Page 15 of My Brother’s Best Friend

To anyone else, he would have been tall, but he was still a good six inches shorter than I was. His long, lean limbs added to that otherworldly grace. So did his quicksilver smile, appearing and disappearing like a wild animal.

He was, frankly, beautiful, which made me feel creepy as hell. Jordy was Levi’s little brother, and even though he’d be—what, twenty-four?—now, it still felt wrong. I didn’t even want to think about how Levi, overprotective to an extreme, would react if I ever told him I was interested.

Hey, buddy. Turns out, I’m not only gay, I also popped a boner staring at your little brother just now.

Yeah, not happening.

But what also needed to not happen was Levi talking any more about my pathetic dating life. I might not have had a chance in hell with Jordy—Levi’s protectiveness aside, the thought that he would want someone like me was laughable—but that didn’t mean he needed to know just how desperate my situation was.

So what was the harm in a little white lie? If I told Levi I had my eye on someone, it would shut him up. Sure, it meant he’d expect me to bring someone to the dance tomorrow, but I’d cross that bridge when I came to it. Probably by avoiding the dance altogether, saying the person I’d asked had turned me down.

That would, at the very least, be believable.

“I’d rather not say until I’ve asked,” I told him. “Just in case—well, you know.”

“So bashful.” Levi put his hands on my cheeks, then turned to look at Jordy. “Who could say no to this face?” He smushed my cheeks together. “Adorable, right?”

“Um…yeah?” Jordy sounded like he’d rather drink battery acid than answer. “I mean, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

Now I wanted to drink battery acid. If there were any doubt about Jordy’s lack of interest in me, that cleared it up.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, chanted the little voice in the back of my mind. He’s been living in New York for six years. Even if he did want someone who looked like a bloated, albino musk ox, he wouldn’t pick a small-town loser still living on the island where he was born. A small-town, awkward, virgin loser.

“Fine.” Levi squeezed my shoulders like a coach giving a pep talk. “I won’t pump you for info just yet. Now get out there and ask her, champ. You’ve got this.”

With a final squeeze, he walked out the front door, leaving Jordy and me alone again. Jordy was giving me the weirdest look, and a bolt of fear flashed through me. What if Jordy was the one who realized I’d gotten hard when I first saw him? That would be even worse than Levi finding out.

God, could this interaction have gone any worse? Jordy obviously hadn’t remembered me, and thought it was weird I’d remembered him. He’d tried to cover it up, but the way he’d stammered when he introduced himself made it clear I hadn’t stuck in his mind at all.

He’ll have no trouble remembering you now, whispered that voice. But you could always offer to suck him off, or declare your undying love and affection, if you really wanted to stick the landing.

So much for not thinking it was possible to feel awkward around Levi’s little brother.

“Sorry,” Jordy said after a moment. “Levi means well, but he can be kind of a lot.”

I flushed. “Is he trying to mastermind your dating life too?”

“Just my job, and my living situation, and everything else,” Jordy snorted. “But not my dating life. I guess I should be grateful for small mercies.”

“Oh, right.” I nodded. “He mentioned you were getting over a breakup.”

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wished I could take them back. Jordy’s face fell, and I remembered what else Levi had said: Jordy’s ex had cheated on him. And now I’d gone and reminded him of it.

“He said that?” Jordy asked, his voice strangled.

“I mean, not—not that we talked about you, or anything,” I said quickly. “He just mentioned it in passing.”

“Well, it’s not a big deal.” Jordy shrugged. “That relationship was never going to last.”

Something dark and pained passed through his eyes, and I wanted to ask about it. Wanted to tell him he deserved so much better, and that if Levi didn’t go back to New York and beat up his ex, I would, despite the fact that I’d never been in a fight and would probably make a fool of myself.

But of course I couldn’t say any of that. I barely knew Jordy. Not really. Not as an adult.

“Anyway,” he continued, a bite in his voice, “I’m sure you have better things to do than talk about my breakup.”

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to—”

“You have a date of your own to arrange, after all. I wouldn’t want to keep you from that.”