Page 6 of Anti Player

“Hi, little man,” Kaleb says. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen Kaleb. We usually come to Brett’s for Christmas since I haven’t been back home to Michigan in a heck of a long time. Mom and Henry come here too, and Kaleb always joins us, but for the past two years I stayed in Jersey because of fucking Nathan.

“You remember Asher,” I say to Kaleb.

“You’ve grown a lot, little man,” Kaleb says.

“Mommy, I need to pee,” Asher says, scrunching his face.

“I’m so sorry. Can he use your bathroom?” I ask Kaleb.

“Of course, come on in, Mad Pie.”

I give him a smile that’s tight. He really needs to stop calling me that because it makes me feel like I’m five.

“I’m just going to help him. I don’t need him peeing all over your walls,” I explain.

Kaleb laughs because he clearly thinks I’m joking.

My straight face probably lets on I was being serious and his smile faulters.

“Let me show you where the bathroom is.” He blinks and then he is moving, and we are following him.

We get into the bathroom, and I remind my son to aim at the toilet. The last thing I want is to be cleaning piss off Kaleb’s bathroom walls. I ask my son to turn around and I pee too because my bladder was close to exploding.

When we head back out, Kaleb is holding a key and dangling it in the air.

“Brett said you guys are staying for a while?” he inquires.

I take the key from his grasp. “That’s the plan.”

“Cool. It’s like our childhood all over again.” He grins.

I don’t know how it’s possible, but this guy gets better looking every time I seem him.

I smile because I really don’t know what to say. “We better get ourselves unpacked,” I direct to Asher. “I need to shower and get these clothes off me. Then we need to eat something,” I say to my son because I am a mumbling mess around Kaleb. I’m pretty sure he was my first crush. Of course I never let on how I felt. My brothers would never allow me to crush on their friend. Once, Henry accused me of having a crush on Kaleb, and Brett pinned him to the wall and made him take his words back. He threatened to prank him in his sleep if he didn’t. Henry, being Henry, took them back swiftly.

“I’ll be seeing you two around,” Kaleb says.

“See you.” I smile and wave. Why am I being so awkward?

“Bye, Asher, nice to see you again,” Kaleb says to him.

Asher waves.

“Thanks, Kaleb, see you around,” I say to him.

He nods and Asher and I exit his apartment.

It’s only when we get back in the hall do I realize I was holding my breath and, holy shit, my heart is beating fast and my body is feeling warm.

No. No. No.

I can’t catch a crush on Kaleb. I’ve sworn off men and Brett would have a meltdown, and right now we need to be living with Brett. Which means I need to take a deep cleansing breath. I am not attracted to Kaleb. Not in the least bit.

It’s lies. Dirty terrible lies.

CHAPTER

TWO

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