Page 63 of Notice Me, Jameson Hart
Robbie reads the text upside down and cackles. “Oh, he’s got it bad.”
“Shut up.”
“Text him back! Don’t leave him hanging after that accidental innuendo. He’s probably dying of embarrassment.”
Me
Two balls are impressive. I can barely handle one.
Okay, that also sounded dirty. Maybe we should stop talking about balls.
Robbie high-fives me. “Perfect. See? You guys haveball-er chemistry. Don’t let Adam’s protective big brother act mess with your head.”
“You don’t do the protective big brother thing?”
“Nah.” Robbie stretches out beside me, stealing half my pillow. “I figure you’re smart enough to handle yourself. Plus, Hart’s a good guy. If he’s interested in you—which he clearly is—then he’s got excellent taste.”
Jameson
Agreed. New topic. Did you know octopuses have three hearts?
Me
Random, but I love it. Did you know they’re also venomous?
Jameson
WHAT?! Everything I know is a lie.
I’m smiling again, that stupid, unstoppable smile that’s becoming my default expression.
“See?” Robbie pokes my cheek. “That’s the face of someone in the middle of something good. Adam means well, but he doesn’t get it. This?” He gestures at my phone. “This is exactly what you deserve.”
“Thanks, Robbie.”
He kisses me on the cheek—something he always used to do when we were little and I was crying. It always cheered me up. I didn’t realize I needed cheering up until now.
“I think it’s awesome that you and Hart are friends,” he says. “Or whatever you are. Or whatever you’re becoming.”
I clear my throat, trying to shift gears. “Speaking of whatever you’re becoming with someone…you said you’re ‘basically in love’ with Rita.”
Robbie coughs. The tips of his ears turn pink. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
“But you did.” I set my phone aside, giving him my undivided attention. “What’s the deal? Are you going to ask her out?”
Robbie sits up, running both hands through his hair until it sticks up in a hundred different directions. He scowls when I smooth it out for him. “I want to, but football camp doesn’t end for another two weeks. I have zero time for her right now.” He appears genuinely torn. “I don’t want to ask her out and then be unavailable. That’s a terrible way to start something.”
I think about Rita floating in the pool, talking about how she’d never risk our friendship for a boy. “She has some worries too, you know.”
Robbie’s head snaps toward me. “She does? What kind of worries?”
“She’s scared that if you guys dated and it went badly, it would make things weird. That she’d lose me as a friend because I’d have to choose sides or something. I think she’d rather pine forever than risk our friendship.”
“That’s…” Robbie’s face goes through about twelve different emotions. “…ridiculous. And also sweet. But mostly ridiculous.” He grabs my shoulders and stares at me with an intensity usually reserved for fourth-quarter plays. “Kevin, listen to me. If Rita and I date—I mean,whenwe date—nothing will change between you two. Ever.”
“Robbie—”
“No, I’m serious. She’s your best friend. I’m your brother. Those are two separate relationships that have nothing to do with each other.” His grip tightens slightly. “And if we ever broke up, I would never, ever make you choose. Neither would she. We both love you too much for that petty nonsense.”
