Page 41 of Off Sides

“Where the hell were you last night?” My brother bumps into me in the kitchen, just as I was grabbing my breakfast burrito and trying to haul ass out of the house before I had to see anyone. But of course, he’s here.

He’s pouring a mug of coffee, his eyes trained on me.

I can’t answer him honestly. There’s no way in hell I’m doing that, even if a part of me would love to. I’d love to tell him that I spent the whole evening with . . . my . . . um . . . Seriously?

I can’t even think the title.

Boyfriend!

Damn it. He’s my boyfriend. Or at least that’s what I’m calling him. I didn’t really get confirmation of that, but he’s as close to as a boyfriend as I might ever get, so that’s what I’m calling him.

Anyway, I’d love to tell my nosey big brother I spent the evening kissing my boyfriend. And throwing rocks into the lake with him. And then kissing some more. We didn’t really talk much, but a little—mostly about football and the game coming up this Friday.

It’s an away game, and he asked if I’d sit with him on the bus. I told him yes immediately, despite knowing that sitting that close to him is going to be too tempting for me.

I still said yes.

I’m a little concerned I can’t tell the guy no.

“Hey, what the hell is wrong with you?” I blink over at Curtis, his face all red and angry. Mad that I didn’t acknowledge him. “I said where were you last night? You missed dinner.”

I shrug, not really wanting to put up with his bullshit today. I got a really good night’s sleep last night. The first in a long time. Coming my brains out with Jonah probably helped, but I don’t know. I just felt . . . free. In a way that I haven’t, maybe ever in my life.

I don’t like the idea of Jonah being my secret, but a selfish part of me just likes having something for me. Just me. Something real. Something good.

“None of your business,” I say, putting the burrito into my mouth and chomping down as I grab my backpack and head for the door. Curtis, of course, can’t let that go, and just as I reach the door to pull it open, he slams it shut and crowds me.

“Really? What the fuck has gotten into you? You’re never home.”

“Why do you care?” I ask him, not backing down like I normally would. Hell, I’m bigger than he is, but he’ll always be my big brother—the guy who has given me hell since I was a toddler. Always taking my shit and bossing me around.

“Because it is my business. Where were you?” he asks, suspicion dripping from his tone. It pisses me off. He doesn’t know.

I know he doesn’t. If he even suspected what I was up to last night, he wouldn’t just be talking right now.

“I was busy.”

“Got yourself a girlfriend, little brother? Fucking finally.”

I roll my eyes, and my gut clenches tight, thinking about saying yes, just to get him to leave me alone. But I can’t do it. I can’t do that to Jonah. It oddly feels like cheating. Saying I was with anyone but him last night. “I was just hanging out with a friend.”

“You don’t have friends.”

“I do now,” I say and then with one hand, shove him backward. “Now move. I’m going to be late for school.”

I squeeze out the door and walk briskly to my truck like a coward. I despise it, but whatever, at least I got away from him. For now.

When I get to school, my chest feels like it might explode—but in a good way—when I see Jonah standing by his locker, chatting away with Billy. I think they may be friends now. Of course they are.

Jonah is pretty much friends with everyone, and Billy seems like a good guy. “Hey, Calvin,” Billy says as I approach them.

Jonah gives me a sultry smile, one that probably doesn’t look weird to anyone else, but I don’t know how it couldn’t. To me, it looks downright filthy. “Good night?”

“Pretty good,” I say, actually nonchalant and opening my locker, trying to hide my smile.

“Wanna hang out after school?” It sounds innocent enough, but I’m still tense, looking around to see if anyone else is listening.

“What are you guys planning to do?” Billy asks, and I know it’s innocent. He’s just curious, but my hackles rise, and my nerves tick up all the same as I look over at Jonah—who’s not panicking.