Page 33 of That Time I Kissed My Brother’s Best Friend

“Beau!” Brady calls out, startling Kasey and me apart. He and Natalie are heading our way, eyes on us, ignoring the fireworks. He probably wants to rip me apart, and my pulse races, but I have no regrets. Kasey’s worth any fight. All for her. For always.

“Listen, Brady,” I begin. My voice sounds dredged up from the lake.

“What’s happening here, man?”

“I’m glad you asked that,” Kasey answers before I can. “It’s time you and Natalie knew the truth. Beau and I.We’rewhat’s happening.”

“You and Beau?” Natalie grips the railing, and Brady squints. Like squeezing his eyes shut might make this go away.

Kasey slides back into my arms. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”

Another set of fireworks pops above us, and Kasey prods my side. I don’t know what she wants me to say, but it doesn’t much matter because my mouth is frozen. Turns out I’ve got no acting skills, and I honestly care about Kasey too much to fake my feelings. After a beat, she shifts her focus to my sister. “What about you, Nat? You didn’t catch on to the fact that your brother and I are crazy about each other?”

“Say it, Beau,” Brady growls. “I need to hear this from you.”

My throat is sandpaper, but I grit out the words. “I’m crazy about your sister.”

Natalie peers at Kasey. “You and Beau?” she repeats. “For real?”

Kasey lifts her chin. “I hope that doesn’t bother you.” She turns to Brady. “Or you either. But even if you’re both bothered—even if you absolutely hate the thought of us together—you’ll have to get used to it. Because”—she shifts in my arms, gazing up at me—“we are head over heels in love.”

Natalie shrieks.

“What’s going on over there?” my dad calls out. All four parents look our way as a string of fireworks illuminates the deck. It’s like the sun is shining on Kasey. In my arms. Their jaws all drop.

“Kasey?” squawks Mrs. Graham.

“Beau?” My mother gasps.

I wrap my arms tighter around Kasey. At least I’m not lying to anyone. “It’s true,” I say. “I’m totally in love with Kasey.”

“Well.” Nat waves her sparkler and grins. “It’s about time.”

ChapterThirteen

KASEY

Natalie turns to Brady, fluffs her blonde curls, and makes a kissy-face noise. “Did you hear that? My brother and your sister aretotally in looooove!”

“That seems to be the case,” Brady says. “So. Mission accomplished?”

They both high-five each other, then they switch to down-lowing, as if that’s even a thing. Next they do a weird hip-bump dance, frolicking around the deck like they just won the lottery.

Meanwhile, my arms break out in goosebumps, and I spin around to face Beau. “Did you know about this?” A flush creeps up my throat, spreading to my cheeks, andoh no, no, no, no, no. “Please tell me you didn’t set me up again. If this is another one of your pranks …”

Beau’s face goes as white as my blouse. Either that, or the lights from the fireworks make him look like he’s seen a ghost. Or heisa ghost. Wait. Is that it? Are we dead?

Pretty much nothing else makes sense right now. And our parents seem just as baffled. They’ve moved into a semicircle formation, staring at us, sparklers hanging at their sides.

“Kasey Elizabeth!” My mom’s the first to start talking. Shocker. “I thought you and Beau didn’t like each other. Isn’t that what you told me?”

“Yes!” Mrs. Slater pipes up. “That’s what I thought too.” Her gaze shifts between me and Beau and Nat and Brady. “Have you kids all been drinking? Or…” She whispers, “Are you doing the drugs?”

This finally gets Natalie to stop dancing. At least her body stops. Her eyes are still totally dancing. Then she chuckles. “I can assure youthe drugsaren’t the case here, Mother. Right, Brady?”

“Affirmative.” Brady salutes the group.

My mom turns to Brady. “Then whatisthe case?”

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