Bump and Run (Wide Open #6)

Chapter Nine

Jones

When I woke in the morning, everything came rushing back to me the moment I opened my eyes. Mama getting upset with me. Charlie coming over and telling me we would figure everything out. I wanted to be with him so badly it hurt. The thought of not seeing him again made my heart ache, and I couldn’t stand the thought.

I pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes until the urge to cry passed. I could do this. I could figure out a way to be with Charlie without our parents knowing. Even if they were going to get married. Lying to Mama made my tummy feel funny. I had never done that before. But she had given me no other choice.

My bedroom door suddenly burst open as my two best friends, Ollie and Travis Haley, shot into the room. They tumbled onto the bed like the two giants they were, laughing and shouting about their trip to visit their grandmother while I tried to listen to them both. They weren’t twins, but they might as well have been.

Born twelve months apart, Ollie was the oldest. He had curly red hair, big green eyes, and the brightest smile I had ever seen. He was a big guy, had been a linebacker on our high school football team, and would be working for his uncle’s auto shop in the fall. He loved working with his hands, so it would be a good fit for him. He was really good with cars, too.

Travis was the youngest. His hair was a lighter shade of brown, but he had the same green eyes. He was on the baseball team, basketball team, and the soccer team because he liked sports. Didn’t care what it was, he just liked to play. He was starting college in the fall to become a gym teacher because he wanted to share his love of sports with kids. I had no doubt he would be good at it, too.

“Then Ollie nearly burned his eyebrows off when he set off fireworks in Grandma’s backyard.” Travis snorted.

Ollie shoved him. “Are you serious? You didn’t tell me it was an illegal firework, you dork! I wouldn’t have been so close to it!”

Travis shoved him back. “Seriously, when do we ever buy legal ones, Ollie?” He grinned at his brother before he turned to look at me. “What’s wrong with you? You haven’t said a word since we got here.”

“I’m fine. Besides, you two busted in here like a couple of bulls in a China shop without giving me a chance to speak.” Guilt was an uncomfortable twist in my gut as I lied to my best friend.

Ollie poked my chest. “Nah, it’s that boy you posted that picture of on Instagram. You’re all in love now, right? Forgot about your besties. How amazing we are.”

“I’m not, and he’s just a guy.” But I was already blushing so hard I was sweating.

Travis lunged at me, knocking me onto my back. “Charlie, you’re so handsome.”

“Charlie, you’re so cute.” Ollie climbed on his brother’s back, and I wheezed out a laugh. “You’re the nicest boy I’ve ever met. Kiss me, Charlie.”

I smacked Travis’s shoulder with the palm of my hand. “You’re crushing me, you ogre!”

“Charlie, Charlie, Charlie!” Travis sang the name as he snickered, his fingers finding my ribs to tickle me. “Did he kiss you yet?”

Ollie made a raspberry sound. “Do you love him yet, Jones?”

I roared with laughter at my two best friends. “You’re both ridicules.”

But I’d missed them, and I was glad they were home. I had so much to tell them. About Charlie, about Mama, and about what had happened while they were on vacation. They wouldn’t judge me or get upset. They would try to help me figure everything out.

“I missed you guys.” I tried to wrap my arms around both of my friends, which was nearly impossible, but it kind of worked.

Ollie sighed loudly. “You’re such a big mush now that you’re all loved up. When do we get to meet him? But we missed you, too.”

My heart shot into my throat. Would they get to meet Charlie? I wasn’t sure how that would work with everything that had happened. “I—”

“Come on, lazybones. Get up and shower so we can go out. I miss the dirt bike. It’s been forever! We can go get something to eat. You can tell us all about your Charlie while we tell you more about our trip. It’ll be fun.” Travis nearly knocked Ollie off the bed when he sat up, and when his brother started laughing, I couldn’t help but join in.

Having my best friends home was exactly what I needed to get my mind off everything that was going on.

“I’ll wash up super quick,” I assured them both.

***

“He’s going to be your stepbrother!” Travis exclaimed, which caused a couple of the nosey gray-haired old ladies in the restaurant we were eating at to look over in alarm. “Wow, Jones, that is so naughty. I’m really proud of you. I never thought you had it in you.”

I ducked my head as heat flamed my cheeks. “Could you not be so loud? The entire town doesn’t need to know about my love life.”

“Are you embarrassed?” Ollie asked as he stabbed a fork into his massive stack of pancakes and took a bite. “I mean, you’re not actually related, so what’s the big deal?”

I glanced over at the old ladies who were still staring at our table. “Gosh, no, I’m not embarrassed, I just... Not everyone knows I’m... You know.”

“That you’re gay?” Travis offered, and again, he was so loud I was sure the entire restaurant heard him.

