Page 7 of Last First Kiss

Truth is, Denz has no clue what happened between Jordan and Jamie last December. Jordan doesn’twantto tell him. Embarrassment aside, he knows how uncomfortable that conversation will be.

Because Jamie Peters is his cousin’s best friend.

Overhead, thunder growls. Fat, cool drops of rain come shortly afterward. Now, tonight truly is perfect.

A perfect fucking mess.

When he talks to his family, Jordan plans to leave this part out too:

Running to his car in a summer storm. Tripping on someone’sdiscarded Starbucks cup. Ending his evening by almost twisting his ankle and falling into a bush.

He won’t tell anyone how, after exactly fifty-eight minutes, his impeccable love story crashed and burned. Because of a bartender. Because Jordan couldn’t stop thinking about the night he almost kissed another guy.

And it wouldn’t have been the first time.

I came alive when I met you.

—My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Ten summers ago

Pot brownies, Jordan is learning, hit differently for everyone.

His cousin Denz goes from his usual overactive, overthinking, over-plotting (see: scheming) self to instantly chill. Comatose, really. After one full square, he’s a goner, drooling on his thousand-thread-count sateen pillowcase on his California king bed.

Happy and content.

For Denz’s best friend Jamie, the brownies have the opposite effect.

Jordan has always thought of Jamie as the human equivalent of a border collie. Loyal and energetic, with an acceptable dose of affectionate. But, somehow, the weed multiplies everything by ten. Jamie inhales two squares before Jordan can finish a corner of his own. Thirty minutes later, he’s a sunburst of energy, giggling as he bumps into Jordan with every twist and turn Toad—his favoriteMario Kartcharacter—makes on Denz’s wall-mounted flat screen.

It’s… a lot.

For Jordan, the high—if you can call it that—brings focus. Elite concentration. He goes from great to god-like onMario Kart.

They’ve just started their ninth round. An hour ago, Jamie was confidently beating him, four to two. But since finishing half his brownie, Jordan’s become untouchable.

Now, they’re officially tied.

Summer sleepovers at Denz’s house are more than just atradition for Jordan. They’re a necessity. Being an only child has its perks, especially for birthdays and holidays, but it’s lonely too.

Summer is a big event season in Atlanta. Parties all the time. Being the executive assistant to 24 Carter Gold’s CEO means Jordan’s mom is either the first to arrive or the last to leave a celebration. Sometimes both. And there’s no offseason for Tevin, his mom’s husband. He’s a semi-famous music producer who’s constantly flying to major cities for recording sessions.

Jordanneedsthese weekend getaways with Denz.

The silly swim races. All the hot dog–eating contests and movie marathons. It’s nice to have someone around his age to talk to.

And, yes, Jordan also needs the bimonthly visits with Jamie too. Even if it means he’s buzzed and laughing at his own character falling off Rainbow Road at one in the morning.

Jordan remembers the old bungalow his cousins used to live in. With its creaky floors and cramped living room, nights like this couldn’t happen. But their new house is modern and spacious. It has an obscene number of bathroom options. When Denz turned sixteen last July, his parents renovated the finished basement into a bedroom.

To give him more privacy, of course.

“No one wants to walk in on you reading freakyTeen Wolffanfics again!” Kami, Denz’s older sister, had teased.

Now, the three of them are free to be as noisy as they want during sleepovers. Usually, they’re not high off their asses while doing so, but, well…

That particular gift is thanks to Jamie Noah Peters.