My brother's name was Pierre, and I found out about him when I was fourteen years old. He was fully my brother – not my half-brother or adopted brother. My parents had him when they were twenty-one, and they weren't prepared – mentally or financially – to raise a child. So they gave him up. When he grew up, he sought out our parents even though he was adopted into a loving family. Our parents were happy to hear from him but didn't want to take him away from his adopted family, so they had minimal contact with him. But when I learned about Pierre, I was desperate to meet him, so I found him. We'd become close, and I'd loved having a sibling, but he gradually became busier with his job and we weren't able to see each other as much.

As I looked at him now, though, it felt like yesterday we were playing cards in his flat or going sailing together. "What are you doing here, Pierre?"

"I came to see you." His voice was calm and collected, but I heard the emotion brewing beneath it.

"Only now?" I said harshly.

"I've been... busy," he said, looking away.

"Busy." My voice was flat and blunt. "For almost four months?"

Pierre shook his head. "That was a shit excuse. I'm sorry. But it's all I've got."

I stared at him for a while until he finally met my gaze. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"I didn't, not for sure. But I knew you loved this place. You came here all the time with... them." He couldn't even say our parents. And I hated him for it.

Neither of us spoke for a while. We used to be able to talk for hours on end, and we got on so well despite the eight-year age gap. Finally I said, "You didn't come to the funeral."

Pierre's face was full of remorse. "I know. I'm so sorry. But I wasn't sure if... I should have come."

"Of course you should have come." My voice cracked and my eyes began to burn. "They were your parents, too."

"I know," he repeated. "I know. And I don't know what I can do to make it better."

"You could have been there," I said fiercely.

"I should have been there. For you. For them." Pierre sighed. "I tried to get in contact with you afterwards, Lil."

I crossed my arms and glared in him. "I blocked you after you didn't show up at the funeral. God, Pierre, I was so mad."

"And you had every right to be."

"So many people came. So many people that just don't matter. Family friends I haven't seen in years." I could feel my throat closing up, my hands beginning to shake. "I had to – I had to speak. In front of all those people. All those people I didn't care about and you weren't there." A tear rolled down my cheek and I angrily wiped it away.

His expression was full of pain. "Honestly, Lil, I didn't think I deserved to be there," he admitted. "I didn't..." Pierre sighed and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I should have tried harder with them."

When they were alive. The unspoken words hung in the air. And the reminder of my parents' death was like a punch in the gut. "It's... it's been really hard," I said in a small voice, my anger fading. I didn't have the energy to be angry at him anymore. "These past months... I didn't know how I was going to make it through."

Pierre's shoulders sagged. "I'm so sorry. I... can't imagine how hard it's been for you. I only knew them for a few years. But you...they raised you. They loved you."

"I'm aware," I snapped, my anger rising back up.

Pierre didn't flinch at my tone. He'd never been one to argue or shout at people. "They loved you," he repeated. "And they would have wanted me to... be there for you. Which I wasn't. And I am so, so sorry."

I believed he was sorry. I was still mad at him for not coming to see me sooner, but...he was my brother. I may not have been brought up with him, and I had only known him for three years, but he was the only family I had left. And I did love him. I felt my face crumple as a sob choked out of me.

And then he was there, wrapping his arms around me in a bear hug, making me feel safe in the way only family can. I hugged him back as I began to cry, my body trembling as tear after tear soaked the shoulder of Pierre's smart jacket. He didn't seem to care. He only squeezed me tighter.

"I miss them so much," I sobbed. I hadn't realised how alone I had felt. Having a sibling there, a link, something to hold onto, it made things... more bearable. Someone who knew what you were going through. Pierre didn't know exactly what I was going through, but they were his parents, too. He still had a loving family to go back to, and I supposed I had the Moore's. It wasn't the same, but it was something.

After a long hug and a lot of crying on my end, we sat down and we talked. And talked. There was so much to catch up on.

The last time I'd seen Pierre was a few weeks before mum and dad died. At that point he'd had a fancy job in Human Resources, and he informed me now that he was on the up. He'd always been ambitious but also so caring, which was why he was good at his job. He asked me what I'd been doing in the summer – I told him I spent most of my time working at Melissa's. I told him about living with the Moore's. I told him about my friends, the secrets they'd been keeping. And I told him about Joseph.

Pierre frowned as I talked about Joseph, and it may have been weird that I was telling my brother about a boy, but I used to talk to him about my boy problems. It felt normal. And he often gave good advice. With Joseph, though, he said nothing.

