Chapter 7 - Oliver

T he day is sunny, and I can feel my shoulders burning as I stand waist-deep in the pool. Now that we're sixteen, we have more privileges. Hunter has been using those privileges to bring his friends over. Dad doesn't mind. In fact, he encourages it. Mainly because those friends talk about girls and hockey. I know my dad doesn't want me to influence Hunter now that I'm out and proud. We're still close, much to my dad's chagrin. But Hunt would never abandon me, of that I'm sure.

I lower myself further into the water, relishing the calm whooshing in my ears. I can hear them horsing around even from down here, and I roll my eyes.

Can I ever just have a moment of peace?

Swimming toward the opposite side of the pool, I grab onto the steps and lift myself up as my head breaks through the surface. I sit on the shallow steps and peer over at Hunter. They're playing Marco Polo as if we're little kids, and it makes me roll my eyes again.

Hunt doesn't look sixteen anymore. In the past few months, he has grown inches and bulked up. Then again, we'll be seventeen in October. I guess it makes sense that he looks more like a man. He's already past six feet tall. And I'm still standing at five-nine. I wonder if I will grow much taller, but probably not. Mom says I have like an inch or two left in me, and it makes me laugh. I honestly don't care that much about it. The type of guys I'm attracted to will like that I'm shorter.

Speaking of guys I'm attracted to, I've been purposely keeping my eyes off Hunter as much as possible. I don't want him to suspect my feelings for him, but I also don't want my parents to notice. They'd freak out and probably send me away. Especially my dad. Lucy always defends me, even though he's still cold toward me. He's an asshole. My biggest concern however, is how Hunt would react. We wouldn't be Green and Blue anymore. We wouldn't be brothers. I don't know what we'd be.

We have decided to apply for the same college next semester, and even though we wouldn't live together, I have no doubt that we could go back to normal. Inseparable as we used to be. He is the only reason I'm here, after all, in the pool with these jocks. I do everything he wants me to do without question. And maybe that's a problem. But it's a problem for another day.

The game of Marco Polo is over, and one of the guys glances back at me. He narrows his eyes, and I suddenly feel self-conscious. Does he know I'm gay? Does he think I'm checking him out? I'm not. Hunter is the only one I have eyes for. But he doesn't know that—they don't know that. So maybe he thinks I'm staring at him.

"Why is Oliver always around?" the guy asks. I don't even know his name, and he's being an asshole. I don't know any of their names, mostly because I don't care enough. "He just stares and doesn't hang out with us."

"He's my brother," Hunter growls. "Wherever I go, he goes."

My stomach drops.

He's my brother .

That's all I'll ever be to him—his brother.

I get up and out of the water, heading up the pool steps to the chaise lounge, where my towel is draped over the back. I grab it and dry myself, then go back into the house. Thankfully, Dad is working right now. Lucy is at the kitchen island, making food for us all. I try to ignore her and walk past the kitchen, but she clears her throat.

I turn around, tilting my head in question.

"Where are you going?" She raises an eyebrow at me, and I sigh. "The food is almost done."

"I'm going upstairs," I reply, trying to hide my sadness. "I'm not feeling the pool anymore."

"You're not hungry?"

"Nah." I shake my head and keep walking. "I'll be in my room!"

My steps are loud as I run up the stairs and lock myself in my room. I also make sure to lock the Jack-N-Jill bathroom that separates my room from Hunter's. I know it's going to piss him off later, but I can't bring myself to care. He should just focus on hanging out with his friends. I'm the odd one out either way, and I don't want to be out there.

I drape my towel over the bed and sit on it, not bothering to change out of my swim trunks. I turn on the TV and flick through the channels, not finding anything. I sigh, an exasperated sound echoing in my ears. Instead of trying to find something to do, I lie back and close my eyes.

The sound of the doorknob rattling wakes me, and I narrow my eyes at the bathroom door. "Ollie!" Hunter calls out from the other side. "Open up, please."

"Go away," I groan. "I'm taking a nap."

"The fuck you are," he growls, and the next thing I know, he's opening the door.

How the fuck?

He closes the door behind himself and closes the distance between us, crawling himself up my body and straddling my hips. I breathe through it. Please don't get hard. Please, body, don't fail me now . What the hell is he doing?

"Hunt." I groan when he bends over me and puts us nose to nose, his hair dripping water onto my face. I close my eyes as a drop lands in it, making it burn. "What the hell?—"

"Come downstairs," he demands.

"No."

"No?"

"You heard me," I reply softly, as if he's not the boss of me. In reality, I usually do whatever he wants me to do. "I'm not going."

"Why?"

His lips brush against mine, and tingles erupt all over my body. I suck in a sharp breath. "I don't like your friends."

"They don't like you either, Ollie."

"Exactly," I huff, trying to push him off me to no avail. He's bigger and stronger, a brick wall. I open my eyes to find him smirking, and then I get lost in his green orbs. "Why do you want me to hang out?"

"Because I miss you when you're gone."

My stomach flutters at those words, and he turns his head and kisses my cheek softly. His lips are full and soft, and I suddenly wonder how they would feel against mine.

"You're just saying that to manipulate me." I smirk.

"Is it working?"

A chuckle bursts out of me, and he gets up, still straddling me. He gazes down at me with adoration on his face and brushes his knuckles down my jaw. If only he knew how I felt about him, he wouldn't be touching me this way.

Is this normal, anyway? Do brothers usually do this? I wouldn't know since he's the only brother I've ever had. Although I would bet my allowance that this isn't normal. Maybe he feels something for me, too. Maybe?—

No.

That's impossible.

I sigh. "Fine. But I'm not getting in the pool."

"Bring your sketchbook." I nod, and he gets off my lap and turns around quickly. I watch him adjust himself, and when he turns toward me, I raise a brow at him. "What? It's normal."

"Sure." I grin and get off the bed, grabbing my sketchbook from my desk. "Lead the way before I change my mind."

Hunter grabs my hand as if he's afraid I'll change my mind in earnest, and he all but drags me down the stairs. Lucy watches us for a moment but decides to ignore it and turns around. He lets go of my hand right before we make it out to the backyard, and I feel the absence of his skin against mine. But instead of sulking, I paste a smile on my face for him and sit on one of the lounge chairs.

Pretending I'm not dying inside.