Chapter one:

"Don't you think that you may be rushing into things?" Ria peered over at her older brother, Reid. The topic of his love life was indeed a sore one, but one that urgently needed broaching.

"Rushing into what, exactly?" Reid replied. He was kneeling over, desperately trying to finish packing his suitcase for his upcoming romantic trip to Bali where he planned to propose to his girlfriend, Lydia. This was something that Reid should have done at least two weeks ago. He visibly cringed as he recalled Lydia shrieking at him over the phone earlier that same day regarding his tardiness.

"Reid," Ria called out her brother's name. She needed his full attention if she was going to seriously place the seed of doubt into his mind. She allowed her eyes to wander over to Blaine, her brother's best friend. Blaine's entire muscular body was situated on top of the suitcase, whilst Reid attempted to zip the overflowing bag.

Ria sighed as she vacated her spot on the sofa, strolling over to the two men to show them where they were going wrong.

"Ria," Reid replied absent-mindedly.

"Lesson number one, if you roll the clothes instead of folding them, you can fit more into the suitcase without a problem. Look," Ria demonstrated her point to the two bemused men beside her. "Lesson number two, you don't rush into a marriage less than six months after a failed relationship." It was a topic that should have been discussed weeks ago, months even, but Ria hadn't had the heart to discuss it with Reid.

"I'm not rushing into it...but when you know, you know, right? Isn't that what they all say?" Reid responded surprisingly calmly. He wiped the back of his hand over his naturally tanned forehead, where several tiny beads of sweat had accumulated from the strain of the packing.

"Mate, this isn't an early 2000s rom-com. This is a matter of your life, or rather your lack of life once you marry Lydia. That woman's going to have your balls in a chokehold." Blaine interluded, placing both his hands into a fist, one on top of the other, and mimicking a strong rotatory motion to reinforce his point.

Reid cringed in response, turning away from Blaine. "She's not all that bad...is she, Ria? You'd like her as a sister-in-law, wouldn't you?" He asked genuinely.

Ria looked between the two, caught off-guard by the question. "Well, actually I —"

She was rudely interrupted by Blaine's howling laughter.

"You're kidding, right? Are you talking about the same Lydia that bullied your little sister through the high school? The Lydia that convinced everyone that Ria had an Onlyfans account? The Lydia who-"

"Blaine! Shut up! You are not helping." Ria pointed an angry finger toward Blaine. "All that is in the past, honest. I don't...I don't mind, Lydia. I don't know if she's the right woman for you, especially since your breakup with Indiya is so fresh." Ria continued, providing Reid with a more diplomatic answer than Blaine had.

"Plus, Lydia kind of looks like Indiya too. Some may say you're not over your relationship with Indiya." Blaine interrupted again.

Ria shot an angry look at Blaine. She found him to be utterly unbearable sometimes.

"What? I mean, I'm not saying that! Of course not. Not at all, I don't think that. Not even one bit. Honestly. I'm just saying that some people may think that." Blaine unsuccessfully tried to rescue the situation.

"They don't look anything alike. Lydia is blonde, and Indiya is brunette." Reid responded, rolling his eyes at the two. "Blaine, they're not even the same race."

"Yes, but if you squint your eyes really hard- "

"Blaine! Shut it, please." Ria placed her hands together pleadingly, silently wishing he would not interrupt the conversation any further.

"Look, I appreciate you both looking out for me. But I love Lydia. And me proposing to her tomorrow has nothing to do with...Indiya. Indiya will always be...important to me but what I feel for Lydia is... it's special, you know? And it would be great if my baby sister and best friend supported me and made more effort with my soon-to-be wife." Reid replied. He hoped it was enough to convince the two that it was Lydia he wanted. After all, it was Lydia who he would propose to tomorrow night.

"She hasn't even said yes yet...." Blaine murmured in the background.

Ria threw daggers at Blaine, again silently urging him to be quiet. "You're right, Reid. I'm sorry; we just want to ensure you're not making a mistake you're gonna regret for the rest of your life."

"I know. You've always got my best interests at heart. Hey, when did you become so wise?" He playfully punched the side of her shoulder.

Blaine scoffed. "Wise? Are you forgetting the time that I had to risk my own life because Ria decided that she didn't mind getting caught in a stampede while she attempted to give the love of her life Justin Bieber a valentine's day card at that concert?"

"Blaine, that was like ten years ago. I was literally eleven years old. And nobody asked you to come to my rescue." Ria clapped back, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly at Blaine. A strand of warm chestnut-hued hair escaped from the bun that was situated on Ria's head. She quickly brushed it behind her ear.

"Jesus, kids these days. Never thankful." Blaine mockingly responded, a hint of a laugh behind his every word. Soft crinkles formed around his eyes as he spoke, complimenting the grey storm clouds that formed his pupils.

"Oi you, behave." Reid chuckled jokingly. Blaine and Ria's constant bickering was as amusing as it was irritating. "Listen, Ria, I've asked Blaine to pop in daily to check in on you while I'm gone. It's the longest you'll have ever been on your own. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"You're joking? Please, tell me you're kidding. I'm twenty-one years old. I don't need a babysitter, especially someone as incompetent as Blaine. I don't know if you've forgotten, but I have a whole ass degree. I'm a junior apprentice at a law firm, and I single-handedly have my own clothing business on the side." Ria provided a brief autobiography to her brother to establish her competence.

Blaine coughed whilst muttering, "daddy's business."

Ria widened her eyes in horror before opening her mouth to defend herself.

"Alright, save it, Elon Musk. I'll have you know I'm not that incompetent. I babysit Marcus and Mia from time to time." Blaine objected, his hands flying up in defence.

"Yes, because they are your niece and nephew. Your four-year-old niece and nephew, might I add." Ria replied through gritted teeth. Ria knew older brothers were protective over their sisters, but even she could not believe her brother would infantilise her like this.

"It's not because I don't trust you. I just...I need to know you're okay." Reid replied, feeling slightly guilty at his decision but standing his ground, regardless.

"And I will be. You know I will be. Hazel is coming to stay over, and Indiya said she'd come over from time to time too." Ria argued back. Both she and Blaine exchanged looks as they noticed the slight wince that emerged from Reid's mouth at the mention that his ex-girlfriend Indiya would be at their house in his absence.

"It's just that after everything...with dad. I just need to know. You get that, don't you, Ria?" Reid said the words gently. Reid knew he could easily win every argument by mentioning their late father, and this time was no different. It was always a soft spot for both the siblings.

"I'll be thirty, and you'll still worry about me." Ria jokingly responded, the threat of tears looming. She allowed herself to be enveloped in her brother's arms as they exchanged goodbyes, any emblem of humour leaving.

"Always. It's my job to protect you." Reid gently pecked the top of his sister's head.

Blaine and Reid loaded the back of the car with Reid's luggage, the two men childishly squabbling over who could carry the heavier suitcase.

Once the car was fully loaded, and Ria had run through the necessities for the sixth time to ensure her brother had not forgotten anything, Reid popped his head out of the window and yelled, "you better look after my baby sister, yeah."

"I promise to protect her with my life as long as you can protect your balls from Lydia," Blaine chuckled, his arm finding residence over Ria's shoulder.

Ria rolled her eyes, "I promise to behave and live like a nun for the next three weeks."

"You better, or I'll kill you," Reid yelled out jokingly before waving over to the two of them.

Once all traces of Reid were gone, Blaine turned around to Ria with a cheeky grin on his face, "These three weeks are going to be the best of your life. That's the only promise I'll be keeping."

----

Please vote, comment and follow x