Chapter 16
Jett
Being with Wes in a confined space is an… experience, to say the least. We leave Eugene early in the afternoon to get to my sister’s place in Hillsboro before dark, and Wes starts firing questions at me right away, like I’m in a goddamn quiz show.
“So…” He smirks, opening a bag of chips. “What did you tell your sister about me?”
Fuck, I hate it when people eat in my car. I’m sure he’ll get crumbs all over the place.
“That we work together,” I say, focusing on the road.
“Oh, we work together, alright. We work real hard together.”
I throw him a blank look, but he just waggles his eyebrows at me, digging deep into the bag of chips, completely unfazed. He stuffs a handful into his mouth and dives back in. “Wrant wrone?” he mumbles, holding a chip in front of my face.
“No, thank you. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m driving.” I sigh. “And please don’t get fucking crumbs all over my car. I just cleaned it.”
“Your loss,” he grins, then stuffs the chip in his mouth, licking his lips. Fuck, those lips. They’re sinful as hell. “Don’t you think it’s hilarious that we have the same car?” he says as he proceeds to lick his fingers, which I desperately try to ignore.
“Very.” I grip the steering wheel, my palms clammy. I don’t know why I’m so fucking nervous. We’re just going to my sister’s house. Wes and I are just friends. Friends who blow and rub up against each other every chance they get.
“So what kinda snacks do you like since you don’t eat chips?”
“Uhm… I’m not really a snack person, I guess.”
He gapes at me, clutching his chest. “Such a red flag, man. I don’t know if we can be besties anymore.” He pretends to wipe his eyes and sniffles. “Well, I guess it was good while it lasted…”
I can’t help smiling at his antics. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Pft, so you keep saying. Please, you looove me.”
My chest tightens. I know he’s just kidding, but things are changing quickly between us. If it were just sex, we wouldn’t be spending this much time together, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have invited him to my sister’s house. The lines are starting to blur, and I’m not sure how to feel about it.
I try to focus on the road. The traffic is getting denser as we approach Salem.
Wes puts some music on and starts tapping his hands against his thighs.
Thighs that are littered with my marks. Shit, I don’t know what it is about him.
He pulls out the possessiveness in me. I can’t remember the last time I’ve wanted something as much as I want him.
“So, what’ll it take to win your sister over?”
“Win her over?”
“Yeah, I mean if she’s just half as grumpy as you were in the beginning, I’m gonna have to bring out the big guns.” He flashes me a toothy grin.
“Janie’s nothing like me. She got all the sunshine genes.”
“Oh, yeah?”
I nod. Janelle and I are like night and day, but I love her to bits. She saved me.
“Huh.”
“What?”
“I’m just trying to envision a female version of you. Is she hot?”
“She’s married! With kids!” Jealousy hits me out of nowhere. I bite the inside of my cheek. I know he’s just kidding, but I still don’t like it. I don’t like the idea of Wes being with anyone else. Not as long as he’s with me.
He bumps my shoulder with his, looking serious, no trademark smirk on his face.
“I’m just kidding. You know that, right?
” He reaches for my hand across the console, then tangles his fingers through mine.
Calm washes over me instantly. His voice is soft and genuine when he continues.
“I know we haven’t spoken about this, but I just want you to know that I’m not gonna be with anyone else while I’m with you. ”
With you.
I swallow, nodding.
“I wouldn’t do that. I, uhm… I like being with you.”
My heart starts pounding like crazy. His hand is warm against mine, and I want to kiss him so badly. “I like being with you too,” I admit, and I’m rewarded with the biggest smile.
“Yeah?”
I nod, focusing on the traffic.
We reach Hillsboro, and as I turn down the road to the residential area where my sister lives, it all comes back to me. The time I spent in her guest bedroom. How broken I was when I first moved in. How far I’ve come since, and how much my life has changed.
I pull up in front of the small bungalow, and the outside is already decorated for Halloween. Large cobwebs cover the trees and bushes, and a huge spider hangs from the front door. A skeleton and a zombie sit in two chairs on the front porch, and there are jack-o’-lanterns on each side of the door.
“This is cute!” Wes says, his eyes wide with excitement.
“Yeah, they go all in.”
