Page 44 of My Brother’s Best Friend

“Miller? Is that you?”

My mouth dropped open. “Cam?”

12

CAM

“Cam?”

My heart stopped.

That was Jordan’s voice. Jordan was standing on the other side of that wall.

Holy shit, I had to get out of here.

I lurched towards the door, but I only made it halfway before he called out behind me.

“Cam, wait!”

In spite of myself, I turned. The smart thing to do would be to leave before I had to explain why I was meeting someone in a public restroom, or just who Miller was, and what we’d been—well, what he’d been planning on doing tonight.

And yet, I turned. Jordan’s voice touched something in my core. I would have turned back to look at him if I were drowning. I’d stand still and let fires consume me, just for a final glimpse.

His cheeks were flushed. He ran a hand through his dark hair, then bit his lip. Even in the harsh fluorescent light, he was gorgeous. My chest heaved, my body pulled towards him by something I didn’t understand.

“Are you—what are you—I didn’t—” Jordan stuttered to a stop and stared at me, bewildered.

And suddenly, I realized how tired I was. So fucking tired, of running, of lying, of pretending to be someone I wasn’t.

If Jordan thought I was disgusting, or pathetic, or crazy, if he turned around and told Levi, told the whole island, so be it. I didn’t want to hide anymore.

His lips, so soft and kissable, parted. His brow furrowed. “You can’t be—”

“I’m gay, Jordan.” The words came out like a dam breaking. Like an avalanche. “I’m gay, and I was supposed to meet a guy from the internet here. Because I’ve never even kissed a man, but I don’t want to end up alone, and we were supposed to meet to—God, I don’t even know, because I’d started to second-guess myself, and I actually came here tonight to tell him I’d changed my mind, which just goes to show you how stupid this plan was from the beginning. So, there you go. That’s what I’m doing here. Go ahead and laugh. I know it’s pathetic.”

My shoulders sagged. I could barely bring myself to meet his eyes, and when I did, I wished I hadn’t. Because what I saw in them wasn’t pity, or even disgust. It was amusement. His face broke into a grin, cutting me like a knife.

“I have to go.” I spun around and made for the door.

“No, Cam, please,” Jordan said, but he was laughing now.

“I know I said you could laugh, but that doesn’t mean I actually want to listen to it, thanks all the same.”

“No, Cam, I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at me. At us. I’m laughing because I’m Miller. I’m the guy you were meeting.”

I froze.

“Are you fucking with me right now?”

“No. Cam, I swear, I’m not. I just can’t believe that it’s you. You’re Quincy?”

My stomach turned a somersault. He’d called himself Miller. He knew I’d used the name Quincy. He was telling the truth.

I turned slowly. Jordan’s face was a strange mixture of delight and pleading. I frowned.

“You really didn’t know it was me? You weren’t playing a joke on me, or trying to trick me into—”

“God, Cam, no.” Jordan rushed up and took my hand. I flinched, but I didn’t pull it free. I couldn’t have even if I’d wanted to. “Do you really think I would do that?”