Brothersong (Green Creek #4) - T.J. Klune Page 0,154
for adoption.
“Joe and Kelly were very thorough,” she said.
I sighed as I dropped my hands to the floor. “I hate you.”
She laughed. “Man up, Bennett. You’re gonna need to, especially if you’re thinking about attempting some of the stuff in this book.” She came over to me and sat down next to me, her back against the bed. She still held the book in her hands. Once she gave it back, I was going to have to burn it.
Maybe.
She nudged my shoulder with her foot. I glared at her. She smiled sweetly. I flashed my eyes at her in warning. Her smile widened.
“You can’t tell anyone.”
She shrugged. “Okay.”
“Really?” That was easier than I thought it would be.
“Really. Don’t worry about it.”
“Yeah. Because that’s easy to do.”
“Why are you so freaked out about this?”
I looked back at the ceiling. “I… have no idea.”
“Is it because Gavin’s a guy?”
“No. Yes.” Then, “No.”
She snorted. “Succinct as usual. I don’t know why I expected anything else.”
“It’s not funny.”
“It is,” she assured me. “And one day you’ll laugh about it. I promise.” She hesitated for a long moment. I knew she was building up to something. What, I didn’t know, but it probably wasn’t anything good. “Is it such a bad thing?”
“No,” I said. And it was true. “I just don’t have any idea what I’m doing.”
“Do we ever?”
“We say we do.”
She nudged my shoulder again. “We’re also full of shit half the time.”
“It’s stupid,” I muttered. “Worrying about stuff like this with everything else going on.”
“Nah. We always seem to have some sort of death and destruction hanging over our heads. You get used to it after a while.”
That was chilling. “We shouldn’t have to.”
Her smile faded. “Worth it, though.”
“Is it?”
She kicked me harder. “Of course it is, you idiot. Stop being a little bitch. Sit up.”
“I’d rather die, thanks. It’s—would you stop kicking me!” I knocked her foot away as I sat up. She patted the carpet next to her. I looked longingly at the door, planning an escape. But this was Jessie Alexander. If I tried to run, she’d chase after me and kick my ass. I crawled toward her, sitting against my bed next to her. I refused to look at the book in her lap.
She said, “Gavin’s pretty great.”
“He’s all right, I guess.”
“Glad you think so. Want some advice?”
“If I say no, you’re going to tell me anyway, aren’t you.”
“You know me so well. Say yes. After all, who else do you know who dated the opposite sex for a long time before going queer?”
“Ox,” I said promptly. “And didn’t Mark have a girlfriend or something at one point? And I think my mother had a bit of a crush on Ox’s mom. Chris and Tanner. Sort of. I have no idea what they’re actually doing.”
“No one does. But it works for them, so who cares. And none of those people are sitting next to you, so let’s pretend I’m the only one who can help you.”
I laid my head on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “I will pay you any amount of money to not have this conversation.”
“I’m a Bennett,” she said dryly. “I have more money than I know what to do with.”
I loved her. Even though she was currently pissing me off, I loved her. “Bennett, huh?”
“Yup. You’re overthinking this.”
“How can I not? Did you see page seventy-six?”
“No. Why? What’s on page seventy-six?” She opened the book again until she found the right page. “Wow. Okay. Holy crap. Don’t try that for at least six months. And make sure you drink plenty of water beforehand.”
I moaned again.
She closed the book and tossed it over her head. It landed on the bed out of sight. “You know how I don’t like bullshit?”
“You picked the wrong pack if that’s the case.”
She ignored me. “I prefer being blunt. Obfuscating is pointless. Say what you mean. Don’t dance around it. You care about him.”
I blinked. “Well, yeah. I wouldn’t have gone after him like I did. Is that it? Oh man, that was easier than I thought. Thanks. You can go—”
“You more than care about him. And remember what I said about bullshit.”
Goddammit. “Yeah. I… guess I do.”
She was quiet. Then, “Do you love him?”
“I think so,” I whispered. “I don’t know how it happened. Or why. Or even when.”
She pulled my hand into her lap and traced the lines on my palm with her fingernail. “I saw it, you know.”