10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Shane

Nineteen Years old

I hurried over as soon as I heard, guilt washing over me for not checking in sooner. I had been so caught up in my own life but that was no excuse. Fuck, why didn’t anyone call me? I had to find out my mom broke her arm on social media.

Much to my father’s dismay, Mom was the worst about locking the door, so I walked in without knocking.

I heard a familiar voice coming from the living room and paused in the entryway. After taking a second to catch my breath, I found Eli brushing Mom's hair into a ponytail.

"Oh, hey sweetheart! We're just about to watch the next episode of The Bachelor . Want to join?" Mom chirped cheerfully.

I cringed inwardly—no, I most definitely did not want to watch that. But I nodded anyway, wondering what Eli was doing here.

"Mouse has been such a star. He went out and got meals prepared for me, so I don't have to cook, and he helped clean the house," Mom continued, singing his praises .

I hadn't told Eli about Mom's accident, yet there he was.

"How did you know?" I asked, my confusion evident.

Eli just smiled and made room for me on the couch. "I talk to your mom all the time. The moment she told me I knew I had to do something."

I ignored the twinge in my chest at the realization that Eli had gone out of his way for my family. And the guilt, too—I was a terrible son. Mostly, I was overwhelmed, blown away yet again by Eli’s pure heart.

Present- November

"Little brother!" Caitlyn's bright smile greeted me through the phone screen, and I leaned back in my chair, taking in her familiar face. "I miss you! God, I can't believe it's nearly been a year since I've seen you. This is not okay."

I chuckled. "You know you could always visit me. I'm in the heart of the season right now—I can't leave."

Caitlyn groaned. "It's always hockey season."

"I get three months over summer."

"Ugh—wait, where are you? That's not your living room."

My face flushed. "Um… I'm at my boyfriend's house. "

Caitlyn squealed. "What? When did this happen?"

I’d been asking myself the same question every day. Jordan was a whirlwind of easy smiles, flirty eyes, and gentle touches. We’d spent every spare moment wrapped up in each other, completely lost in each other’s orbit.

"Joe set me up with his brother last month, and we just hit it off," I explained.

Caitlyn gave me a strange smile that I couldn't quite decipher. "What's his name? What's he like?"

As if on cue, Jordan caught my eye from the kitchen counter. I nodded for him to come over, and he happily obliged, wearing a grin that lit up his face. He draped himself over my shoulder and leaned in, his presence filling the screen. Even through the camera, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

"The name's Jordan," he introduced himself with a playful smirk.

"And he's cocky, flirty, and won't leave me alone," I teased, unable to hide my obvious affection. There was nothing to hide. I’d found a man who loved being around me, who could joke as much as he could flirt, and who also liked to lounge around and watch hockey with me. It was everything I ever wanted.

But I couldn’t dismiss the longing look in my sister’s eyes. I had hoped she would be happy for us—for me. Instead, her expression told a different story, one that wasn't lost on Jordan either. Despite her mixed emotions, Caitlyn still engaged in friendly conversation with him, engrossed in the conversation even though her attempt at a smile wavered.

"So lovely to meet you, Jordan. Do you mind if I talk to my brother alone for a sec?" Caitlyn's interruption pulled me away from Jordan's company. Though he handled it with grace, excusing himself with a kiss on my cheek.

I turned back to the call. Caitlyn’s bottom lip was caught between her teeth.

"That was rude. The first time I introduce you to my boyfriend and you send him away. And what's with your face, Catie?" I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something being left unsaid

"I just… I always thought it would be Mouse, you know?" Caitlyn's words caught me off guard.

"For God's sake, he's straight! I've had to deal with loving a straight man for years . Why would you say that? Why would you compare Jordan to him?" Frustration laced my voice, unable to comprehend why Caitlyn brought that up.

"Because I don't think Mouse knows. He already loves you so fiercely, I don’t think he even considered anything more," Caitlyn confessed, her expression pained.

I shook my head, unwilling to even entertain the notion.

"When's the last time you saw him? Or even spoke to him?" Caitie's question hung heavy in the air, demanding an answer I wasn't quite ready to confront.

"Summer," I admitted reluctantly, feeling a pang of guilt for letting so much time pass without reaching out to Mouse.

Caitlyn's gaze faltered, her eyes drifting away as if avoiding the weight of her own words. Sensing her hesitation, I prodded gently. "What, Catie?"

With a heavy sigh, she finally looked back at me. "I bumped into him last week and he doesn't look good. I've never seen him like that, Shane. He's lost a lot of weight, and his face… it was just so emotionless."

The reality of Caitlyn's words made my stomach churn. My concerns about Mouse returned with a vengeance.

"I'll call him," I declared, determination lacing my voice as I made a mental note to reach out to Mouse as soon as I got rid of Catie. Who was I kidding, he was my best friend and with the space I got to move on, but my relationship with Jordan would never make the long hall if I was plagued with worry that Eli wasn’t okay.

Caitlyn sighed with relief. "Okay, good. And for the record, I do like Jordan. He seems really sweet," she added, attempting to lighten the mood. But beneath her words, I sensed the underlying worry that mirrored my own.

He is.

I nodded absently, thoughts consumed by Eli. I ended the call and Jordan emerged from the bedroom. Guilt clawed through my stomach.

"You okay?" he asked softly, his eyes searching mine for answers.

I tried to compose myself, but my emotions were too heavy to ignore. Silently, Jordan pulled me to my feet, enveloping me in a comforting embrace.

"What's going on?" he pressed gently, his arms a reassuring anchor around me.

"She does like you," I replied, opting for a partial truth to shield Jordan from my true feelings about Eli. I couldn't bear the thought of causing him unnecessary worry or jeopardizing our newfound happiness.

Jordan let out a huff of laughter. "Who doesn't? I didn't get the impression that she didn’t. More like she didn't expect it."

I nodded, my head resting on his shoulder as I struggled to articulate my feelings.

"It's Eli," I finally confessed, my voice barely more than a whisper. "Something’s wrong."

Jordan pulled back slightly, studying my face with a mixture of concern and understanding. I couldn't help but wonder if he was questioning everything, wondering if I was worth all the emotional baggage.

"Call him," he finally urged, his voice steady. "Check on him and if need be, find a way to get to Boston and make sure he 's okay."

His unwavering support left me in awe. He cupped my face in his hands, looking me dead in my eyes—nothing but trust in his.

"I trust you, Shane," he voiced, his words a balm to my troubled soul.

I leaned in and captured his lips with mine, pouring all my gratitude and appreciation into the kiss. And as he responded with equal fervor, I prayed that he understood how much he meant to me, even if I was thinking about Eli.