Heather knows best.

I stood on the pavement for a few seconds, watching Rebecca's little hatchback disappear into the driveway next door. Even after she was gone, I could still feel the warmth of her kisses, and I hated how much of a smile kept threatening to appear on my face. I'd wanted that for years. I'd imagined it more times than I cared to admit, usually followed by the predictable fantasy that Rebecca would suddenly realise I was the love of her life, and we'd live happily ever after. Reality, as usual, had been considerably messier. I'd kissed her back. Enthusiastically, too. And the only reason I hadn't let things go further was that I'd eventually remembered Kat.

Eventually.

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered to myself, turning towards my front door and opening it. “I'm an idiot.”

“Talking to yourself now? That's a worrying development.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Heather was standing in the hallway with a glass of water in one hand, wearing an oversized university football jersey one of her many ex-boyfriends had left here. Her hair was tied up in a messy knot, and she had that familiar, irritating expression that suggested she'd been waiting her entire life for an opportunity to make fun of me.

“Do you have to do that?” I asked.

“Do what? Stand in my own house?” She took a sip of water. “Sorry. I'll try to make myself less visible next time.”

I closed the door behind me. “Where's Mom?”

“Out. She said something about seeing Auntie Claire, but honestly, I stopped listening after she told me not to eat the leftovers in the fridge.” Heather gave me a suspicious look. “Which, incidentally, I absolutely did.”

“I'm thrilled for you.”

“I thought you would be.” She started towards the kitchen, then paused and looked back at me, giving me the once-over from head to toe. “Hang on. Why do you look like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like someone has just informed you that your entire life is about to fall apart.” She narrowed her eyes. “Did something happen with Kat?”

I hesitated.

Heather's expression changed almost immediately. The smirk remained, but her attention sharpened. “Oh, something definitely happened with Kat.”

“Not exactly.”

“That's even worse. Come on, then. Out with it.”

“Can we talk for a minute?”

She blinked at me. It was probably the most serious thing I'd said to her all year, and she seemed momentarily unsure whether I was setting her up for a joke.

Then she put down her glass. “Yeah, obviously.”

There was something about the way she said it that made me feel a little less ridiculous. Heather could be an absolute nightmare when she wanted to be. She'd spent most of my life making fun of me, stealing my food, insulting my clothes, and reminding me of every embarrassing thing I'd ever done. She seemed to regard embarrassing her younger brother as a personal calling. But when something genuinely bothered me, she had a way of dropping the act.

Heading deeper into the house, we settled at the kitchen counter, and she pulled out the stool beside hers. For a moment, I stared down at my hands, trying to work out how to explain what had happened without making myself sound like a complete bastard.

Heather watched me for about ten seconds before sighing dramatically. “Right. I'm going to assume you haven't accidentally killed anyone, because you'd be considerably more panicked if you had. So, this is about a girl.”

I looked up.

“It's always about a girl with you lately,” she continued. “First Kat, then Rebecca, then Kat again. Honestly, watching you try to navigate romance is like watching a puppy attempt to climb a staircase.”

“Thanks. That's really helpful.”

“I'm warming up.” She nudged my arm. “Talk.”

“So, I went to the movies with Kat tonight, we got burgers afterwards, and I walked her home through the park where we fooled around a little.” It felt beyond strange to be telling Heather any of those sorts of details.

Heather grinned like the Cheshire Cat. “Go on.”

I took a breath. “Then, just now, Rebecca kissed me.”

Heather stopped smiling. “She what?”

“Rebecca. She kissed me. When she was dropping me home.”

“Ok, first off, I’m going to assume that both girls got you all bricked up without any release.”

“How did you…?” I didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence.

“Because it’s been poking right at me since the second you stepped in.” Heather lifted her leg and poked at my still present boner with her bare foot. Kicking out the small distance between us to get me in the hard dick.”

“Oof!” I grunted as she got me true.

“Which tells me you’ve been too stupid to use what little blood God gave you to work your brain!” Heather scolded me.

“I know.”

“You bloody well kissed her back, didn't you?”

I said nothing.

Heather threw her head back and stared at the ceiling. “Of course you did. Why wouldn't you? Your childhood crush finally makes a move on you, conveniently just as you start dating one of her friends. Because apparently your life wasn't complicated enough already.”

“Thank you, Heather. I really appreciate the support.” I groaned, still feeling the blow to my privates.

“I'm not finished.” She turned back to me, wagging a finger. “Did you at least have the decency to look conflicted while you were betraying your own best interests?”

“I'm not sure that's what happened.”

