Travis lunged at me, knocking me onto my back. “Charlie, you’re sohandsome.”
“Charlie, you’re so cute.” Ollie climbed on his brother’s back, and I wheezed out a laugh. “You’re the nicest boy I’ve ever met. Kiss me, Charlie.”
I smacked Travis’s shoulder with the palm of my hand. “You’re crushing me, you ogre!”
“Charlie, Charlie, Charlie!” Travis sang the name as he snickered, his fingers finding my ribs to tickle me. “Did he kiss you yet?”
Ollie made a raspberry sound. “Do you love him yet, Jones?”
I roared with laughter at my two best friends. “You’re both ridicules.”
But I’d missed them, and I was glad they were home. I had so much to tell them. About Charlie, about Mama, and about what had happened while they were on vacation. They wouldn’t judge me or get upset. They would try to help me figure everything out.
“I missed you guys.” I tried to wrap my arms around both of my friends, which was nearly impossible, but it kind of worked.
Ollie sighed loudly. “You’re such a big mush now that you’re all loved up. When do we get to meet him? But we missed you, too.”
My heart shot into my throat. Would they get to meet Charlie? I wasn’t sure how that would work with everything that had happened. “I—”
“Come on, lazybones. Get up and shower so we can go out. I miss the dirt bike. It’s been forever! We can go get something to eat. You can tell us all about your Charlie while we tell you more about our trip. It’ll be fun.” Travis nearlyknocked Ollie off the bed when he sat up, and when his brother started laughing, I couldn’t help but join in.
Having my best friends home was exactly what I needed to get my mind off everything that was going on.
“I’ll wash up super quick,” I assured them both.
***
“He’s going to be your stepbrother!” Travis exclaimed, which caused a couple of the nosey gray-haired old ladies in the restaurant we were eating at to look over in alarm. “Wow, Jones, that is so naughty. I’m really proud of you. I never thought you had it in you.”
I ducked my head as heat flamed my cheeks. “Could you not be so loud? The entire town doesn’t need to know about my love life.”
“Are you embarrassed?” Ollie asked as he stabbed a fork into his massive stack of pancakes and took a bite. “I mean, you’re not actually related, so what’s the big deal?”
I glanced over at the old ladies who were still staring at our table. “Gosh, no, I’m not embarrassed, I just... Not everyone knows I’m... You know.”
“That you’re gay?” Travis offered, and again, he was so loud I was sure the entire restaurant heard him.
I groaned as I dropped my head back against the booth. I wanted to just die. Disappear through a hole in the floor and never be seen again. I hadn’t officially come out to anyone other than my best friends, Mama, and Charlie. Now everyone here knew it, so that would mean thewhole town would by the end of the night. People would start treating me differently. Like I had cooties.
“Is this why you’re not answering any of my texts?” My head shot up at the sound of Charlie’s voice.
I took in the way narrowed his brown eyes, his pinched lips, and how his nostrils flared. His entire body was stiff as he waited for me to respond to him.
Ollie nearly fell out of the booth trying to stand up. “Oh, wait, you’re him. You’re Jones’s Charlie.” He stuck out his hand. “Oliver Haley, but you can call me Ollie. This is my brother, Travis.”
“You’re the best friends.” Charlie’s shoulders relaxed as he took Ollie’s outstretched hand. “I heard so much about both of you.” A smile spread over his face.
Travis kicked my leg under the table.“Invite him to sit down with us,”he mouthed.
I wanted to. I wanted nothing more than for Charlie to have breakfast with us, but what if someone saw? What if that same someone told Mama that a stranger was eating with us, and she figured it out? Then she’d kick me out, I’d be homeless, and then what would happen? I’d have to live on the beach under the docks like some loser. I couldn’t handle that.
“Jonesy?” Charlie was staring at me with confusion written all over his handsome face.
I grimaced. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I asked if it would be all right if I joined you and your friends for a little while. I already had breakfast.” Charlie’s brown eyes looked sohopeful.
Against my better judgement, I nodded. He gave me a big smile and slid into the booth next to me, his warm hand landing on my thigh. It felt right. It felt perfect, and I couldn’t stop myself from placing my hand on top of his.
