneered, shaking her head in disgust. "Seriously. You're so loose, Kennedy. If I had a boyfriend, I wouldn't even look at another guy. Have some self-respect."

My lips curled into a cold smile. I didn't back down this time. "But you literally just said it's 'only a game'."

I looked between them. "One of you just got groped by another woman. The other one just groped someone else's boyfriend. Why am I the slut for wanting to play by your rules?"

I leaned in closer. "Or are you admitting that what you two just did was trashy?"

Adrians face turned a darker shade of red with every word.

Mackenzie knew she was cornered, but she doubled down, her neck veins bulging. "It's different! Adrian and I have a bond! We're bros! Bros don't have boundaries!"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! And I'm a bro too now! I don't care! If you can play, I can play! Fair is fair!"

Seeing that I wasn't going to fold, Adrian switched tactics. His voice softened, dripping with fake sweetness. "Kennedy, baby, listen. This game is stupid. I won't play anymore either, okay? That makes it fair."

I pouted, pretending to weigh my options, then reluctantly nodded. "Fine."

Mackenzie opened her mouth to argue, but Adrian shot her a glare that could kill. "Shut up, Mackenzie! Look what you did. You're corrupting her!"

He grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the VIP room.

The vibe was officially dead.

Before the door closed, I glanced back over my shoulder. Mackenzie was stomping her foot, biting her lip so hard I thought it might bleed.

Victory.

Chapter 4

On the ride home, Adrian went into full damage control mode. "Babe, seriously, there's nothing going on between me and Mackenzie. We grew up together. She's like a sister."

He glanced at me nervously while driving. "She just had too much to drink and crossed a line. You're not mad, are you?"

I smiled, shaking my head, the picture of understanding. "No way. I was actually worried I was too blunt. I didn't want to upset your 'bro'."

Adrian let out a huge breath, visibly relaxing. He reached over to stroke my hair. "It's fine. Just think of her as one of the guys. She's basically a dude. I was so worried you'd be jealous or hold a grudge. Thank God you're so chill. From now on, I promise I'll keep my distance from her."

I kept smiling but leaned away, dodging his touch.

Jealousy requires love. I had neither.

Midnight.

My phone didn't ring, but Adrians did. Mackenzie. Again.

She was slurring, wailing Adrians name into the receiver. Something about being depressed, wasted, and stranded.

Adrian looked at me, the "keep my distance" promise from three hours ago already evaporating. "Kennedy she is a girl, after all. It's dangerous out there this late. She's my bro. I can't just leave her, right? Maybe I should just go pick her up real quick?"

I grabbed his jacket and draped it over his shoulders, buttoning it up for him with aggressive care. "Absolutely! You have to go! It's way too unsafe for a girl. Come on, let's go save her together."

Adrian froze. He couldn't exactly say no.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to the curb, and the supposedly "blackout drunk" Mackenzie launched herself with sniper precision directly into Adrians arms.

She nuzzled into his neck, whining. "What took you so long? Did you really want your daddy to die out here? I was so out of it in the bar some creep almost felt me up. Look! He even ripped my stockings"

She grabbed Adrians hand and guided it toward her thigh, tracing the tear in her sheer black tights.

I smirked, letting the silence stretch, watching her squirm.

I unscrewed the cap of a water bottle and dumped the entire contents over her head.

Splash.

"Oh my god! It really is ripped! You poor thing!"

I tossed the empty bottle aside. "Are you sober now?"

Mackenzie shrieked, jumping back like a wet cat. She opened her mouth to scream a string of curses, but then she saw me standing behind Adrian.

Her face shifted instantly. The damsel-in-distress act vanished, replaced by a sneer. "Oh? Brought the girlfriend? What are you two, conjoined twins?"

She rolled her eyes at Adrian. "God, Adrian, are you whipped? That's embarrassing, bro."

She turned her glare on me. "And you, Kennedy. So insecure. Small energy. If we wanted to hook up, we would have done it years ago. You wouldn't even be in the picture."

I didn't get mad.

I just pulled another water bottle out of my bag and cracked the seal. "Still talking nonsense? Guess you're still drunk."

I tilted the bottle menacingly. "Need another round?"

Chapter 5

Mackenzie scrambled behind Adrian like a frightened rat. She knew I wasn't bluffing.

She tried to salvage her dignity, straightening her drenched clothes. "I don't do catfights. Adrian, get me out of here. Now."