“Oh, good. He's already defending himself. We're making excellent progress.”

I couldn't help laughing despite myself, and the sound seemed to satisfy her. She leaned back on her stool, looking at me with a little more sympathy.

“Okay. Seriously. What happened?”

So I told her. Not every detail, certainly, but enough. Rebecca had admitted she was jealous of Kat. She'd told me she'd always assumed I'd be there for her, and that seeing me with someone else had made her realise things she hadn't thought about before. Then she'd kissed me, and I'd kissed her back. Things had become a little more intense than either of us had probably intended, and for a moment, I'd seriously considered going further.

“But you didn't?” Heather asked.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Kat.”

Heather nodded slowly.

“Good.”

I looked at her, surprised. “Good?”

“Yeah, good.” She shrugged. “I'm not saying kissing Rebecca was a brilliant decision, because it wasn't exactly your finest moment. But you stopped before you did something that would have made this even messier. That counts for something.”

“I feel like a terrible person.”

“You're not a terrible person. You're a confused person who has apparently decided that one romantic complication wasn't enough, so you had to add another.” She gave me a pointed look. “There's a difference.”

I rubbed a hand over my face. “I don't know what I'm supposed to do.”

For once, Heather didn't immediately make a joke. She studied me for a moment, then turned her stool so she was facing me properly. “Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“When Rebecca kissed you, did you want her to?”

I opened my mouth to answer, then closed it again.

Heather's eyebrows rose. “Oh, come on. You don't have to give me a detailed description of your feelings. I'm your sister, not a bloody therapist. Just answer the question.”

“Yes,” I admitted. “I wanted her to.”

“And when you kissed her back?”

“Yes.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

I gave her a look.

“Right, stupid question. You look like someone who's just discovered he's been given a second birthday.” She nudged my shoulder. “But here's the important bit. Do you want Rebecca, or do you want the idea of Rebecca? Because you've been in love with that girl for so long that I'm not entirely convinced you know the difference anymore.”

That shut me up.

Heather waited, apparently content to let the question hang there until I could give her an answer.

“I don't know,” I finally admitted. “She's always been the person I've wanted. I grew up next door to her. She's been part of my life for as long as I can remember. And now she's telling me she might want something more, and I can't just pretend that doesn't mean anything to me.”

“I wouldn't expect you to.”

“But Kat…” I sighed. “Kat is different. She actually wants to be with me. She doesn't treat my feelings like some embarrassing secret. She's interested in me, and we had a really good time together tonight. I like her. I genuinely do.”

Heather nodded. “Then don't dismiss that just because Rebecca has finally noticed you're a human being with a pulse.”

I laughed.

“I'm serious,” she said. “Rebecca's had you next door for years. She's had your attention, your friendship, and probably most of your spare time whenever she wanted it. Maybe she's finally realised she has feelings for you. Maybe she's jealous because someone else is getting the attention she's used to receiving from you. Those are two different things, and right now, you don't know which one it is.”

“She seemed pretty genuine.”

“Maybe she was.” Heather lifted one shoulder. “I'm not saying she isn't. I'm saying one kiss doesn't magically tell you whether she'd actually be happy in a relationship with you. You've spent years wanting her. She's had one evening of realising she might lose you. Give it some time before you decide that's the same thing.”

I sat back, letting her words settle. The possibility had crossed my mind, of course. Rebecca had always liked having me around. She liked my company, my attention, and the fact that I was usually available whenever she wanted something. But tonight had felt different. She'd been vulnerable with me in a way I hadn't seen before, and she'd looked genuinely hurt when I'd mentioned Kat. I didn't want to dismiss that as mere jealousy.

But Heather had a point. I couldn't assume Rebecca's feelings had suddenly become permanent just because she'd finally acted on them.

“So what do I do?” I asked.

Heather sighed and reached across the counter to steal one of the biscuits I'd left on a plate.

“First of all, stop looking at me like I'm going to provide you with a magical solution. I'm not. My own love life is hardly a shining example of success.”

“You could have fooled me.”

“Careful. I know where you sleep.”

I grinned, and she broke the biscuit in half.

“Secondly,” she continued, “you need to be honest with yourself about Kat. If you genuinely want to give things a go with her, then give things a go. Properly. Don't treat her like the girl you date while you wait for Rebecca to make up her mind.”

“I wouldn't do that.”

Heather gave me a look.

I sighed. “I don't want to do that.”

“Better.” She placed half the biscuit in front of me. “And don't lead Rebecca on, either. You can admit you have feelings for her without promising her anything. You can acknowledge that tonight meant something without letting her assume she's already won.”

