Page 135 of Flipping the Script

“What did I have that you didn’t?” He didn’t sound upset, just curious.

“A family that loves you. I have my sister, but that’s it. My parents don’t give a shit about me, and they never will. I remember Hannah coming home from hanging out at your place and she’d tell me about your family game nights and movie nights and all these other things you did together. I was jealous.

“And I know things weren’t all sunshine and roses for you, but you were popular and athletic and smart, and I was a weirdo with long hair who spent all his time in the music room.”

Jesse didn’t say anything for a long moment, and my nerves got worse with each passing second since I couldn’t see his face and had no idea what he was thinking.

“I think I was jealous of you too,” he said softly, his tone almost wistful. “Do you have any idea how it feels to be the invisible sibling?”

“No.”

“I do.” He sighed and shifted on the bed, the mattress creaking slightly. “I went from being the oldest, the one who always had to take care of Adam because our mother was too busy fucking around and our dad was always working. Then Dad married Jonah, and suddenly I’m the middle child, sandwiched between two insanely talented brothers who took up most of our parents’ time.”

I nodded slowly, even though he couldn’t see it. I knew about how Jesse had been a de facto parent for Adam when they’d been little, the same as I’d had to do for Hannah.

“My older brother is a literal triple threat and was always at some lesson or performing in something. And my youngerbrother was a star quarterback and would have gotten a full ride to any D1 school he wanted if he hadn’t blown out his shoulder senior year. Between games and practices, he took up the little time that Quinn didn’t.”

I kept quiet, sensing he had more to say.

“It felt like the only time anyone ever cared about me was when I accomplished something. And even then, it was always second to whatever Quinn or Adam had going on. So, I just kept trying harder. Getting good grades wasn’t enough. I needed to get straight A’s. Being on the team wasn’t enough; I had to be the starter. I tried so hard to be what everyone wanted me to be, but it was never enough.”

I took a chance and slid my hand across the bed until my fingers touched something warm and soft. When he didn’t pull away, I ran my hand down his arm and loosely held his hand.

He gripped it tight. “I know they didn’t do it on purpose. And I know my parents love me as much as my brothers, but back then, I was an angry eight-year-old who just had their whole life turned upside down.” He chuckled softly. “Then Adam and Hannah became friends, and suddenly you were always around too. Another kid my age who had more talent in his little finger than I have in my whole body. I was jealous, and I hated how everything just seemed so easy for you. I know it wasn’t,” he added quickly. “But as a kid, it felt like you had everything, and I was the one everyone forgot about.”

Silence fell again, but the rhythmic slide of Jesse’s thumb over my hand assured me he was probably just processing like I was.

This version of Jesse was foreign to me. I wasn’t used to seeing his vulnerable side.

He shared a huge part of himself with me tonight, and he hadn’t asked for anything in return. He allowed himself to bevulnerable, and he’d proven that he trusted me when we went bare and again when he told me about his dad.

He might not feel what I did, and I wasn’t even sure what that was, but things had irrevocably changed between us.

“Jess?” I whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Would I be reading the room wrong if I kissed you right now?”

He didn’t answer, instead he slid across the bed and right into my arms.

Our lips slotted together in a soft kiss, and it felt like coming home. Like kissing him was the most natural thing in the world, and we should have been doing this all along.

Silently, I rolled onto my back. He moved with me, settling his big body over mine, his hips between my spread thighs.

Our cocks rubbed together, but instead of frotting, Jesse just pressed down on me, pinning me in place as he kissed me like he never wanted to stop.

My entire body felt like it was on fire, like magma was flowing through my veins, getting hotter and wilder with each swipe of his tongue and press of his lips.

Shamelessly, I moaned and wrapped my legs around his thick thighs, angling my hips until his cock slipped from where it teased mine to rubbing against my crease.

“Bas?” he asked between kisses.

Instead of answering, I reached between us and gave him a long, slow stroke. I wanted him inside me, wanted to feel him with no barriers.

Even if he went back to hating me tomorrow, I wanted to share this with him.

He resumed kissing me, rocking his body over mine in a slow, sensual wave that drove me wild with need.

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