It Was Only a Kiss; Boyf Riends

Helpless; Almost Hopeless

Jeremy's POV

"Are you sure? What if your dad finds out?" Michael's voice crackles through the landline.

"It'll be fine. I'll tell him I'm going to Christine's place. She'll cover for me, if need be."

I sprawl out further on my bed, moving a pillow under my head.

"You're sure you'll be fine?" He questions nervously.

"Yes, Michael," I assure him, "I gotta go."

"Love you!"

"Love you too. Bye."

I hang up the phone just as my dad opens the door to my room.

"Ever heard of knocking, Dad?" I ask bitterly, inconspicuously tucking the phone under my sheets.

He looks sorry, and I feel bad for a moment. But the moment doesn't last.

"I...Sorry, Son. Listen," he says tentatively, "can we talk about what happened a few days ago?"

"I don't really feel like it."

"Well...When you're ready, okay?"

"Uh huh," I respond dismissively.

My dad lingers at the door, pursing his lips.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes, Jeremy?" He asks hopefully.

"Can I have my phone back?"

"Oh," he says, clearly disappointed,"Uh...Okay. I'll be right back."

He walks out of the room, the floorboards creaking slightly as he goes.

I lightly touch my ear while waiting, trying desperately to remember how Michael had stroked it when we kissed. It's not some kind of weird ear fetish—I just don't want to forget a single moment of when our lips met. My eyelids flutter closed and the precious memory of the warmth of his hands, his breath against mine, and the spark that had ignited within me resurfaces. Images play before my closed eyelids, picturing what it would have been like if we hadn't been in public. How far it would have gone—

My dad clears his throat awkwardly.

"What the hell, Dad?!" I yell, irritated but mostly embarrassed, "I thought I told you to knock!"

"Um. Yes, sorry."

He stands in the doorway, seemingly forgetting why he was there in the first place.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"My phone?"

"Oh, yeah. Aquí."

I almost smile as he hands me the device. We don't exactly use the word "here" in this household, for obvious reasons. I know the word in about fifteen different languages.

He leaves my room. The second he's gone, I turn on my phone to see a couple of texts.
    Michael 🎮 ❤️:
    Yo! Come over as soon as you can.

Christine💕:
    Hey! Just confirming that I'm covering for you...

I open messages and answer Christine first.

    Jeremy:
    yes. Thank you so so much

    Christine:
    Anything for my boys. <3

    Jeremy:
    God I love you

    Christine:
    🥰

I move on to Michael's text, feeling confident.