AITA for refusing to give my brother back the birthday gift he gave me after his girlfriend got mad?
My brother gave me an espresso machine for my birthday. Not like a tiny cheap one, it was a good one that he said he never used anyway because he mostly buys coffee outside. I was pretty excited because I’ve been wanting one.
He told me it had just been sitting boxed up in their storage closet since they moved apartments, so I didn’t think anything weird of it.
A week later he and his girlfriend came over for dinner. We were all in the kitchen after eating and she noticed it on my counter. She got quiet and asked if that was their espresso machine. I said yeah, my brother gave it to me for my birthday. She said she had bought it for their apartment and it wasn’t his to give away.
I looked at my brother and he immediately got awkward. Later I texted him asking if he actually owned it. He said it was complicated, but she barely used it and he thought she wouldn’t care. Then he asked if I could just give it back so he didn’t have to deal with the fight.
I said no, because now I’m involved in something I didn’t ask to be involved in, and if he gave away something that wasn’t his, he needs to replace it for her. He said I’m making his relationship worse over a coffee machine and that family should be more understanding.
His girlfriend also messaged me saying she doesn’t blame me but she wants it back. I feel bad for her, but I also feel like returning it just lets him make this my problem.
AITA for keeping the gift?