My Best Friends Brother

Chapter 21

MILO’S P.O.V.

Why hasn’t he come out of his tent yet? I can see he’s awake, the light from his phone is casting his shadow against the fabric walls and I can hear him talking to Steve on speakerphone.

The cold wind slams my skin brutally as I sit on the log opposite where that breath-taking man slept, clutching my coffee and trying to figure out how the fuck I’m going to talk to him this morning.

I kissed him. I fucking kissed him.

I couldn’t even control it, I didn’t even think before I did it.

He was just standing there, the surface of his neck just looking back at me as I pressed against him and I fucking had too... I had to know what he’d do.

So much fucking happened so quickly yesterday, one second I was winning the game, the next I was following him outside just so I could have five minutes alone with the guy.

Then I heard him and Charlie talking about me, the underlying tone of jealousy in his voice when that guy called me something I knew Josh wasn’t happy with. It did things to me, something snapped and I just had to get my fucking hands on him.

Pushing him against that wall, the darkness clouded his face but the rapid breath he kept letting out against my lips showed he didn’t want to stop.

He couldn’t see me, I couldn’t see him, but it was like a magnetic pull was making it’s way between us. I swear to fuck, if Eli had walked out ten seconds later... I would’ve already kissed him.

Then I had to go and fuck it. I shouldn’t have run off like that, I shouldn’t have jumped away like I’d just been caught doing something wrong by being with him.

There’s nothing wrong with me being with him, not to me.

I know who he is, I know some people wouldn’t be happy about me thinking this way about him but I don’t give a fuck. I just want to be fucking close to him, all the time, just like before.

Seeing him laying on that banking, alone and lost in the stars that have called my attention all my life... I just stood and stared at him for a while, completely fucking mesmerised.

He’s so... fuck, he’s so Josh. I haven’t felt like this before, never this way where every time you see someone it’s like the whole world disappears until they’re the only person in the universe. I knew Zoe was pretty, everyone told me enough and it’s clear, I just never felt lost in that beauty.

Josh is another fucking matter.

I can’t stop looking at him, I just fucking can’t. Every single time he walks into a room every hair on my body stands up on end until I know the only solution is to touch him again. Laying there with him last night, I really didn’t want to have to leave.

I pulled him in, felt his head rest on my shoulder as I marked out every constellation I could fucking think of. He was watching the stars, but I was just watching him.

That smile. That fucking smile.

It’s going to be the death of me. I’d do anything just to see it, if that guy would smile every time I looked at him, I’d never look at anything else again.

His lips, the curve of them, the way they pout when he’s thinking. God, I really wanted to fucking feel them.

But instead I pussied out. So now here I am, sitting waiting for him to come outside, with an extra coffee that I’m not even sure is still hot. Before last night I’d just go up to the tent, everything we’d done had been innocent flirting until that point, but that kiss wasn’t. He knows I want him now.

I just don’t know how he feels about it.

There’s a rustling in the tent across the way, Eli’s head poking out of the open zipper still half asleep. I don’t know what he was doing when I got back but I’m pretty sure he wasn’t alone in those woods from the low shrieks of pleasure he was trying to muffle before returning to the tent.

It’s fucking freezing out here, whoever said camping is a good laugh is full of shit. I’m exhausted, I want a shower and my back hurts worse than Dad’s after Mum makes him sleep on the couch for snoring.

Of course Eli doesn’t feel the chill, the guy’s English, he’s used to sunbathing in a fucking flood. Standing there in just his black sweats, he stretches deep enough to flex every single muscle at the gang of giggling cheerleaders that have made their way to the edge of the woodland before practise this morning.

He doesn’t even bother to put on shoes, stepping straight through the forest ground to my log and taking down the mug of lukewarm coffee I made for Josh in a single gulp.

“This is cold. Why didn’t you just bring it to me when you made it?”

Because it wasn’t for you, you bloody ego maniac.

“I was-”

The zip on the tent I’ve been staring at for the last forty-five minutes finally fucking opens and my heart stills. Fuck. Imagine waking up to that every morning...

Josh hardly gets two steps out before Coach grabs hold of him, but it doesn’t stop him scanning his eyes over the people around until finally they fall on me.