“Well, I’m a fan. Let’s go!”
We get out of the car and grab our overnight bags from the trunk.
My fingers itch to take Wes’ hand, but it’ll just feed off a lot of questions from my sister that I’m not ready to answer yet.
Wes doesn’t reach for mine either, leaving it up to me how we’re going to be around each other this weekend.
When we’re halfway up the path, the door swings open and two Minions holding Nerf guns storm out and race down the porch steps. “Uncle Jared! Uncle Jared!” they yell before slamming into me full force. I wrap an arm around each of them and haul them against my chest.
Laughter bubbles out of me. “Oh no! Killer Minions! Please have mercy!”
Wes laughs, too, his blue eyes shimmering.
“It’s just us, Uncle Jared!” Mia chirps, clinging to my arm.
I sigh. “Oh, thank God!” They both giggle. I place them back on the ground, and then they’re right up in Wes’ face.
“Are you Wes?” Mason asks. I love the way he pronounces Wes’ name with a small lisp.
“I sure am. You must be Mia.”
“Nooo!” my nephew wines. “I’m Mason.”
“Ahhhh, sorry about that. It’s just… your uncle told me Mason was the youngest, but you’re a big guy.”
I shake my head, smiling. This is so typically Wes.
Mason pushes out his chest. “I grew a whole inch last month.”
“You’re such a liar,” Mia groans.
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Now, what is this ruckus?! Kids, back away from your uncle’s friend. Don’t scare him off. Go help your dad.” Mia and Mason complain, but soon run inside, their Nerf guns forgotten on the path.
Janelle heads straight toward me, wrapping her arms around me. She’s tiny compared to me, and I lift her off her feet.
“It’s so good to see you,” she sighs. I put her down, and she tilts her head. “You look good, little brother. Real good.”
I scratch the back of my neck. “Uhm… thanks.” Then I gesture at Wes. “This is my friend, Wes.”
My sister turns to him, smiling even wider. “Oh em gee, hi! Are you a hugger? I’m a hugger.”
Wes laughs. “Of course I’m a hugger. Who isn’t?” They hug, and he grins at me over Janelle’s shoulder. “Thank you for having me,” he says as they move apart.
“Of course! Any friend of Jared’s is always welcome.
” Janelle throws me a knowing look, but I pretend I don’t notice.
“Come on. We made pumpkin and cinnamon muffins. I hope you’re hungry.
” She walks up the path, wearing her usual yoga gear whenever she’s off work, her long black hair braided with pink and blue beads.
“Starving,” Wes exclaims, although he snacked the entire way here. He eyes me when I shake my head at him. “What? I’m a big guy.” He leans in, lowering his voice. “As you very well know.”
“You’re a brat, is what you are,” I retort. My lips tingle with the urge to shut him up with a kiss, or with something else. Wes just tips his head back and laughs. “Your brother is such a jokester!” he tells Janelle.
She frowns. “Jared? A jokester? Pft.”
The house smells of cinnamon and hot chocolate.
Toeing off our shoes, we leave our bags on a small bench in the entryway, then follow Janelle into the large kitchen that looks like a bomb just dropped in a bakery.
There are utensils and trays filled with baked goodies everywhere.
A long table is littered with crayons, masks, face paint, and candy.
Owen is busy pulling a tray of muffins from the oven, a kitchen towel slung over his shoulder, his blond hair a mess.
He turns, beaming at us, his black-framed glasses blurred with condensation.
He’s wearing an apron around his front that says This Guy Rubs His Own Meat in bright red letters.
“You’re here! Amazing,” he beams, maneuvering around a pool of spilled cocoa on the floor.
He places the muffins on the counter before pulling me into a fierce hug. “Good to see you, man.”
“Good to see you, too, Owen. This is Wes. We work together.”
Wes holds out his hand, and they shake enthusiastically.
Owen grins. “Good to meet you.”
“Yeah, same. Thanks for inviting me.”
“No worries.” Owen pulls off his glasses and wipes them on the apron. “As long as you’re okay with fifty shades of chaos, mi casa es tu casa.”
“Chaos is my middle name.” Wes laughs as he nods at Owen’s apron. “Love the apron.”
