joel knew he shouldn’t be feeling this. god, he really shouldn’t. having feelings for his own brother’s girlfriend? that was wrong—foul, even. crossing a line he didn’t ever want to think about crossing. he told himself over and over, but that didn’t stop the way his chest tightened whenever you were around.

and oh, the moment his eyes caught yours as you walked into a room… it was like a spark set something alive inside him. something dangerous, messy, and completely out of line. watching you with tommy? seeing the easy way you laughed at his brother’s jokes, the way you leaned into him without a second thought… it cut him sharper than he wanted to admit.

jealousy. that was the word that burned at the back of his mind. it wasn’t just annoyance or fleeting irritation—it was something deeper, something that twisted his gut and left a bitter taste in his mouth. and the worst part? he couldn’t stop himself from staring, couldn’t stop himself from imagining what it would feel like if it were him in tommy’s place.

he hated that he thought about it. hated that it made him feel guilty, conflicted, and alive all at once. but no matter how much he tried to shove it down, push it aside… the second you were in the same room, all that control slipped away, leaving him raw, exposed, and painfully aware of how much he wanted something he could never have.

"good mornin'." he spoke, before sipping a cup of coffee.