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“Brock—” Joey starts. I turn my attention to her, where she’s still sitting across the table.
“No, Sunshine. I get it. He’s pissed we didn’t tell him. I get that, but I will not have him talk to you like that. I don’t care that he’s your brother, and I don’t care how mad he is.”
Joey surprises me when she stands from her chair and walks around the table toward me. I automatically move my chairback, ready to stand with her, but she surprises us all when she sits on my lap and loops her arms around my neck.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Caleb asks, this time with less heat in his tone.
“I love him, Caleb. I know not telling you was wrong. It was my idea. Brock wanted to tell you and asked to do so several times, but I wasn’t ready. I wanted to be in the little bubble that we had created. I wanted us both to have time to flesh out our feelings. To have a chance to feel them and explore them before anyone else got involved.” She turns to me, her lips so close I can practically taste them. “Thank you for giving me that. Thank you for giving me this.” She places one of her hands over my heart. “I’m sorry for asking you to lie to your best friend, but it was time I needed.”
“I told you anything you need.”
“Holy shit,” Caleb blurts, as he falls into the chair he vacated just moments ago. “You two are really in love?” It’s coming off like a question for us and a statement for himself as if he needs to say the words for them to sink in. “Hold up,” he says, eyeing me. “This weekend? At the away game? You were talking about Joey?”
“Yes.”
“And you were gone all night.” He’s finally allowing himself to logically put two and two together, and I’m suddenly glad I said the things I did to him that day.
“I was.”
“You were with my sister.”
“I was with my girlfriend, who also happens to be your sister, yes.”
“You told me you met someone and that you were in love with her.”
“I was telling you the truth. As much of the truth that I was able to do and still respect her wishes. I also told you that she flew in to see me and watch me play.”
“You.” He moves his attention to Joey, who is still snuggled up on my lap. “You wore his jersey that day. I remember seeing it and was going to give you shit for not wearing mine but decided against it.”
“The first game this year that I went to, I wore yours.” She looks at me and grins. “I wanted to wear his, but we weren’t there yet. Everything was new, and we were still fighting this crazy, intense pull that we have with one another.”
“You broke the bro code.” His eyes are once again on me.
“I did. And I know it’s a dick move, but I’m telling you, man, I’d do it all over again if it meant at the end of the day she’d be mine.”
“That’s my little sister you’re talking about.”
“I’m also talking about the love of my life. Look, I know this is hard for you to understand. I know it’s a lot to take in. If you want me to leave, to go to a hotel, I can do that—” I start, and Joey stops me.
“No. If you go, I go.”
“You’re choosing him over me? Over your brother?” He’s no longer yelling. His voice is more defeated than anything.
“It’s not a choice, Caleb. You are my brother. I will love you no matter what. But the way I love Brock, it’s different. He understands me on a level I never thought possible. He’s burrowed his way so far into my heart that it’s no longer my own.”
My heart feels like it trips over in my chest as I process her words. Unable to help myself, I lean in and press my lips to hers. It’s a quick kiss and my first from her today. Caleb groans, and I have to bite back a smile.
“Do I have to watch that”—he points at us—“all the time now?”
“Yes,” Joey and I say at the same time.
“I love him, Caleb. Please understand that we didn’t go into this lightly. We fought our connection until we just couldn’t fight it any longer. I hope one day you find a love like ours. I want you to find someone you feel like you can’t breathe without. Then and only then will you understand what he means to me.”
“What she means to me,” I add.
“Fuck,” he mumbles, resting his elbows on the table and covering his face with his hands. No one says a word as we give him time to process what this is. It’s not a fling. It’s forever. I’m not sure how much time passes. I’m too focused on the woman in my arms who’s resting her head against my shoulder. I have my arms around her, and to be honest, I’d be content to just sit here with her like this for the rest of the night.
“Okay,” he says, lifting his head. “This is how this is going to go. First, I’m still pissed. No, I’m hurt that you kept this from me, but I understand why you did. It doesn’t mean that I like it.” He looks from me to Joey and back again. “Second, we need to set some boundaries. Dude, I can’t see you mauling my little sister twenty-four seven. So, when we’re all hanging out, the PDA needs to be kept to a minimum.”