I glanced at her. “You make it sound easy.”

“Oh, it isn't. It's going to be horribly awkward.” She grinned. “Especially because you live next door to her, so you can't even avoid her without taking up a new hobby like international travel.”

I laughed, but the thought made my stomach tighten. Rebecca wasn't someone I could casually remove from my life. Even if I'd wanted to, our lives had been intertwined for too long. We'd see each other over the fence, in the street, at family barbecues, and whenever she decided she needed someone to accompany her on an entirely unnecessary shopping trip. And now we'd have this between us.

“What if I hurt one of them?” I asked quietly.

Heather's expression softened. “You probably will, if you keep stumbling around without thinking about what you're doing.”

“Really reassuring.”

“I'm trying to be honest with you.” She reached over and squeezed my arm. “Look, you can't guarantee nobody gets hurt. Relationships are messy. People have feelings, they change their minds, and sometimes two people want different things. What you can do is try not to be selfish about it. Don't make promises you aren't ready to keep, and don't keep someone hanging around because you're scared of losing your chance with someone else.”

I looked down at the biscuit between my fingers. “I don't want to lose Rebecca.”

“I know.”

“And I don't want to hurt Kat.”

“I know that, too.”

“That's kind of the problem.”

Heather gave me a small smile. “Yeah. Welcome to adulthood. It's mostly just making decisions that upset somebody and then trying to work out whether you can live with the consequences.”

“That sounds awful.”

“It is. The food's better, though.”

I shook my head, laughing, and she grinned before her expression became serious again.

“Listen to me.” She reached across and caught my wrist, making sure I looked at her. “You don't have to decide the rest of your life tonight. You don't even have to decide who you want to be with forever. You just have to decide what you can honestly offer people right now. If that's giving Kat a proper chance, do that. If you eventually realise you want Rebecca instead, then deal with that honestly when you know. But don't confuse wanting someone with being ready to build something with them.”

I stared at her.

“What?” she demanded. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing. That was actually good advice.”

She recoiled in mock horror. “Don't say that. You'll ruin my reputation.”

“Sorry. You're an awful person and a terrible sister.”

“Much better.” She released my wrist, then ruffled my hair as I tried to duck away. “Honestly, you're lucky you have me. Without my guidance, you'd probably have proposed to Rebecca in primary school and spent the rest of your life wondering why she said no.”

“I was eight!”

“And yet somehow, you've learned nothing.”

I laughed, pushing her hand away. For a moment, I felt lighter. The situation was still a mess, and I still didn't know what I wanted to happen next, but at least I'd managed to say it all out loud to someone who knew me well enough to understand why Rebecca mattered so much.

Heather picked up her glass again, taking a sip before looking at me over the rim. “One more thing.”

“There's always one more thing.”

“Did Rebecca actually tell you she wanted to be with you, or did she just kiss you and offer you a good fuck?”

I nearly choked on my biscuit. “Heather!”

“What? It's a perfectly reasonable question.”

“She didn't put it quite like that.”

“But she didn't actually ask you to be her boyfriend, did she?”

I hesitated.

Heather nodded solemnly. “Thought so.”

“She told me she had feelings for me.”

“Then that's what she told you. Feelings. Not a relationship. Not a promise. Not some grand declaration that she's finally realised you're the love of her life.” She pointed the half-eaten biscuit at me. “Don't fill in the gaps with what you've spent years hoping she'd say.”

That one hit harder than I expected. Because she was right. I'd wanted Rebecca for so long that a part of me was already trying to turn tonight into something bigger than it had actually been. I'd kissed her, she'd kissed me back, and she'd admitted that she'd been jealous. It meant something, certainly. But it didn't necessarily mean she was ready to be with me. And Kat was still there, waiting for the date we'd promised each other.

“Thanks,” I said quietly.

Heather's face softened again. “Anytime.”

Then, because she was Heather and couldn't let a sincere moment survive for more than a few seconds, she leaned forward and punched me in the chest.

“But if you make me sit through another speech about how you've ruined your life because two pretty girls like you, I'm charging you for emotional support.”

“Two pretty girls? You sound almost impressed.”

“Don't push your luck. I'm still trying to work out how you managed to get one.”

I threw a biscuit wrapper at her. She dodged it, laughing, and for a few minutes we fell back into the familiar rhythm of insulting each other until the weight in my chest became a little easier to bear.

Heather finally said, “And if you need to talk again, come and find me. Even if it's the middle of the night.”

I smiled. “I will.”

“Good. Now come and take care of that thing you’ve got going on.”