Outside, Reece heard the boys next door still playing basketball, but there was a white lattice fence separating their yards covered with vines of coral honeysuckles, hummingbirds zooming around all over. Reece’s backyard was neat, having a simple patio and pool but there was no excitement—not like there was next door.
Determined to overcome the lattice barrier, also known as the friend blocker, Reece scoured the backyard, hoping to find some opening in the fence, but there was none. The thought of walking around from the front left his cheeks burning. Reece didn’t want to seem desperate, but he didn’t want to waste time when he could be playing with new friends.
“Hey, it’s the new kid!”
He’d been found. Gasping, Reece turned around to face away from the fence in a failed attempt to act nonchalant, pretending he hadn’t seen or heard anything.
“Hey, you,” the boy called to him, not the one with the endless blue eyes, but his friend with the dark brown hair and tanned skin. “Hey! Blondie, I’m talkin’ to you!”
“Me?” Reece turned back to the fence, picking at the tips of his fingers.
“Yeah, you.” Both the boys came up to the fence, peering at Reece through the lattice.
“You,” said the other boy, those deep blue eyes wide. “He’s the guy from the park yesterday.”
“No way,” the brown-haired boy said. “I saw you moving in and have been waiting to meet you. I’m Declan. Declan James. I live here, and this is my best friend, Nicholas Gray.”
“Just Nick,” he corrected quickly and Reece shifted on his feet, heart pounding.
“I’m Reece Keys. You guys are really good at basketball, huh…”
“Eh, a little.” Declan shrugged, a crooked grin on his face.
“You wanna play?” Nick asked, every inch of him exuding confidence.
Reece nodded quickly, stomach fluttering, heart racing. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so excited. Without wasting another second, he left through the backgate and went along the side of the house to the front. Then he jogged up Declan’s driveway and into his backyard where the two boys were waiting.
“Nice to meet you,” Declan said and held out his hand.
“You too, Declan!” Reece shook his hand, smiling so hard his whole face hurt. “And Nick…”
He felt as if he was in slow motion as he took his hand from Declan and offered it to Nick instead. No ocean could compare to his deep blue eyes. He smelled like dark honey, the salty bite cutting through the richness from his sweat felt so warm it kept pulling Reece in.
“Glad at least someone around here can get my name right,” Nick huffed teasingly and Declan just laughed.
Reece laughed too as he and Nick shook hands. Suddenly, he felt at home and wasn’t so disappointed about his move.
“So, have you ever played ball before or is this your first time?” Nick asked, the three of them moving closer to the basketball goal together.
“I’ve never actually played a game but I’ve tossed the ball a few times…”
“Tossed?” Nick repeated with a raised brow.
“Hey, it’s your lucky day then! We’re basically the pros of the neighborhood,” Declan bragged and brushed imaginary dust off his shoulder.
“As long as you’re having fun, you’ll get the hang of it,” Nick assured and bounced the ball a few times. “Come on, I’ll teach you the basics.”
“What about me?” Declan squawked indignantly.
Nick just narrowed his eyes at him and said nothing, but there was a fiery, almost intimidating look in his eyes that Reece found… impressive.
“What? I can teach too!”
“I’m ready to learn,” Reece chimed in, raising a fist in the air. “I bet you’re both great teachers.”
Nick looked back toward him with a gentle smile, and said, “We’ll take care of you.”
Reece felt as if his heart lurched into his throat, heat flooding his face. He couldn’t stop smiling as his new friends explained the basics, and that it was best to learn as he played. Shooting wasn’t terrible, but to have to do so while moving, much less with an opponent blocking you… It was hard to believe how easy Nick and Declan made it look—like effortless fun. They played for a while and even though it was challenging, it was still really fun and Reece found himself discovering a new fondness for basketball. When they stopped to take a break, Declan went inside to fetch some drinks and Reece was staring at Nick again, as if it was his new favorite habit. And he noticed a startling detail.
