Chapter 10 #2
“That’s walking!” Zachary yells, but he’s laughing all the same.
“Damn right it is,” I say and shoot at the same time.
It hits the rim this time, which so far is an accomplishment for me.
“You rimmed it!” Zachary laughs. “You actually got close.”
When I look back, he’s grinning from ear to ear.
“Excuse me!” My mouth drops open.
“What?” His face skews.
“Yo—” I stop. That’s not what he’s thinking. Don’t think dirty, Kenzie.
I let the word hang there and get the ball from the edge of the court. This place is pretty incredible. A basketball court behind the house bordering the forest. I one hundred percent wouldn’t play here at night, but it’s cool.
Zachary gives me a big hard-edged smile and shakes his head.
“You’re making this too easy.” Zachary then swoops forward, dribbling right at me.
“Huh?” I grunt, but he’s already in front of me, swinging around, passing the ball from right to left in a flash.
In no time he’s behind me, going in for another shot. He’s a lot like his brother, especially the gray eyes. I think they’re darker, or maybe the metallic sheen in them is just deeper. He is a little shorter, but still they’re so much alike.
“What I don’t get is…” Zachary’s feet leave the ground and his arms shoot upward with perfect form.
His wrist flicks and the basketball lobs effortlessly into the basket without touching metal.
“One,” he says when his feet touch the pavement again.
“How I didn’t know he was…not straight? And two…
” He puts two fingers up. “Why wouldn’t he tell his gay brother he’s talking to you?
He tells me everything! It’s not like I’m competition. He’s the basketball star.”
“You’re—” I snatch my mouth shut and swallow the rest of the stupid I about screamed. You’re gay?! And am I sensing a bit of jealousy?
His head swings around and he squints. The surprise painted across my face says enough. I’m not finishing that thought for him.
“You good?” he asks.
“U-uh, yeah,” I stutter.
You’re telling me I’ve been crushing on the straight brother this whole time when there’s a gay version?!
He’s eyeing me. The silence is getting awkward.
Even the birds decided to shut up at the wrong moment.
I’m afraid if I open my mouth now, I might come clean.
I mean, it isn’t the worst thing that could happen.
I’m literally standing here with a super cute guy who might actually consider me, but I’m “going out” with his straight brother who’s in a literal coma.
If I told him, he’d see me as nothing but a liar, and I’d get kicked out of the family.
No more Super Old Gran actually sort of breaks my heart.
“Right? What are the chances?” I put on a fake smile. “Two brothers being gay, huh?”
I laugh like it’s ridiculous.
“But here we are.” I keep talking. “You’re gay, he’s gay, I’m gay. Just a bunch of gays.”
“I guess.” Zachary’s wincing, it’s like he’s embarrassed for me.
Shut up, Kenzie. I pass him the ball. Anything to distract. “Your turn.”
“You also don’t seem like his type.” Zachary keeps on, dribbling toward me, which hopefully means he’ll put the questions behind him. “Hayden always goes for long hair and…smart.”
He looks back at me questioningly.
“I’m smart!” I bite back. “And maybe his type in guys is different.”
He laughs and keeps going as he dribbles around me.
“Usually brown eyes, maybe bright green. And you’re…”
He stops just long enough to look at me, but he keeps dribbling.
“Are you trying to distract me?” I ask. Anything to get him to end this line of inquiry and thought.
“No, jus—” And he takes off around me and lands another perfect layup. The ball swishes through the net, and he’s all smiles when he twists around bobbing his head. “You think I need to distract you to beat you?”
That audacity. I shake my head. “You—”
“No, seriously. I’m trying to figure out why,” he says. “I could see him liking your eyes. I didn’t realize they were different colors until you came to Thanksgiving. I’d only seen them from a distance before. They’re actually pretty.”
I swallow and use every inch of my willpower not to freeze in place. He noticed my eyes. And they’re pretty? He thinks my eyes are pretty? Wait, what?
“A distance?” I tilt my head.
“Uh, forget about it.” He nearly trips.
“Okay.” I let it hang there. Weird. “You’re not flirting with me, are you?”
Knowing me, I probably wouldn’t realize it if he actually were. Isn’t that a thought. Hayden’s little brother flirting with his fake enbyfriend.
“What? No!” he blurts and straightens his back. He dribbles the ball again and goes back for another layup. When his feet hit the ground, he throws me the ball. “Of course not!”
“Good, because I like your brother.” I put force into my words, trying my hardest not to cringe when I blurt the L word. You didn’t have to be so forceful about it. “Maybe I’m not his quote-unquote perfect type, but we’re fine. He likes me like I am. And I like him as he is!”
“Uh…” Zachary’s eyes are astonished. I don’t think he expected this from such a small package. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“’Kay.” I nod. “Let’s just play, okay?”
“Yeah, sure.” He nods.
When he turns to take up his spot at the goal line, I linger a little on his face and notice how plump his lips are. They’re a calm pink with a natural pooch to them, and in a split second of uncontrolled thought, I wonder what they’d taste like.
“No!” I yelp.
“Huh?” Zachary jumps and throws the basketball.
It bounces off to my left and I’m left standing speechless in front of him, mouth clamped tightly shut, fists balled up and pressed against my sides. Shit. I didn’t mean to scream it!
“N-no.” I scramble to come up with something, anything. “Let me serve.”
“I’m sorry, what?” His head twitches to the side and he smiles. “Serve? You want to serve the basketball?”
“Uh…” I’m struggling hard. I don’t even know what sport you serve in, but I know it isn’t basketball. Refusing to let the shame show on my face, I go stone-faced. “You know what I mean.”
“Sure.” He nods and passes me the ball.
I nod and pass him to get to the goal line. Suddenly it’s all I can do to look away, as images I don’t need flash in my head.
I grip my necklace just before turning to face him. Just play basketball.