He updated me about his long-term girlfriend – her name was Hannah, and I'd met her, and she was lovely. They lived together, and now they were getting a dog. Pierre told me that he was thinking about proposing soon. He showed me pictures of the dog they were getting, and it was adorable.

And then Pierre dropped a bit of a bombshell. Usually he worked up in Bristol – a good 2-hour drive from here – but he'd been offered a job in the same company in Exeter. A mere 30-minute drive from Newacre. Which meant that...

"I'm moving down here," Pierre said, a small smile on his face. "With Hannah. She's always wanted to live by the sea, anyway. We both love this town." He paused, searching my gaze. "I want you to come and live with us."

I immediately opened my mouth to object, but Pierre carried on, holding up a hand. "I know, mum and dad put the Moore's as the family for you to stay with, but only until you turned eighteen. Then it's your choice. And you should come and live with us."

I had been wanting to move out after I turned eighteen. "But...surely I would be intruding? Won't you and Hannah want to live just the two of you, especially if you're going to propose soon?"

"Hannah adores you," Pierre told me. "I've already asked her about it, and she's more than happy. Besides, you'll be going to university next year, so you'll barely even be there. We want you to live with us."

I thought for a moment. There were so many reasons why it wouldn't work. "But... money. Could we afford somewhere plus bills and everything?"

"There is no 'we' in that," he said, shaking his head. "You are not helping to buy a place, and you won't be paying the bills. You're seventeen, Lil. Me and Hannah both have a steady income, we're adults. You're still a student. We would be looking after you."

I chewed on my lower lip. "I would feel so guilty, making you both pay for everything for me."

"I know you would, but that's just your nature. There would be no reason to feel guilty at all. Seriously."

The idea of going to live with Pierre was sounding more and more appealing. "Where would you get a place?"

"In town, probably. Maybe with a view of the sea. Just a two-bedroom flat, nothing extravagant. Will you be annoyed if I tell you I've already looked for one?" A guilty smile crossed his face.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You were thinking ahead."

"I didn't want to say it if there wasn't anything concrete. I've planned it all out, Lil." Pierre leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "It'll work. I promise you."

I exhaled slowly. My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket, and I took it out, glancing at the screen. My heart stumbled. It was a message from Joseph, asking if everything was okay.

"It's late. I have to get home," I said, standing up. Pierre frowned.

"Do you always go home by yourself when it's late?"

I shrugged. "Well, yeah. But Newacre is so safe, Pierre."

"I'm driving you," he stated, getting his keys out of his pocket. "No debate."

I scowled, even though he was actually being helpful. "Fine."

When he dropped me off at the Moore's house, he said teasingly, "You better unblock me on your phone, now."

"Yeah, yeah."

"So?" Pierre questioned before I got out. "Will you come and live with us?"

I pressed my lips together. "I should probably talk to the Moore's about it."

"But do you want to? Live with us, that is."

I slowly nodded. "Yeah. I do."

He grinned. "Then there's no issue. Problem solved."

I rolled my eyes at him, but I was smiling. Living with my big brother... that was the way it should have been. It was right.

"I'm in town for a couple of days. Maybe I should come and meet the Moore family?" Pierre suggested as I opened the car door.

I paused. "Is that because you want to meet the family I'm living with, or because your big brother instinct is kicking in and you really just want to size up Joseph?"

"Can it be both?"

"You have to be nice," I said sternly.

"I'm always nice. But Lil–" I turned back to face him. His face was serious. "Just... be careful. With Joseph. I don't know him or anything about him, but you live with him. He's your best friend's brother. Things could get messy."

I nodded. "I know."

"Okay." He sighed and faced the road. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, probably."

"Yeah."

I waved him off as he drove away before making my way into the house. I felt conflicted. I wanted to tell Joseph about Pierre, but I also knew that that would kind of... kill the vibe we'd built up for tonight. And I'd been so looking forward to tonight. Joseph and me, just us two in the house.

Inside, Joseph was sitting at the kitchen table, drawing, earphones in. He didn't hear me as I shut the door behind me. I walked up behind him and glanced over his shoulder at what he was drawing. When I saw what it was, a full-blown smile stretched across my face.

"You're drawing me!" I exclaimed, and Joseph jumped, hitting his elbow on the table in the process.

"Lily, Jesus Christ!" He pulled out his earphones and gave me an indignant look, rubbing his arm. "You scared the shit out of me."

I shrugged slightly. "Sorry. I just got very excited when I saw that you were drawing me."

Joseph glanced back at his picture, seeming to only just remember it. "Uh... I'm not." He turned over the piece of paper.

