Page 98 of Ethan

“What were you saying about tonight?” Ethan asked, kind of shamelessly.

Hank grinned. “I think I owe you a date.”

“You think so, huh? I more than think you owe me one.”

Giving him one last brief kiss, Hank said, “You. Me. Some decent Italian food. Okay?”

Ethan nodded, already looking forward to it.

A minute later, Hank slipped out the door, and Ethan went to go finish eating and getting ready for practice. Fifteen minutes ago, it had been just another day, another morning, but now Hank was back, and he couldn’t stop smiling.

He’d just finished his oatmeal, rinsing the bowls in the sink and putting them in the dishwasher because Charlie was only hungover—he hadn’t had a miraculous personality transplant in the last twenty-four hours—but when he headed to his room, Charlie was right there, in the hallway, ready to intercept him.

“I can’t believe you’re going to drag your ass to practice,” Ethan said, trying to cut whatever comments Charlie was going to throw at him off before he could start.

“I feel better,” Charlie argued.

Ethan wasn’t sure that was true, but if Max was going, wild horses couldn’t keep Charlie away.

After grabbing a sweatshirt from his closet and slipping his earbuds into his sweatpants pocket, Ethan decided to half-heartedly make his bed. Because an hour ago when he’d woke up, he’d been sure he’d be alone tonight. But now? There was a possibility he wouldn’t be.

“We should talk about it,” Charlie said.

And there it was.

“I really thought you’d save this talk for when you didn’t feel like death warmed over,” Ethan muttered as he tugged his comforter up over the pillows.

“That would’ve been smart of me,” Charlie agreed.

Ethan pulled a beanie over his curls and faced his brother. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah. I just need to grab my shoes.” Charlie’s arm shot out, holding on to Ethan’s before he could make it through the bedroom doorway. “Us hitching a ride with Max and Hank doesn’t change anything. We still need to talk about this.”

“Talk aboutwhat?” It was incredibly fucking unfair that Ethan was not allowed to sayshitabout Max, when Charlie had already apparently decided that Ethan was due a lecture. And why exactly? Oh yeah, because Ethan had the nerve to like aboy. Tokissa boy. To want to do a hell of a lot more than kiss the boy, if he was being honest.

“This is just a really big thing for you,” Charlie said. “You didn’t know you were—”

“Maybe I didn’t,” Ethan said a little testily, and only alittlebecause Charlie meant well and was not one hundred percent right now. “But I’ve had a lot of time to get used to the idea. I like guys. I’m not straight. That’s cool.”

Charlie had the nerve to make a face and it wasn’t because Ethan thought he might throw up. “It’s a big deal,” he repeated, like some terrible Power Point lecture.

“Oh, it is?” Ethan questioned. “It wasn’t for you, when you told us.Averymade it a big deal, sure, and maybe it was for him—”

“Anything out of the ordinary is a big deal for Avery,” Charlie interrupted. Which was rich, really, coming from him; Charlie was theKingof Big Deals.

“True,” Ethan agreed. Both his older brothers were kind of a mess. He loved them anyway, butjeez.

“Stop changing the subject,” Charlie said, as they walked down the hallway. “I don’t understand why you’re so okay with this.”

Ethan had just about had it. He turned and stopped, Charlie nearly running into him. “Why shouldn’t I be? I watched you and Avery. You two were just fine. Have been fine. Why is liking Hank any different than liking some girl?”

Charlie huffed out a sigh. “Why are you so well-adjusted? It’s actually really fucking annoying.”

“Mom says I’m the most chill and straightforward of all of you,” Ethan said, more than a little smugly.

“It’s true,” Charlie said. “I wish—but yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”

Ethan could only smile. Of course Charlie wanted to be the biggest winner of all of them. Even if it was coming in first in twocompletely contradictory categories. “Sure, bro. You’re good. I’m good. Can we drop it now?”