Page 26 of My Brother’s Best Friend

“Stop saying sorry. It’s fascinating.”

“Jordy, you don’t have to—”

“I’m not lying,” I said. “I’m really not. That’s so interesting. And actually important. Why would you think people wouldn’t want to hear about that?”

“I mean, aside from people not liking to be reminded about slavery, people also don’t usually like reading about manure,” Cam said. “Fertilizer has historically been a pretty smelly thing. Seaweed, oyster shells, dung. The fruit is nice, but the way it’s grown is a little less savory.”

“Yeah, but you’re still writing a book about it, right? You wouldn’t be doing that if it weren’t at least a little interesting.”

“Interesting to a very small handful of people, maybe. I don’t think it’s really the kind of topic that excites normal people.”

“Cam, aren’t your books crazy popular? Wasn’t the last one a bestseller for weeks? About foxes?”

He looked down at the bench. “It did okay.”

“You got a huge write-up in The New York Times. Or that’s what Levi said, anyway.”

Maybe not the best time to mention that I’d found and read every interview Cam had given over the years, read each of his books so many times I had portions of them memorized. I was pretty sure his first one, about dolphins, was being made into a movie.

“My other books were more accessible.” He shrugged. “People are more interested in animals than plants, especially charismatic megafauna. Dolphins, foxes—they’re always popular.”

“I think it’s your writing that makes things popular. Regardless of subject matter.”

“Are you sure you’re not the one who gives pep talks?” Cam smiled wryly.

“Maybe I should go into that.” I smiled back. “Jordan Brooks, life coach. It has a nice ring to it.”

Cam’s brow furrowed.

“Bad idea?” I asked.

“No. Excellent idea.” He shook his head. “I just realized, I’ve been calling you Jordy this whole time. But do you go by Jordan now?”

For approximately the millionth time that night, my mouth dropped open.

“What?” he asked.

I shook my head in wonder. “I’ve been asking Levi to stop calling me Jordy for ages, and he hardly ever remembers. And then here you come, not talking to me for six years, and yet you notice and ask about it unprompted after like, two conversations?”

Cam flushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be weird.”

“Don’t apologize! It’s not something to be sorry about. I’m just a little dumbstruck over here.”

He shrugged again, and I got that same feeling that he was trying to shrink into himself. It didn’t make sense. Cam was insanely smart, and talented, and kind, not to mention hot, and he seemed to think there was something wrong with him.

“I just wish you’d told me earlier,” he said. “I’ve been calling you Jordy in my head all day.”

“I don’t mind so much when you do it.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re—” But I cut myself off before I could finish.

Because you’re hot, I wanted to say. Because you are sweet. Because you could call me anything you wanted if it meant you’d stay a little longer tonight.

“When Levi calls me Jordy,” I said after a moment, “it’s like he still sees me as a child. This kid who needs looking after. The way things were with my mom, and then Taylor—he had to grow up fast, and I know I’m lucky to have him, but sometimes it’s like he never realized I grew up too.” I made a face. “There you go, you’ve got me rambling again.”

“Still not rambling,” Cam said with a chuckle. “But A for effort.”