“Yeah? I got it at this culinary event last year in Portland. I’m a meat guy, so…”
“Me, too. The more the better, right, Jett?” Wes bumps my shoulder, and I’ve got nothing.
Luckily, we’re distracted by Rufus, my sister’s one-year-old Great Dane, who comes barging in from the backyard.
As soon as he notices Wes, he beelines toward him and throws himself at him.
Wes laughs, then squats and starts petting Rufus, who happily licks Wes wherever he can reach.
“Just push that overgrown puppy away,” Janelle groans, then reaches for the dog’s collar and attempts to drag him off Wes.
Wes laughs. “It’s okay. I love dogs. My best friend has a dog named Willow.”
“Yeah, well, this one is a horse who thinks he’s a lap dog.
” My sister glares at Owen, who just shrugs.
The pup showed up behind their restaurant one night, all skinny and wet, going through the trash.
Owen has a huge heart, so he brought the pup home ‘just for the weekend.’ “And is that cocoa on the floor?” She bends and inspects the puddle.
“Jesus Christ, Owen. Will you please get that? I do not want to spend Halloween at the vet’s because Rufus overdosed on it. ”
Owen sighs. “Yes, my queen.”
Wes leans in against me. “I fucking love your family.”
Warmth floods my chest. “Yeah, they’re good people. Crazy, but good.”
The next hour goes by in a blur of afternoon coffee, muffins, and helping Mia dress Rufus up as a unicorn.
Wes chatters away with my sister and Owen like he’s known them forever.
I catch myself staring at him constantly.
He’s relaxed, and his laughter fills the room.
When Mia and Mason bring out the face paint and ask if they can paint him, he says yes without hesitation.
My sister sends me another one of her knowing looks from across the table.
“Who do you wanna be?” Mia asks Wes, placing a fluffy pink headband on his head to keep his hair out of his eyes. “Tigger or Pooh?”
“Tigger for sure. Then your uncle can be Pooh.” He winks at me, looking ten kinds of cute with that ridiculous headband on.
“Oh, I don’t think—” I mumble.
“Uncle Jared is gonna look amazing as Pooh!” Janelle cuts me off.
“You’re gonna be so cute together.” My sister’s onto me, I know she is.
Somehow, I don’t mind if she knows, because I like Wes.
I don’t want to hide that from one of the most important people in my life.
It’s exhausting trying to compartmentalize everything.
Wes has become a part of my life. He’s snuck his way in with his easy smiles and generous personality.
I grin as Wes helps Mia with the right Tigger colors, mixing the yellow and red to make orange. When she starts painting his face with a small sponge, Mason climbs up on a stool next to her. “Wes?”
“Uh-huh?”
“You wanna see my room later? I have tons of LEGOs.”
“Sure, I love LEGOs.”
“I have a new truck. It’s really neat.”
“Can’t wait to see it, buddy.” Wes reaches out and ruffles Mason’s hair, and my nephew beams at him.
My eyes sting. I don’t know if I deserve someone like Wes, but I think I want him. Not just in a physical way, but like someone I could actually build something with. I don’t know if I’d be any good at it, but I want to try with him.
Janelle comes up to where I’m leaning against the kitchen counter and bumps my shoulder. “I like him. He seems like a really nice guy.”
“He is.”
“I’m happy for you, little brother.”
“It’s not… We’re not…”
“Oh, don’t give me that, Jared. I see how he looks at you.” She brushes some invisible lint off my T-shirt. “But more importantly, I see how you look at him.”
“I… I don’t.” I swallow, my mouth impossibly dry.
“It’s okay,” she says softly. “You deserve it. You deserve to be happy.”
I rub my chest. Happy. Looking back at the past couple of weeks, I realize that maybe I am.
“I’m scared,” I whisper, staring at Wes, who looks like a tiger that’s been run over by a bus, black and orange smeared together.
“I know. Good things are scary. But you’re strong.”
I scoff. “I’m not strong, Janie.”
“Of course you are. Look how far you’ve come.”
I’ve never really thought about that. I’ve mostly focused on my failures. She’s right that I need to start seeing my wins, like letting Wes into my life.
“Yo! Jett!” Wes yells at me, grinning. “Your turn, Pooh. I need my wingman.”