Page 78 of Burning Embers

Ethan mutters something under his breath—I hear the words “gumballs” and “turkey leg”—before he pushes another button. This time, the artificial fireplace beneath the television flicks on, emitting an orange and red glow.

With a desperate battle cry, Ethan slams his hand against the controller. The fireplace shuts off, the music goes quiet, and the lights turn bright.

Ethan’s face is just as red as my own.

Yup.

Jake issogoing to die. I don’t even have a choice on the matter anymore. It’s truly a shame I have to kill him before he even turns twenty-one.

“Sorry about…him,” I say, wiggling my fingers in the general direction of the doorway.

I swear, somewhere above, I can hear Jake laughing raucously, but it’s probably just my imagination.

Ethan flashes me a timid smile and removes his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose.

“Shouldn’t I be the one apologizing for Jake?” He puts his glasses back on and crouches in front of the television to sift through the games there. “I’ve known him longer, and he used to be my friend.”

I snort. “Used to be?”

Ethan shoots me a smirk over his shoulder. “He’s certainly not anymore.”

We decide to playMario Kart, and Ethan tosses me a plastic steering wheel. He grabs one for himself and then perches on the couch…as far away from me as he can physically get.

As the game loads and we begin the tedious process of selecting our characters and cars, Ethan clears his throat and then says, “You and Jake seem to be close.”

I choose Princess Peach as Ethan selects Mario. I’m not even surprised. He totally seems like a Mario type of guy. Emery? I have a feeling he would pick Bowser. And Reid and Ashton?—

I shut that strange line of thinking down, fast, and focus on Ethan’s words.

“Yeah. I don’t really know how to explain it, but we clicked fast.” I shrug. “He’s like the annoying older brother I never wanted but now have.”

Ethan’s eyes flick to me before immediately focusing back on the screen. A blush creeps up his neck and stains his cheeks crimson. “So you guys aren’t dating?”

“You think I’m dating Jake?” I stare at him incredulously before barking out a laugh. “No. It’s not like that. Besides, I don’t make a habit of dating guys I’ve only known for a couple of days.” I flash him a pointed look, and the red in his cheeks deepens. “He’s just a friend.”

“I’m happy you have him,” Ethan says, and I think he’s being sincere. “He’s a good man.”

“He’s a piece of shit,” I counter with a scowl, thinking about the stunt he just pulled.

But even still, a tentative smile threatens to curl up my lips.

Yeah, Jake may be a piece of shit, but he’smypiece of shit.

I never really had a brother or a close friend before—excluding Grayson, who doesn’t count since I’m helplessly in love with him—but I think I could have something like that with Jake. I wasn’t lying to Ethan when I said I clicked with Jake unreasonably fast. There’s just something about the goofy quarterback that makes me trust him intrinsically.

“So are you ready to get your ass whooped?” I ask, reverting his attention back to the game.

“You wish.”

Surprisingly, the two of us are evenly matched, always getting first or second place at the end of each race. As we play, we talk about school and our interests.

I already know Ethan plays baseball during the spring, but I’m shocked to learn that he’s the team’s pitcher. He tells me about his failed attempt to join the football team his freshmanyear and how he accidentally ran the ball in the wrong direction and then tackled the coach who he mistook for a player.

I regale him with stories of my failed gymnastics and dance career. I once stood on the balance beam for over ten minutes during a meet because I was too chickenshit to do a back handspring. I got last place that day.

Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to stay in gymnastics, even if I wanted to. It’s an expensive sport, and the second I got removed from that foster family and placed in another, they canceled my membership. I’m just thankful I never liked it that much to begin with.

As the two of us talk—conversation flowing freely and naturally between us—I can’t help but think of ways I can beat him. Our scores are both even so far, and we only have two more races to go in this series.

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