A small smirk makes its way onto my face as I watch his breath get caught in his throat, he tears his eyes away quickly but he can’t hide his nerves with his Adams apple bobbing up and down like that.

I make him nervous. I didn’t think anything could make him nervous.

He’s always so cool, calm and collected. Seeing someone as big and powerful as him like this because of me, it’s so fucking cute.

“Damn, look at that guy. If I look like him in ten years I’ll be very fucking happy.” Eli’s eyes roam over Josh worse than mine and there’s a part of me that wants to fucking hit him for it.

“Got a crush there?” I joke, but to my surprise Eli just nods his head whilst taking the coffee from my hand and sipping it more slowly this time.

“Who wouldn’t have a crush on that guy? They don’t make them like that anymore.” He better shut his fucking mouth. “I mean, he’s a really nice bloke who looks like he was built to drive someone into a lust-filled rage. You’d have to be an idiot not to see it... They still doing that last night dance thing this evening? Because I think I got us some dates.” He smirks, glancing over to the only two remaining cheerleaders at the treeline. The brunette has her fluttering lashes fixed on Eli but the red head seems to be caught up in me. I wink at her without even thinking, immediately regretting it as the red blush creeps up her neck and she whispers to her friend before they start giggling.

“Can’t do that man, Zoe’s gonna be there, I wouldn’t shove anything in her face that way. Probably won’t even go.”

Eli stares at me like he suddenly has no idea who I am.

“Won’t go? Milo Thompson won’t go to a dance where there will be an abundance of female talent at his feet and fruit punch just waiting to be spiked with something stronger? It’s the last night man! We have to go. Look, we don’t have to do the date thing, I know everything with Zo is still fresh, but you can’t hide from the girl forever.”

Trust me, I’m not hiding from the girl. I’m terrified of being somewhere with music and slow dancing without being able to pull the person I really want onto the floor.

Coach leaves Josh for a moment and he starts to make his way towards the edge of the trees, picking up the wood we cut last night and throwing some onto the fire. How the hell does he make everything look so fucking hot?

“I’ll think about it. Let’s just get this last game out of the way first, you ready?”

Eli rolls out his neck, smiling gently. “Yeah man, I’m good. I swear this neck better unlock by Saturday, it’s the first race of the season and I can’t fucking drive if I can’t turn my head. Massage?”

I burst out laughing. “You’d be lucky mate, I don’t give massages, I get them. Go see brown eyes over there, sure she’d be more than happy to get her hands on you.”

His giant smile spreads across his face before he jumps up, taking my hoodie off the log and running towards the awaiting girls.

“Dude! That’s mine!”

He just laughs, throwing it over his head and disappearing into the trees. I swear that guy has half my fucking wardrobe at home.

“Cold?”

Did his voice always sound like he was getting ready to fuck you?

Josh settles into the space where Eli just sat, handing me the coffee I should’ve brought him. Is it stupid that I don’t understand the rules here? I mean, he’s a guy. A guy. I’ve always been the one to do stuff for girls; buy their coffee, take them places, be the one to ask them out. It’s not like girls can’t do it, it’s just the way it’s been with the girls I’ve been with.

Now I don’t know what the fuck to do.

It’s not like I’m someone that gives a fuck about gender roles, it’s just always been easier when I fell into convention. This is the furthest from that, yet stupid things like just sitting next to him feels so fucking natural.

My fingers brush his as I retrieve the steaming hot coffee, the heat from the tin mug pales in comparison to the feeling of his skin on mine. I look up into his face, but he’s not looking at me, in fact he’s looking everywhere else but at me.

I know I can’t push him, I have to take what I can get for now. I’m still not sure what the fuck I’m feeling, I just know I want to be here next to him for as long as I fucking can.

Holding the mug in one hand, I let my other arm fall to my side until the edge of my hand is brushing against his as it sits on the log. It’s the tiniest contact, I’ve had more just pushing by someone in the mall, but it’s filling my whole being with so much fucking happiness.

Neither of us move, he doesn’t want to break it either thank fuck. Both of us just drinking the coffee and forgetting there’s anyone else in this place as the sparks erupt. How can something so simple feel so fucking good?

I have to have more, just a bit.

