Page 45 of Hey, Stepbro

Blakely runs his fingers through my hair, pulling me closer. Our torsos press together, and his cock hardens against my thigh. I break away from the kiss, trailing my lips down his neck and across his chest. I take one of his nipples in my mouth, sucking gently, and Blakely moans.

"You're so good at that," he whispers.

"I'm good at a lot of things." Obviously.

Blakely laughs. "Cocky much?"

"When it comes to you, I am."

I reach down, stroking his cock, and Blakely gasps. "Oh, God."

I lean in to kiss him again, and our tongues melt together.

"Hey," Blakely says, "do you think you're ready to open up about Carlos?"

"It's as good a time as any," I say, taking a deep breath.

I tell him about growing up with two dads, and about how Carlos wasn't around much. He was always too busy with work, but Nathaniel was always there for me.

"Nathaniel was the one who taught me how to ride a bike, how to throw a football, and even how to tie my shoes," I say, my voice growing rough.

"He sounds really amazing," Blakely says, rubbing my back.

"He is," I say, tears pricking my eyes. "I love him so much."

Blakely wraps his arms around me, and I melt into his embrace. We sit there for a few moments, and then I pull away.

"When Carlos cheated on Nathaniel, I was crushed. It was with a woman. That's why Nathaniel was so mad and why he didn't want me to have anything to do with Carlos."

"Holy fuck."

"I didn't know what to do. I have a few good memories of Carlos, but knowing what he did... is unforgivable."

"That's why I'm the man I am," I say, looking at Blakely. "I want to be the kind of person that Nathaniel would be proud of. Someone who's strong, honest, and open-minded. Someone who loves and accepts people for who they are, no matter their sexuality or gender. Not someone who hides what he wants from his partner or explores his own interests behind his lover's back."

Blakely smiles, his eyes shimmering with tears. He leans in and presses his lips to mine.

"You're already that person," he whispers. "You're the kind of person I'm proud to call my boyfriend."

Boyfriend. It's such a simple word, but it's packed with meaning.

I lean in and kiss him, my heart swelling with love. I can never thank Blakely enough for everything he's done for me. He's helped me open up and let go of my fear and insecurity. He's been my rock, and Christ, I'm lucky to have him in my life.

"Tell me about your ex," Blakely says. "Amanda."

Something wriggles in his throat as he says this, as if her name makes him uncomfortable. I try to ignore it.

"We've been together since senior year of high school. As I already told you, she was my first real relationship. Somehow, we started growing distant. I tried to keep our relationship strong by introducing her to my friends and inviting her to my games. But it seemed like she was never really into it. We had less to talk about, and eventually, we only saw each other once a week. The worst part was that I could feel her slipping away from me, and I didn't know how to stop it. Last year," I continue, "she called me and told me that she’d been accepted into a pre-med program at a university across the country as a transfer student. I was happy for her, but I knew that a long-distance relationship wouldn't be easy."

"I didn't realize you and she dated long distance."

"We didn't. Her offer fell through, and she stayed in Riverside. However, we still couldn't make it work. She FaceTimed me after practice a few weeks ago and she told me she was seeing a med student at Trinity Hospital. I was shocked. I'd been planning our future, and she'd already moved on. I was so hurt and angry."

I shake my head, trying to shake away the pain. I don't want to think about Amanda. I want to remember the good times we had, not the hurt.

"That must have been really hard," Blakely says, his voice soft.

"I was so mad at her," I say. "I never expected her to do something like that."