Page 35 of Honest With You

My head drops to his chest in embarrassment and he chuckles, wrapping his arms around me. He releases a shaky sigh and pulls me back.

“I don’t want to, but I really do have to say good night now, Ava. It’s almost two AM.”

I gasp, pulling my phone out of my pocket. I have two missed calls from Yaya Ella and.. Crap. Five from Stephen.

And that’s when I see it. Or rather, him.

My brother is leaning against the open door to our house. Even from this distance, I can see he’s vibrating with anger.

Jesse turns to look at what I’m staring at with widened eyes and I hear him curse. His arms fall away from me like a hot iron branding him and he steps around me to quickly open the trunk. I turn my head in time to see him grab a huge tote bag and he practically thrusts it in my hands.

Raking a shaky hand through his golden locks, he looks over my shoulder. He musters up a small wave before hunching over so he can whisper to me, like Stephen can actually hear him from all the way across the street.

“Does he have some sort of radar on you?”

I can’t help but giggle at that, remembering Stephen walking in on us not even a minute after Jesse and I kissed in the kitchen of our old house when we were kids.

I raise my pointer finger at my brother, signaling I need a minute before turning around to face Jesse.

“I don’t think so. But given I’ve never done anything remotely close to sneaking out and then making out with a boy in front of him, I wouldn’t know.”

“Shit. Do you think he remembers me?”

I’m about to open my mouth when I hear the gate behind me open, followed by Stephen calling my name. I toss my brother a pointed look over my shoulder, rolling my eyes..

“I should go and you should get home too. We have school in a few hours.”

Jesse shoots Stephen another look before grinning down at me.

“Screw it. I’m already fucked.”

He eliminates the small distance between us, kissing me longer than he should, what with my brother watching.

Then, a kiss on the tip of my nose before he lets me go with a sigh and stepping back.

I’m blinking up at him in a daze when he whispers, “You’re not going on that date with Ryder, Ava.”

His hand comes up to graze my cheek with his finger.

“Good night, sweet girl.”

Jesse grabs hold of my arm, turning me gently around and lightly nudges me to cross the street home. I operate on auto pilot as I make my way home, past the gate, following Stephen to the front door.

I pause to look over my shoulder.

Jesse is resting on his car in the same way he was when he picked me up, his hands in his pockets, waiting for me to get to my front door safely despite my brother already being here.

I raise my hand to wave at him. He returns it with a smile and gets in his car. I wait until I no longer see his headlights and turn to face my brother, who has been watching the exchange quietly.

From experience, I know a quiet Stephen is a brooding Stephen is a scary Stephen.

I stifle a sigh, closing the door behind me, the bag clutched firmly against my chest serving as armor against the scolding I know I’m going to get.

But it doesn’t come.

Instead, Stephen is already making his way up the stairs.

“Lock the door behind you and set the alarm.”

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