A flush rises in Kellan’s cheeks. I try not to stare, but that’s impossible when he’s around. The new vulnerability draws me in. Why have I never seen this part of him before? It’s real.
A moment of rising tension passes. Lockers slam as the guys gather their belongings and head out. A few are still showering. The game starts in an hour. Terry’s house is only fifteen minutes away, but we all like to pre-game beforehand. Watching a game is better while buzzed.
Sebastian squeezes Kellan harder, making him wince. I step forward with the intention of interfering when Kellan growls, “Of course,Brother.”
Whatever he does, Sebastian hisses a breath and flinches back, allowing Sebastian to step free of the embrace, his balance unsteady.
Like I said before, something strange is going on between these two. I’m starting to regret ever bringing up the topic of conversation. Before I can apologize, however, Kellan brushes past me and storms out the door.
Chapter 5
Noah
Noah:I hate you.
Kellan:What did I do this time?
Noah:You left and forced me to be you. And you suck. Your wardrobe sucks, your attitude sucks, your friends suck. What kind of college student wears Hawaiian shirts?
Kellan:Don’t hate on my shirts. The men love them.
Noah:They’re tacky and the colors hurt my eyes.
Kellan:As usual, you’re just bitter because out of the two of us, you’re the lame one.
Noah:Not bitter. Angry. How would you feel if I coerced you into lying?
Kellan:I wouldn’t be coerced.
Noah:I’m forced to be in the presence of dumb jocks and I think my brain cells are slowly dying. How many times can one person talk about yoga pants on women?
Kellan:Clearly, something happened today. Are you going to tell me or are you going to continue on your insult train?
Noah:I’m fond of the insult train.
Kellan:You would be.
Noah:Practice today was terrible. They think you suck. Also, the whole team thinks you have crabs now.
Kellan:The fuck!
Noah:Guess you won’t be getting dick anytime soon. Boo hoo.
Kellan:Whatever. Got my own plaything at the moment anyway.
Noah:Of course you do.
Kellan:Jealous much? When’s the last time you got a piece of ass? Let’s think. Oh, right. Can’t remember.
I have to stop, otherwise I’m afraid I’ll stab a hole through the phone screen. My plan to return home after the disaster practice didn’t go over well with Sebastian. I was making a beeline for the parking lot when he cut me off, threatening me with a lifetime of harassment unless I attended the stupid game-watching party.
Which is why I find myself currently sitting on the farthest corner of a couch in a living room I’ve never been to, at a house I’ve never visited, with twenty-plus burly, abrasive college jocks, who have nothing better to do than to stuff their faces with pizza and beer. It’s appalling. I tried retreating to an empty bedroom earlier, except Sebastian found me and dragged me back. Everyone here is so very… male. The guy sitting next to me is hot as a furnace, his muscular thigh pressed against mine.
I don’t trust him, or any of them. Sebastian has no idea why I hate this charade. Why athletes are the last people on earth I want to spend time with. I’ve never told him, never told any of my family members. And I never will.
As for Kellan’s comment, it stings more than I’d like to admit. The truth is, Idowant someone in my life. Not a hook-up. A significant other. A boyfriend. Someone to lean on. Out of all my brothers, Maverick is the only one I talk to about my relationship insecurities. He’d been with Kaylie forever, before her passing. For him, love is serious.
Problem is, I’ve never been in love. I’m twenty-one years old and not a day goes by when I don’t think I’d have better luck if I wasn’t so afraid of being judged. It’s not a blanket I can cast off easily. Years of being teased by my brothers have deepened the insecurity that because of who I am—introvert, gamer, awkward—I’m not relationship material. And that’s just damn sad.
