THE INTRUDER.

I completely stop walking and the gym around me goes quiet. 

Well, not literally. The squeak of sneakers and the thud of the ball and Darius yelling at someone to box out are all very much still happening but in my head…everything goes dead silent and narrows to the man standing in the doorway.

Kaelen.

In my gym? At my practice?

Oh and he has the audacity to be wearing Crestview colors like he's got a right to be here.

"What the fuck," I keep staring. Darius jogs up beside me, follows my gaze, and frowns too.

“The fuck is that?"

I don't answer…well I can't because Kaelen is slowly moving toward us now and I hate that smirk plastered across his face like he owns the place. 

His eyes are locked on me and only me, and every step he takes feels like a countdown to destruction.

“Lord help me.” I whisper but I know he ain't helping. I'm on my own for good.

"Yo," Darius says, stepping in front of me. "You lost, fam? This is Westbrook's gym."

Kaelen doesn't even look at him. He just tilts his head, still staring at me, and—

"I'm here for him."

Darius turns to me. 

“You know this clown?"

Before I can even defend myself, Coach Washington's whistle cuts through the gym. And that whistle meant to stop everything.

"Blackwood," Coach barks. I'm so happy I'm not the only one that's irritated. "What the hell are you doing on my court?"

Kaelen finally looks away from me. 

“Coach Washington. It's been a long time."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I was told I could find Leo here." Kaelen shrugs like this is all casual…like he didn't just walk into enemy territory. "Family business."

Family.

“Fuck me.” I slap a hand on my face.

The word lands like a punch. Darius's head whips toward me, eyes wide, and I can feel the rest of the team staring. 

Then whispers start and someone just had to repeat it,

"Family?" Someone else says, "Wait, they related?"

Coach Washington's jaw tightens. He looks at me, then at Kaelen, then back at me. 

"Marcus. My office. Now. Both of you."

******

The office wasn't ever this small but I guess it's too small for three grown men. Coach sits behind his desk, arms crossed, staring at us like we're two kids who got caught fighting in the hallway. Kaelen is leaning against the wall, arms crossed, relaxed while I'm standing because I can't sit…If I sit, I'll explode.

"Explain," Coach says.

"Nothing to explain," I say. "He's my stepbrother…that's it."

"Stepbrother." Coach repeats the word slowly, like he's tasting it. "So you're telling me the star shooting guard of my rival team is now related to my starting point guard? I thought you and Darius were on some bullshit."

"We unfortunately aren't," I mutter.

Kaelen laughs…like actually laughs. 

“You say that like it's my fault."

"It is your fault. Why do you exist?"

"Boys." Coach's voice is sharp. "I don't give a damn about your family drama. What I care about is whether this shit—" he gestures between us, "—is going to be a problem on the court."

"It won't," I say.

"It might," Kaelen says at the same time.

Coach's eyes narrow. 

“Blackwood, you don't even play for me anymore. Why are you here?"

Kaelen pushes off the wall, walks toward Coach's desk and sits in the chair across from him like he's been invited. 

He hasn't. 

“I came to see my brother. Is that a crime?"

"You came to my gym during my practice unannounced. Boy, that's a security issue."

"Then call security."

Coach Washington and Kaelen stare at each other with intense…whatever that is. Like two alphas in a pissing contest. I've seen Coach stare down NBA players, I've seen him make grown men cry! But Kaelen doesn't flinch. He just sits there, cool as ice, smiling like this is all a game.

"Leo," Coach says, not looking away from Kaelen. "Wait outside."

"What?"

"Outside. Now."

I didn't bother arguing, Coach doesn't repeat himself and the team was waiting.

Darius is at the front, arms crossed, looking at me like I've been lying to him for years…it was just months but I guess I have.

"Stepbrother?" he says.

"It's complicated."

"Complicated how? You got a whole family I don't know about?"

"It just happened…my dad's gonna marry his mom in a few weeks."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't tell anyone."

"Why not?"

“Because I can't explain it!” I scream in my head. “Because I can't tell him that my stepbrother is the man I've been obsessing over for two years…because I can't tell him that every time Kaelen looks at me, I forget how to breathe.”

"It's not a big deal," I say out and Darius' eyes widen so much, I swear they'll fall out.

