Page 58 of Unfix Me

Kai

Ask anybody who knew me and they would tell you that when I found something I wanted, I went after it like it was the only source of air while I was stranded on Mars. That and I got easily attached. The thing was, I didn’t do that often. When I did, though…

Sushi on Friday was great. Class today was torture, but in a good way. Both of those places required decorum and discrepancy. Now, I was on the field with the team, and all I could think about was going back to the dorm and knocking on Sen’s door.

We’d only kissed briefly a couple of times since I laid him down on this very field. It wasn’t enough for me. I was being a gentleman, letting him lead and set whatever boundaries he needed to. That didn’t mean I wasn’t itching to push them a little.

West sashayed over to me- literally. He held onto the football with both hands and acted like he was dancing with it. I gave him my full attention since it was what he wanted. When he started singing, I put a hand over my mouth to smother my laugh.

“Love you like a brother, treat you like a friend.”

He got entirely too close to me and I shook my head. “West.”

“Respect you like a lover,” he continued, his volume rising. “Oh, oh, oh.”

“Christ.”

He kept going and with each line, he pushed me back with his chest against mine. I groaned, knowing what he wanted. Everybody was staring, not that he ever cared. I wondered if this was how Sen felt earlier. Unlike him, I was able to throw all of my dignity to the wind.

I snatched the football from him and spun around. When I was facing him again, I picked up where he left off.

“So put your pretty little hand in mine,” he joined in, holding his hand out to me. I grabbed it and he yanked me forward.

The word ‘gay’ came from somewhere among the team. West’s eyes narrowed, but when he saw that I was laughing, he relaxed. Or I thought he did.

“Hey, Porter,” he called. “Catch.”

He sent the ball toward him so quickly that Lincoln barely had time to put his hands up. All he managed to do was slow it. The impact with his stomach made him grunt. The furious look he sent West’s way made me grab his arm.

“Come on. Practice is over.”

West resisted for a second before he let me drag him off the field.

“Why are you trying to start shit with Linc?” I demanded.

“I’m not.”

“You’re gonna take his place when he graduates this year. It’s not a competition between you two. Even if it was, what good would that move do?”

He shrugged, continuing to walk at my side. I stole glances at him, trying to figure out what was going on between the lines. Usually, West was an open book. If he was closed off like this, it meant there was something serious going on.

“Have you talked to Willow?” I ventured cautiously.

“Yeah.”

“How is she?”

“She’s home, so how do you think?”

“I told you I can have Mom check on her. She’s always welcome to join them for dinner, even stay the night if she needs to.”

“She knows that, but she’s too proud.”

“It doesn’t help that she’s stubborn like her brother.”

I smiled at him, which only softened his features slightly. He didn’t know it, but I already knew how his sister was because I kept in touch with her too, for her sake and for West’s. If he was in a bad place, it usually had something to do with her. He’d almost talked himself out of coming here many times because he didn’t want to leave her home by herself. She was capable of dealing with their dad, but he was still rightfully worried.

“Only eight months until she graduates,” I reminded him.

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