Page 10 of Taste of Surrender
I had always assumed he never noticed me, and if he did, he only saw me as Jesse’s little brother. But maybe he’d been looking at me the same way as I had him all these years.
Malachiand I didn’t get a second alone for the remainder of the week. We shared occasional glances, and there were times I swore he purposely brushed against me, but I never had the opportunity to ask him why he’d kissed me or any of the other questions I had.
That changed as we broke down camp, and my brother’s phone rang.
“You guys got this?” Jesse asked. “I’ve been waiting for Liv to call.”
Olivia was his girlfriend of three years, and she usually went camping with us but she was spending this summer in Europe with her family.
“Yeah. We’re good,” Malachi said, pulling out one of the tent stakes.
Jesse walked toward the trees, and I moved over to the side where Malachi was working out of sight of everyone else. The second I stepped beside him, he flashed me his megawatt smile. The same one that had girls swooning at their gigs.
“Did you have fun this week?” he asked.
“It’s definitely been interesting.”
He stopped what he was doing and faced me. “Interesting. How?”
“Are you really going to make me say it?”
He shrugged, the smile never leaving his face. “Yes.”
“Fine.” I chuckled. “I found it interesting that all this time, I thought you were into girls, yet you kissed me.”
“Well, I am into girls.”
My gaze dropped to my feet. “Oh.”
“But I also happen to be bi, so I’m notonlyinto girls.”
“Oh,” I repeated. “I didn’t know that.”
“No one does,” he admitted.
“Why not tell my brother? He didn’t have a problem when I came out, and I know he wouldn’t have an issue with you either.”
“You’re probably right.” He let out a breath. “It’s just … I’ve got this image as a ladies’ man I created with the band, and I’m not sure if telling the guys would change things and cause problems.”
“I guess that makes sense.” No way was I going to judge someone else’s journey. When and how they chose to share intimate details about their life with others was their business.
“Regardless of whether or not people know, I meant it when I said I wanted more the other night.” He stuffed the stakes into the tent bag.
“You did?”
He nodded. “Yeah. But Jesse would kill me if he knew I was messing around with his little brother.”
My shoulders slumped. “I get it.”
“Hey.” He lifted my chin with his finger. “That doesn’t mean I?—”
Before he could say anything more, Jesse came back. “What’s taking you guys so long? Everyone else is ready to go.”
“Well, if someone had stayed to help us instead of bailing to talk to his girlfriend, then we’d be done already,” Malachi scolded playfully.
“Don’t be mad you can only get a chick for one night,” my brother teased.
Malachi’s eyes cut to me briefly before he responded, “Nah, man. I’m not looking to get tied down and practically married at nineteen like you.”
