Page 41 of Stepbrother Mine

“When did you know you had feelings for me?”

Sebastian’s ass has been thoroughly reddened and he’s lying in my arms after some after care, humming in contentment as I stroke his hair. He traces his finger over my pecs and around my torso. “Remember my junior year of high school, when I couldn’t make it to prom because I was sick and I was so upset about missing it?” I nod. “You drove two hours to give me a pseudo prom at home, showed up on the front door dressed in a tux, which you never wear, even had a boutonniere for me,” he laughs at the memory and so do I. “You had Mom and your dad decorate the living room in balloons and hang a banner. You even had them make punch and set up a table with snacks. Then you danced with me in your tux while I was in my pajamas, and even though I felt like crap, and looked worse, I couldn’t stop smiling.” He continues tracing my abdomen and lifts himself up on his elbow, gazing at me. “That was when I fell for you. Before that I was attracted to you, even crushing on you a bit, and trying not to fall for you. You were straight and my brother so I knew better.” He chuckles again, his gaze lowering. “Everything you did made me fall for you more. Then it was over a year of pining for someone I thought I would never have.”

“Well, thank god for stupid party games, huh?” I say, stroking his cheek, and he smiles.

“I want to tell people, Sebastian,” I say. “I don’t want to keep us a secret any more. You’re too important for me to hide and I’m not ashamed of us, or our love.”

He nods, then kisses me. “Okay.”

It’s another three days before we can figure out a time when all of our friends can meet so we can share the news with them. We decided to host a small gathering, with Melony, Nate and Tyler in attendance. They’re the ones who matter the most and I have no doubt the word will spread after that, especially once Sebastian and I are able to be free with our affection in public.

I’m feeling hopefully optimistic somehow, despite my nerves. I haven't eaten much all day though, which is the opposite of Sebastian. When he’s upset or anxious he devours everything in the entire house, which is why I’m having to remind him that the tacos we’ve prepared for our friends are in fact for our friends and he can have one when they arrive.

He yelps when I slap his hand as he reaches for one, then squirms and glares at me.

“Be good,” I say, and he flushes.

The doorbell rings and we both take deep breaths. “You ready for this?” I say, and he nods.

He opens the door and hugs Melony as she walks in carrying a plate of cookies. Nate and Tyler show up and they have drinks. I’m really wishing they were alcoholic because I think it would help with what we’re about to tell them.

I can tell Sebastian is antsy to get the news out there and frankly so am I, so we ask them to sit and they do, exchanging glances with us and each other. I don’t blame them, this is a whole lotta weird. We don’t usually have “talks.”

“What’s up?” Nate asks from his seat on the sofa, Tyler in his lap. They’re both on the football team, and dating, but unlike us they aren’t stepbrothers. Oh, boy. My heart rate picks up. “Is everything okay? You two look a little nervous.”

“They’re fine,” Tyler says. “Look at them, they’re fit as fiddles.” He reaches for the tray of nuts on the coffee table and shoves a fistfull in his mouth.

Mel looks at us, but doesn’t say anything.

“No, we’re fine,” I stammer. God, this is harder than I thought it would be. “I mean, we’re not sick or anything?—”

“Rome and I are dating,” Sebastian blurts, and I’m not sure if I’m grateful or horrified, maybe both. I reach over and squeeze his hand. Okay, that happened.

Tyler’s eyes go wide, Nate grins, and Mel groans.

“Fuck,” she says before reaching into her purse and pulling out her phone.

Sebastian and I exchange glances now and then look back at our friends.

“What are you doing?” Sebastian asks Mel.

“Venmoing this asshole his money,” she grumbles. “Goddamnit, you guys.”

“Wait, I’m super confused,” I say.

“Were you guys betting on us?” Sebastian asks. They grin.

“I said you two were together, Mel didn’t think so, said it was just you two being you two, but I thought something was different ever since the party and that kiss,” Nate says, grinning.

We both flush.

“Ooh, so you have me to thank,” Mel says. She turns to Nate. “Does that mean I get my money back?”

He smirks. “Nice try.”

“Hey, can we eat now? Those tacos look delicious,” Tyler says, and that’s it. No questions, no having them point out that we’re stepbrothers and shouldn’t be doing this, no judgment, no nothing, just acceptance.

And when Sebastian sits on my lap that evening and presses a kiss to my lips, our friends right there, we pull away to see them all smiling.

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