Ryan's POV

Having my work completed, I closed the laptop and my mind immediately shifted to Evan. After that night, he was in a very bad condition. Brae's constant rejection was demoralising him but her last words really did it.

He is again drowning himself in work, not caring for anyone including himself and is always in a bitter mood, snapping at everyone for the pettiest of reasons. His current state was reminding me of the time when he was slipping into depression after his breakup.

I didn't want him to pass through that same phase all over again but staying away from Brae will never help him. He isn't torturing Brae like last time. In fact he ignores Brae like she doesn't exist because he gets more hurt each time he hurts her.

I looked at the watch waiting for Brielle. She had called me last night saying that she wanted to talk to me and that she wanted nobody to know about it, not even Brae. Though confused, I agreed anyway.

Brielle….. Brae's sister. I had seen her last at the time of Evan and Brae's wedding. She looked a lot different now from earlier. She looked more beautiful than what I remember or maybe that gold digging girlfriend of mine, Anna had blinded me at that time.

When I saw Brielle in the club that night, my eyes were struck at her. In that metallic green dress showing all her beautiful curves, she was bound to attract the eyes of everyone. I so wanted to put a jacket around her to protect her from the eyes of all the men there.

When Evan and Brae left together, I insisted on taking her home. Though she hesitated initially, I would have never left her to get back home alone at night. I was lost in my thoughts when the bell rang.

I got up to open the door and there she was. She was wearing a floral dress, her hair let down in natural waves. The innocence on her face made me want to protect her from everything in the world which was kind of weird. I knew I was staring at her face too long but I couldn't bring myself to look away.

"Uhm… Hi!" My unmoving gaze must have made her uneasy.

"Hi! Come in please." I moved away letting her in and closed the door behind us. I led her to the living room, she trailing behind me. She had a small frame which in fact made her look cute.

"What would you like? Coffee, tea , anything else?" I offered to try to be a polite host.

"Water will be fine. Thank you." I nodded and went off to bring her a glass of water. I placed the tray with water and a plate of cookies in front of her. She took the glass in her hand but instead of drinking, she was nervously tapping her fingers on the glass like she was preparing to say something. I kept quiet, waiting for when she would be ready to speak up.

"I have something to tell you." She blurted out as if she was rehearsing this line in her head.

"And I am listening to you." She still looked hesitant.

"First promise me that you're going to listen to everything I say without interrupting or bursting out. I am already nervous." She really looked nervous with her forehead creased, her fingers fiddling with each other.

"Okay, fine. I am listening."

…………………..

"I can't believe this!" I said in shock. Never in my life would I have believed this story if I hadn't seen Brae's unusual behaviour.

To know that Kate is behind all this, seems so unreal but this story actually fits. It really justifies all of Brae's actions but Kate was there in Evan's thick and thin and all this information was too much .

"I know. Kate is your friend and you don't have a reason to believe it but I have no other proof to give you other than my words." There was an expression of helplessness on her face.

"Why are you telling me this? I mean why now after all this time?" She shook her head at that.

"Brae is scared for me and she wouldn't let me say it to anyone but now I'm done with all this. I haven't seen her so sad in years and I want to do something about this." I could totally relate to what she said because Evan had been no better.

"What are you thinking?" I looked at her and subconsciously nodded.

"You're saying that Kate had threatened Brae in the office last time. We can check the CCTV footage of the day when Kate came back." I suggested.

"Yes, you're right. We can do that." She looked hopeful.

…………….

"We can't hear what they are saying but I trust Brae. I know that she is much better than what she has been portraying herself to be." Whatever I said was true. The trust I had in Brae was much more than that in anyone else.

"Are you going to show this to Evan?" Bri looked worriedly at me.

"I will."

Evan's POV

"Evan. I have something important to tell you." I didn't raise my head to look at him.

"Not now Ryan, I have a lot of work to-" I cut myself off as he shut my laptop off.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I gritted, my anger rising. These days, all it took was a snap of a finger to make me angry.

"What I have to say is very important." He crossed his arms across his chest and looked back with the same intensity. I sighed, irritated.

"What is it about that's so important?" I was annoyed to be disturbed between work.

"Brae." I clenched my eyes shut at that. She was the last person I wanted to talk about now. No matter what I could never erase her from my mind but not reminding me of her would have been good I guess.

"I don't want to hear whatever you have to say." I gritted my teeth in annoyance.

"You need to listen. You don't want to know why she left you three years back ?" My head immediately snapped towards him. Was he joking? How could he possibly know that when I have been trying for days?

"What do you mean?"

……………..

"What does this video even prove ? We can't even hear what they are saying." I gave him the phone back. I didn't know how to accuse Kate. Even thinking of being betrayed by such a close friend was putting me at great unease.

"Tell me what has Kate got to say to Brae? She has no business with her then why is she there?" Ryan tried reasoning but I wasn't ready to accept. How could I when she was there with me in my ups and downs? I had considered myself lucky to have such a friend in my life and all of a sudden I couldn't just blame her. I needed more than that to believe it.

"I don't know but I just can't mistrust Kate like that. She had always been there for me when I needed a friend. " I let out my mind.

"Are you not believing Brae?" He looked more hurt than Brae would have been at my words. I exhaled.

"How will I believe Brae? She is not even saying anything. What is there to believe at all?" I was frustrated with her constant escapes and vague answers and was honestly tired to follow her around.

"Okay fine, you need more proof, I will try to get it but unless then, you aren't going to speak a word about this to Kate." I nodded at his serious face. It was the rarest of times when I had seen him this serious.

"Deal."