She shivered theatrically. "Your psycho girlfriend soaked me. You're responsible. Look at me. I'm practically naked in this wet shirt. If I walk home alone, I'm basically asking to be attacked."

Adrian shrugged, giving me a helpless look. "Kennedy you did drench her. I mean"

I didn't let him finish.

I shoved him aside, snatched the keys from his hand, and slid into the driver's seat. "Oops. My bad. Guess I have to take full responsibility then."

I revved the engine. "Get in, Mackenzie. I've been driving since I was sixteen. I'm faster than Adrian anyway."

I leaned out the window, voice dripping with fake concern. "Unless you insist on having a taken man drive you home in the middle of the night? No way. Only a desperate 'pick-me' would do something that trashy. And you're a 'bro', right Mackenzie? You're honorable. Clean."

Trapped.

If she refused, she admitted to being a homewrecker.

Mackenzie ground her teeth so hard I could hear it. She stomped to the back seat and got in, slamming the door.

As I drove, she leaned forward, whispering venomously so only I could hear. "I'd love to meet your parents. I need to see what kind of trash raised a daughter like you."

I glanced at her in the rearview mirror, dead serious. "Really? You want to meet them?"

Mackenzie frowned, looking at me like I was insane. She stayed silent.

She forgot one thing about me.

I take things very literally.

The next morning.

My parents, George and Barbara, were standing in the lobby of Mackenzies office building.

And they were not in a good mood.

They stood like bouncers on either side of the entrance, stopping everyone who tried to pass.

"Where is Mackenzie? Who's Mackenzie?" "She's messing with my daughter's boyfriend and has the nerve to say she wants to meet us? Well, we're here! Come out, you little homewrecker!"

I sat on a bench across the street, sipping an iced latte, watching the show unfold.

Finally, I saw Mackenzie sneak into the lobby. She didn't dare confront George and Barbara herself. Instead, she pushed a few colleagues toward the door to run interference.

One of them, a girl named Brittany, stepped up nervously. "Ma'am, Sir, please leave. Mackenzie isn't in today. You're making a scene. It's bad for the company's image. Besides, Mackenzie didn't do anything to you. This is slander."

My mom, Barbara, let out a loud, wet scoff and spat her gum onto the polished floor. "Image? You're worried about image? You employ a mistress who wrecks relationships, and you think we're the problem? This company sounds like a joke."

Mom narrowed her eyes. "You're defending her pretty hard. Are you Mackenzie?"

Barbara lunged, grabbing Brittany by the collar of her blazer.

Brittany shrieked, stumbling back. "No! I'm not her! Don't touch me! You people have no class!"

Other colleagues chimed in, calling my parents trashy and rude.

Funny thing about my family: we don't do "classy." We do effective.

Dad and Mom exchanged a look. Then they turned their suspicion on the entire lobby.

"We're here for Mackenzie. If you aren't her, shut up." "Anyone blocking me is an accomplice!"

Mom pointed a shaking finger at a woman with a bob cut. "You. Short hair. You look guilty. Are you Mackenzie?"

Dad turned to another woman. "Hey, big hair! You're the loudest one here. You must be Mackenzie!"

They went down the line, accusing everyone in sight.

Chaos erupted. Pedestrians stopped to watch. Phones came out. The crowd grew.

Chapter 6

The coworkers weren't about to take the fall for being a mistress.

To save their own skins, they physically shoved the real Mackenzie forward.

"Here she is! That's Mackenzie!"

Exposed to my parents' fury and the judgmental stares of the crowd, Mackenzies "cool girl" mask dissolved instantly.

She morphed into a fragile victim, head bowed, fingers fidgeting. "Mr. and Mrs uh, George, Barbara Adrian and I are just friends. Just bros."

She sniffled. "If you hate me that much, I'll just stop talking to him. Fine. But why come to my job and ruin my reputation?"

She looked up with teary eyes. "I get it. Kennedy sent you, didn't she? I didn't realize she was so petty."

She painted herself as the bullied saint, and my family as the villains.

My mom, Barbara, wasn't having it. She snorted and lunged, grabbing a handful of Mackenzies hair.

"Listen here, you little homewrecker. Ugly and fake? Pick a struggle." "What kind of 'bro' strips for her friend? What kind of 'bro' gropes her friend's junk? You kids are disgusting. Surprised you haven't caught something yet. And didn't you ask for this? Yesterday, you told my daughter you wanted to see what her parents looked like."

Barbara leaned in, grinning manically. "Well, here we are! Take a good look! Are you satisfied?"

The crowd murmured. The pieces clicked