Page 60 of Totally Geeked

“Not like that, dickhead. Arlo, you’re the sweetest most trusting person I know, and I just didn’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I would never want to hurt him,” Harrison says.

“But you can’t know what will happen and you might, and then I lose a best friend and have to pick up the pieces of my brother’s broken heart yet again.”

I let go of Harrison’s hand, and I walk over to my brother by the window.

“No one knows what will happen in the future. I could break his heart for all you know, but that outcome you are so worried about is already happening, and you are the one causing it.”

“What?”

“You’ve hardly talked to your best friend in days, and my heart is broken because my big brother won’t get over himself and see that I’m not a little kid and I’m happy for the first timein a really long time, and it’s because I’m in love with the most amazing man.”

Gordon looks over my shoulder to Harrison and Noah behind us.

“You already know how I feel about Arlo,” Harrison says, and Gordon’s attention comes back to me.

“I guess I could have handled it better,” he says.

“You couldn’t have handled it worse,” Noah chimes in.

“He could have decked me,” Harrison adds.

“I would never have done that,” Gordon says, the anger in his voice almost gone. “Might mess up my pitching hand.”

We laugh, and it’s like someone’s popped the balloon around us and we can suddenly breathe.

“I’m sorry for being a dick,” Gordon says, and I wrap my arms around my big brother and squeeze tight.

“I’m sorry you were being a dick, too,” I say into his chest and his large arms wrap around me. “But I’m sorry we lied to you, too.”

“Yeah, man, sorry,” Harrison says, his voice growing nearer, and then his arms are around me too and his chest is against my back, and it's like being crushed between two bears.

“I want a hug, too,” Noah says, and I’m knocked off my feet a little when he launches himself at us and wraps his arms over Harrison’s and Gordon’s shoulders.

“Getting hard to breathe in here,” I say, and they laugh and let go.

“Did you really cook Dad’s casserole?” Gordon asks, and I smile.

“I told you I’m normally a great cook. Are you hungry?”

“I kind of had dinner plans with Niki, but—”

“Invite her,” Harrison says, and I agree.

“She can come, I made plenty,” I say, and Noah frowns.

“I guess there goes my leftovers.”

“I’ll make you another batch just for you,” I say, and his face lights up.

“Cool, there are like thirty guys in the house, so you think we can make enough for all of them?”

“Not in this kitchen.” I laugh.

“You can come to the frat house. We can help, you can be the boss, kitchen man, or whatever they call it.”

“Head chef?” Harrison offers, frowning at Gordon. “And you were worried about this one?” he asks, pointing at me.

---