I groaned as I dropped my head back against the booth. I wanted to just die. Disappear through a hole in the floor and never be seen again. I hadn’t officially come out to anyone other than my best friends, Mama, and Charlie. Now everyone here knew it, so that would mean the whole town would by the end of the night. People would start treating me differently. Like I had cooties.

“Is this why you’re not answering any of my texts?” My head shot up at the sound of Charlie’s voice.

I took in the way narrowed his brown eyes, his pinched lips, and how his nostrils flared. His entire body was stiff as he waited for me to respond to him.

Ollie nearly fell out of the booth trying to stand up. “Oh, wait, you’re him. You’re Jones’s Charlie.” He stuck out his hand. “Oliver Haley, but you can call me Ollie. This is my brother, Travis.”

“You’re the best friends.” Charlie’s shoulders relaxed as he took Ollie’s outstretched hand. “I heard so much about both of you.” A smile spread over his face.

Travis kicked my leg under the table. “Invite him to sit down with us,” he mouthed.

I wanted to. I wanted nothing more than for Charlie to have breakfast with us, but what if someone saw? What if that same someone told Mama that a stranger was eating with us, and she figured it out? Then she’d kick me out, I’d be homeless, and then what would happen? I’d have to live on the beach under the docks like some loser. I couldn’t handle that.

“Jonesy?” Charlie was staring at me with confusion written all over his handsome face.

I grimaced. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I asked if it would be all right if I joined you and your friends for a little while. I already had breakfast.” Charlie’s brown eyes looked so hopeful.

Against my better judgement, I nodded. He gave me a big smile and slid into the booth next to me, his warm hand landing on my thigh. It felt right. It felt perfect, and I couldn’t stop myself from placing my hand on top of his.

“Jones told us how you met.” Ollie grinned as he went back to breakfast. “Romantic.”

Charlie nudged my shoulder. “I mean, I couldn’t not shoot my shot. He was just lying on the sand staring up at the stars as he took pictures with his phone.”

“He does that a lot. Jones is a bit of a himbo.” Travis snorted into his coffee when I glared at him.

Charlie squeezed my thigh. “Jonesy’s special, but I wouldn’t call him a himbo. He’s funny, beautiful, smart, and he makes me happy. He knows what he wants to do for the rest of his life, unlike a lot of people our age.”

Swoon. I ducked my head as I blushed and started to pick at the bacon on my plate. I was used to my friends picking on me for me, but I knew that they didn’t mean it. When I looked up again, Ollie and Travis were staring at me with wide eyes and smiles on their faces.

“What?”

“You’re unusually quiet,” Travis commented. “You have anything to add, Jonesy?”

I shook my head. “No, only Charlie gets to call me that.” I smiled at him when he squeezed my leg again. “And I think he’s the nicest, sweetest, kindest guy I’ve ever met. He even introduced me to hard cider.” I kept the sex stuff to myself, because it was private. We were close, but not that close.

“You drank alcohol?” Ollie gasped. “You’ve corrupted our Jones, Charlie. I think I like you.” He snorted with laughter when I threw a piece of bacon at him, which he caught and promptly ate.

I leaned into the warmth of the man next to me. “It’s good. You should try it.”

“How about tonight?” Charlie suggested as his hand slid farther up my thigh. I felt myself start to harden inside my shorts, despite being out in public. “My dad’s gone. We could have a party, although I wanted some alone time with my boyfriend.”

Ollie’s eyes went wide as saucers. “Boyfriend? You’re like official?”

“Sure are. Aren’t we, Bashful?” Charlie had that big smile on his face, and I wanted to kiss the heck out of him.

I nodded as I felt a blush begin to creep up over my neck and face. “We are.”

I laced my fingers through his hand that had stopped creeping up my thigh. It didn’t help my erection, though. It sat like steel inside my briefs. I silently willed it to go down, but it was impossible with Charlie so close to me, his hand on my bare skin and his warmth seeping through my body. I swear I could smell his beachy scent even with the smell of fried food that was wafting through the restaurant.

“Jones! I’m so dang happy for you!” Travis exclaimed. “You’ve wanted a boyfriend since you figured out you were... Well, you know. And this is something special. Heck yes, we’ll come to your party. Can we bring fireworks?”

“No fireworks! You really do have a death wish, don’t you?” Ollie shook his head at his brother, and when they began bickering back and forth at one another, I turned to look at Charlie .

His eyes glittered with happiness. “You okay with me calling you my boyfriend in front of your friends?”

“Of course I am.” I was a little nervous, but I liked that Charlie wasn’t afraid to tell people I was his. “They’re my best friends. Travis and Ollie don’t judge me.”

Charlie reached over to drag his thumb across my bottom lip. “I really want to kiss you, Jonesy, but if you’re not comfortable with that—”

I pressed my mouth against his before he could finish his sentence. “Forget what Mama said, Charlie. I’m yours.”