Shuffling in closer, my arms brushes against his as his breath starts to unite with mine. Every deep inhale he takes causing the butterflies in my stomach to multiply. Our knees shield our hand placement, so I gently move my little finger over his, locking them in a pinkie promise that neither of us can speak out loud. A promise that this is what we want.

The smile tugging at his lips makes me fucking melt, sneaking glances whenever I can just to get a small fix of his face.

Tension amounts in his arms, my heart sinks as I feel him gesture like he’s about to pull away, before suddenly he makes the boldest move he’s made since the moment he first stared at my lips that day we were laying on the court.

Turning his hand slowly, his runs his nails along the surface of my palm, the ripples of pleasure beginning there but spiralling out into my whole body until his fingers slip between my own and lock.

There’s nothing else. No cold wind, no loud teenagers, no crackling bright fire. The moment I find my hand in his, there’s only us.

Fuck.

A perfect secret moment, an unspoken movement that I can’t think about too much or I know the emotions will bubble over and I won’t be able to fucking control them.

He takes another sip of his coffee, his hand shaking. This isn’t something he’s done since... Fuck, am I the first guy he’s held hands with since Harley?

Me. Of all the fucking men in this world, he chose this moment with me. I don’t fucking deserve it, but I’ll take it. Fuck, he’s incredible.

I squeeze his hand gently, letting my thumb stroke against his skin and noticing the shaking in his hands slow until relaxation under my touch takes its place.

This is more than anything I’ve ever felt before, my chest is so tight I can hardly breathe but a part of me would be happy to die in this moment if it meant I could stay in this point in time for forever.

“THOMPSON!”

No.

I’m snapped from my oasis of fucking joy at the sound of Coach’s voice, Josh immediately ripping his hand from mine and racing onto his feet to take a step away.

No. Come back.

“Thompson! I don’t know what his majesty is doing out in those woods and from the sounds of it, I don’t want to. Go get the horny little Englishman and pack up, games in two hours and you still need to warm up. Jones, get your stuff back to your room so you can set up the drills. I’ll get the boys to take your tent down.”

Josh nods, finishing his coffee quickly before setting down his mug next to me. He hasn’t even showered this morning but as the wind picks up his scent I just want to breathe it in for an eternity.

My voice comes out as a whisper, softer than I’ve spoken to anyone since I was a kid. “Josh..”

He looks up, finally meeting my eyes and I can see the conflict behind them immediately. This might be really fucking head frying for me to figure out, but it’s not easy for him either. Aleah, Jayce, Brie... they’re his best mates. What would he be risking for this to happen?

He knows I can see it, quickly plastering on a fake smile I don’t believe for a minute. “Focus on the game Miles, it’s the last chance to impress the scouts here. Don’t think about anything else.”

Like that could ever happen. There’s only one thing I’ll be thinking about and he knows it.

Josh hurries into his tent and it takes everything I have not to go in there after him. Not now Milo, it’s not the time.

I catch up with Eli at the end of the forest, following the moans of a seemingly very satisfied cheerleader before stumbling upon them. Her back arching up from the bark of the tree, her leg draped over Eli’s shoulder and his head completely engulfed under her skirt. Guess his neck is better then...

There’s a part of me that just wants to laugh and embarrass the shit out of him, but the truth is he wouldn’t actually be embarrassed and I’d never do that to the poor girl. She probably thinks this is something special and doesn’t realise he won’t even remember her name in ten minutes.

Instead I walk back a bit until I’m shielded by trees before alerting them to my presence.

“Elijah! Coach needs you back! You here?”

There’s the shuffling of bodies, a small giggle, then Eli’s smirk appearing from behind the branches. He knows as well as I do that I saw exactly what was going on there.

“Nice timing. She was three flicks away from cumming again.” He grabs the hood of the hoodie and wipes the glistening juices from his chin. My fucking hoodie.

“You’re washing that.”

He laughs, running back towards the camp before suddenly stopping, tilting his head as he looks at me.

“You okay man? You’re all... doe eyes.”

I glare at him. “What do you mean all fucking doe eyes?”

There’s a small smirk stretching across that smug little face of his. Why is this dude one of my best friends again?

“You like someone.” Oh yeah, because he can read me like a book. “You’ve got that pre-falling for someone look, haven’t seen that in... Well, ever, from you anyway.”

Falling? For Josh?

...I’d be fucking lucky.

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