"Not a big deal?" Darius steps closer and lowers his voice. "Leo, that's Kaelen Blackwood. That's the guy who ended our season two years ago and he's just... your brother now?"

"Stepbrother."

"Same difference."

I don't answer because he's right. It is the same difference. Kaelen is my family now, whether I like it or not and that means everything is different…everything is ruined. Everything is—

The office door opens before I spiral.

Kaelen walks out first and he's still smirking but there's something different in his eyes…something I can't read.

Coach Washington follows. 

"Mercer. You're excused from practice today. Go home and figure this shit out."

"Coach—"

"That's an order."

“Yes, sir.” I grab my bag and I walk toward the exit, feeling every eye in the gym on my back. And to make things worse, Kaelen follows.

******

We don't speak until we're outside. The parking lot is empty, the sun is setting and the air is cold.

I stop walking and spin around. 

“What the fuck was that?"

"What?"

"You show up to my practice, you embarrass me in front of my team, you—"

"I embarrassed you?" Kaelen stepped closer. "I came to see you and that's embarrassing?"

"Why would you come see me?"

"Because we need to talk."

"We talked last night."

"We argued last night." He's closer now…close enough that I can see the gold flecks in his eyes and I can smell him again…that sweat and cedar and something else. 

“I want to actually talk. Without your dad or my mom or anyone else breathing down our necks."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?" I stare at him in shock. “What the hell did you just say?!”

"You heard me." He steps even closer and I step back but he steps closer again and my back hits a car…his car. 

This man got me pinned against his car in the middle of the Westbrook parking lot. 

"You've got plenty to say to me. You've been saying it with those eyes for two years."

My heart is pounding, my hands are sweating and my mouth just had to be dry.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do."

He's so close…it's too close. His body is inches from mine. His hand comes up slowly and lands on the car beside my head like he's caging me in and the worst part? I don't want him to stop.

"Let me go," I say but my voice comes out weak. I'm so pathetic.

"I'm not holding you."

"You're—"

"I'm not even touching you. If I was touching you, you'd know."

The words hang in the air.

"Kaelen," I whisper.

He leans in and his lips are at my ear…his breath is warm…and his voice is so low.

"You say my name like it's some curse," he murmurs. "But we both know it's not."

"We can't do this," I say.

"Do what?"

"This! Whatever this is. You're my—"

"Stepbrother." He pulls back just enough to look at me and those teasing eyes are now dark and hungry. 

“Yo…” he ignores me and continues talking.

“I know what we are, Leo. I know what we're supposed to be. The question is—" he tilts his head, "—do you care?"

I should have said yes, pushed him away and called him disgusting, told him to never speak to me again, told him that whatever he thinks is happening between us is never going to happen.

But I don't.

Because I can't lie to him…at least not when he's looking at me like that…not when his mouth is so close I can feel his breath on my lips. 

"Leo!" A voice cuts through the tension and we spring apart.

Darius is standing at the entrance of the gym, his gym bag slung over his shoulder, watching us with narrowed eyes.

"Everything good?" he calls out.

"Yeah," I say, my voice too high and too fast. "We're fine. Just—just talking."

Darius doesn't look convinced. He stares at Kaelen, then at me…then back at Kaelen.

"Alright," he says slowly. "Text when you're home."

“Okay.”

"Leo?"

"Yes."

"You need a ride?"

"No. I'm good."

Darius hesitates, then he nods and walks toward his car but I catch the look he throws over his shoulder…the one that says we're going to talk about this later. He knows something is wrong.

When he's gone, I turn back to Kaelen and he's watching me with that same smirk, but there's something else underneath. Something softer.

"Your friend doesn't like me,"

"He doesn't know you."

"And you do?"

I don't answer and Kaelen laughs but it's quiet…almost sad.

"See you at home, little brother."

He gets in his car, starts the engine and rolls down the window.

"One more thing."

"What?" His eyes meet mine. And he was serious now.

"I'm going to figure you out, Leo Marcus. And when I do—" he pauses. "—you're going to wish you never started this."

"I didn't even start anything."

"Yes, you did."

He rolls up the window, pulls out of the parking lot and leaves me standing there, alone, wondering what the hell just happened.