"You are." I was still grinning widely. A reluctant smile crept across Joseph's face.

"Okay, maybe I was." He stood, blocking me from the picture. "But you can't see."

I stuck my lower lip out as I looked up at him. "Why?"

"You just can't."

I gave a loud sigh and trailed a hand up Joseph's chest. "You know, you're almost as stubborn as me."

His mouth twitched. "Almost, but not quite."

I scowled and began to turn away, but Joseph took my hand and spun me back towards him. He placed a hand on the side of my face and dipped his head down, kissing me softly. "Hi."

"Hi," I whispered, a small smile on my face as Joseph grazed my cheek with his thumb.

"You're back late," Joseph murmured.

"I know." I didn't want to lie to Joseph about why I got delayed. "I..." I frowned and looked down. Nobody knew about Pierre. I didn't even tell Alice when I found out about him. I'd wanted it to be our secret. But Joseph and I had shared so much with each other, and what did I have to lose, really? "I have to tell you something."

Joseph narrowed his eyes and his thumb stilled on my cheek. "Okay."

"So... it's not a big deal. But, um..." How did I phrase this? "I'm late back because I ran into my brother."

His brows flew up in surprise. "Did you just say your brother?"

"Yeah." I pulled away and ran a hand through my hair. "It's... kind of a long story." I gave him a quick explanation of how I found out about Pierre a few years ago, and how much we bonded, and then his absence when our parents died. At some point in the story, we'd moved to the sofa, me sitting with my legs draped over Joseph's lap.

"So, he wants me to come and live with him. When I turn eighteen," I finished.

Joseph nodded slowly. "Huh. You want to?"

I shrugged. "I mean... yeah, I do. He's..." I swallowed. "He's family."

He traced patterns on my knee. "Makes sense. It's a far better option than you going to live in a flat by yourself like you were going to."

I'd forgotten I'd told Joseph about my original plan, which, thinking about now, had a whole lot of problems. "Yeah, honestly I'm not totally sure why I thought that was a good idea."

A slight smile crossed his face briefly. "You can't even cook. You wouldn't have lasted a week."

I hit him with a cushion. "You underestimate how long I can survive on microwave meals."

Joseph chuckled and threw the cushion off the sofa. "Wouldn't be very good for you."

"Maybe not." I shuffled even closer to Joseph, who reached across my waist to tug me towards him. "I told Pierre about you."

He tilted his head to look at me. "What did you say?"

"Um..." I frowned slightly. I'd said quite a lot about Joseph to my brother. "I told him who you were, and how over time we became closer, and..." I twisted my hands together in my lap. "And how I feel about you. And how important you are to me."

His hand tightened on my waist. "Is that so." His fingers began to make lazy circles. "And how do you feel about me?"

I rolled my eyes. "You really need me to say it?"

"It'd be nice."

I sighed dramatically and met Joseph's eyes. How was I supposed to say how I felt about Joseph? It was impossible to put into words. "Well..." I swallowed. "You're... you're one of the most important people to me. In the world." I could feel my heart beating faster as I talked. "You're someone who... I was never supposed to feel this way about. Someone who's been there for me. You've made me feel hope when I couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. You've made me feel safe, and you've made me feel strong. And I didn't think I would ever feel that way again."

Joseph searched my gaze, lips parted. He didn't say anything.

"Okay, your turn," I said quickly, looking down at my hands.

Joseph put a finger under my chin and tilted my head up, his eyes intense. My breathing quickened. His gaze dropped down to my lips before he began to talk. "Do you remember when you asked me what you meant to me? The night of the thunderstorm?"

I nodded. Of course I remembered. It had been a moment I'd thought about for days after. It seemed like so long ago now.

"I didn't have an answer for you then." A crease formed between his eyebrows as he skimmed a thumb over my bottom lip. "At least, not one I could have told you."

"And now?" I murmured.

"Now..." Joseph exhaled slowly, his eyes flickering up to mine. "Lily...you see me. I don't know how else to put it. You inspire me, you encourage me to do what I love, even if you're ridiculously stubborn about it sometimes." I scowled and his mouth twitched. "You accept me, and you make me feel like... like I can do anything." My scowl faded as he talked. Hearing him say these things... that light shined inside me again. Joseph brushed my hair back from my face, his eyes running over my features. His voice was low as he said, "You're everything to me, Lily."

A slow smile spread across my face. I leaned towards him and brushed my lips lightly against his. And then I said, my voice barely a whisper, "You're everything to me, too."