Page 49 of Break the Rule
Unable to stop the slow spread of elation from across his face, Charlie brightens. “What a pleasure seeing you again, Emerson. I was sure after last time Jason was going to hide you away.”
“Hide me away where?” Emerson asks.
He’s so earnestly literal that Charlie can see exactly what Jason likes about him. Jason’s always been a no-nonsense guy. Someone sweet, and blunt, like Emerson is exactly what Jason needs.
His musings are interrupted when Denise swats him on the backside of the head. “You behave.”
“What the hell, D? I literally only said hello.”
Denise hums and narrows her eyes at Charlie. “Uh-huh. I’ve got cameras everywhere mister. I’m watching you.”
“Wow,” Charlie balks. “I don’t know why everyone acts like I’m going to cause trouble. I’m a fucking delight. Besides, I only ruined one suit,once. It’s not like I planned to spill paint thinner on a custom silk suit a week before my gala opening and requested an entirely new one at midnight.”
Emerson looks confused and Denise looks annoyed, both of which thrill Charlie. He wishes he could blame his pathological love of attention on something specific, but the truth is he was just born thriving in chaotic conditions, especially ones that garnered him attention. Andrew is always reminding him not all attention is good attention, but since positive and negative attention both light up the dopamine receptors in Charlie’s brain, he’s often hard-pressed to care which he gets.
“So,” Charlie muses, eager to find out more about the redheaded man in front of him that’s responsible for his baby brother’s queer awakening. “Not at the game with Jason?”
“No,” Emerson answers succinctly.
“Why? Didn’t my obtuse brother invite you? I know he wanted you there.”
“He’s very kind,” Emerson agrees. “He did invite me to the game tonight, but I needed to pick up my suit. That and well, the game sounded?—”
“Like an archaic demonstration of popularity and heteronormativity disguised as school spirit?”
“I was just going to sayloud.”
“That’s fair,” Charlie concedes, caught off guard when Emerson’s intense gaze zeros in on the friendship bracelet currently sitting on his wrist. The one he was supposed to give back at Juanita’s but which he hid in his pocket at the last minute. The one he’s worn all week.
Eager for a distraction, Charlie’s eyes hone in on what Emerson is wearing.
“Nice sweatshirt.”
Emerson looks down at himself, his pale cheeks flushing bright pink. If Charlie hadn’t already figured out this guy had it bad for his brother, this exact moment would give it all away. There’s something almost painfully innocent and sweet about it actually.
“You know, it all makes so much sense,” Charlie muses, watching Emerson for ulterior motives. All he sees is a man caught with his hand in a cookie jar, or more accurately caught wearing his crush’s clothing. He lets the silence drag on longer than necessary to test Emerson’s reaction.
“What, uh…what makes sense?” Emerson questions.
“In high school, all the girls used to try and steal Jason’s hoodies. The football team one with his name. They wanted to wear it around campus, you know?” It’s clearly a rhetorical question since Charlie doesn’t expect Emerson to answer. “His ex-girlfriends did it too when he became coach and his team started winning state championships. Jason’s kind of a big man on campus, and in town, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
“Everyone likes Jason,” Emerson points out.
“Everyonedoeslike Jason, because he’s really fucking nice,” Charlie says, laying his suit on the edge of the couch before crossing his arms. “Jason is the nicest guy in the world, and a lot of people, especially his exes, knew that. They liked it because it meant they got what they wanted. The thing about Jason is that he’s always had one giant flaw—his shit taste in women.”
Emerson fidgets but says nothing, so Charlie keeps going. He’s pretty sure this guy doesn’t have ulterior motives, but after the shitty way Jason’s been treated by his exes, Charlie thinks he’s entitled to be protective. He might love to give Jason shit, often, but he loves him.
“Jason has always picked the kind of women who would wear his hoodie in public but never in private. He was as much a trophy to them as the ones he helped his teams win.” Charlie pushes off the chair, inching closer to Emerson. “You, on the other hand, had no idea I would be here when you got dressed.”
Emerson bunches the overly long sleeves of the hoodie in his fists. “I just borrowed it. I uh, I’m going to give it back. I wasn’t—I mean?—”
“Relax, Emerson,” Charlie says, grabbing his suit off the couch. Much as he is curious about Emerson, he’s suddenly unsettled. He assumed this thing with Jason and Emerson was some sort of fleeting crush, but after talking to his brother last week and now this interaction, he’s starting to suspect it’s something far more serious—and more special. Suddenly, Charlie feels like an intruder in his brother’s life, and he needs to get away. Besides, if he pushes too hard and really does upset Emerson, someone is going to kill him, though whether that will be Denise or Jason remains to be seen.
“I like you. I can see why Jason does too. You know if?—”
“Charlie King, get your ass out of my store,” Denise snarks. “Stop bothering my clients.”
“One day, you’re going to take me on as a client too, Denise. I can feel it. I’m growing on you.”
