“Nah,” I reply, waving him off. “I just wanted to say thanks for carrying my dumb ass to bed.”
His eyes widen, and a little smile materializes at one corner of his mouth.
Is he trying to be sexy? There’s no way heknowsthat I go weak for an uneven grin.
He’s not trying to be sexy. He simplyis, and that’s ten times worse for me.
“No problem,” he says. “It was the least I could do.”
“Right, yeah. I still appreciate it, though.” Shoot, I’m rambling. “And about the other thing you mentioned, uh, so we’re clear, just because I’m bi doesn’t mean I’m gonna be all thirsty for you. We’re still bros.”
I might not bethirstyover him, but there’s no way I can deny finding him attractive.
“Oh, yeah. Of course,” Callum says.
“I’ll drink to that.” I raise my glass, and what do I do next? I press it straight into his sternum. Like, that physique deserves a toast, but I’m out of line to be the one to give it.
He blinks, and his face flushes even more. So do his neck and chest. Holy, that's as close to crimson as I've ever seen anyone, and a pit drops in my stomach. Despite what we both said, I need to be more careful about how I act around him.
I can salvage this. But how?
By bro-ing it up. That’s how.
“Yup, gotta toast those gains, man,” I say, forcing nerves away from my throat and back into my stomach. “I’m an athlete, and you’re seriously giving me a run for my money.”
“Oh. Well, you have nice abs,” he blurts out.
Huh, he’s joining in, too. Fun!
My brain goes right to locker room talk. “I guess I do, man,” I say, smiling and running my palm over said abs. “But why’d you say that? Wanna cop a feel or something?”
Gritting my teeth, I hold my breath. He’s finally gettingcomfortable enough around me, and that dude-flirting might have set us back?—
Callum’s hand is on my stomach. Callum’s hand is on my fucking stomach. His fingers are heavy, his touch is so light, and the tingles that combo sends throughout my body are unparalleled. Prickly, tense, amazing heat floods my synapses and makes my heart fucking race.
Donotmake this weirder than it already is.
And don’t get hard.
“Bro, are you gonna go any lower?” It comes out as a joke, even though an annoying part of me still hopes that he’ll actually surprise me and go ahead.
Instead, he snorts and gives me a gentle punch on the stomach. “I wouldn't dream of it.Bro.”
Oh, shit! Callum called mebro. I’m a bro to him, and I break into a stupid smile.
We’re bros.I mean, we already were, buthecalled me that!
“Alright, buddy. Put a shirt on and stop tempting me,” I joke, returning his shoulder slap.
He shuffles away without another word, and I grab the water I originally came out here for. Callum’s closed the makeshift living room door when I’m done, so I go back to bed and scroll social media for a while.
I know how to live with straight-man disappointment. Looking on the bright side, Callum and I are still friends, and we both don’t want anything to change. He’s cool with me being bi, and that, in the grand scheme of things, is ideal.
Ideal isn’t perfect, but I can’t change reality to fit my own selfish wants. That’s just the way things are.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CALLUM
