You Can’t Kiss Me

(Brees’ point of view)

The commotion was too much to handle. Why the hell were my brother and Keegan going after Jeff? It was one thing when Keegan had hit him, but now Bay was trying to get at him as I guarded him with my life.

“Move Squirt!” Baylen yelled at me.

I stood my ground. The boys all had looks of confusion, anger and despair on their faces. Jeff was crawling backwards away from Baylen in the sand.

“I will not let you hurt my boyfriend Baylen!” I yelled, pushing him back.

“Brees, let’s go somewhere and talk babe. Please! Let’s just go,” Jeff begged.

His voice trembled and the way he pleaded scared me. Why was he so frantic? What had happened in that house? I nodded in agreement as he muttered apologies to me. I wasn’t sure why he was apologizing, but I needed to hear the reason and fast.

We walked over to the picnic tables, away from where Bay and Kee were at. I thought if we stayed there then they might rip his head off. So this was the safer option. As we walked to the table, he looked away from me. He held my hand, but I could feel him shaking. We sat down and I dusted the sand from my feet.

“Brees, I didn’t mean to say what I said. The guys can really rouse me something awful and I was just trying to save face,” he said.

I stared blankly at him because I still didn’t know what he was talking about. What had he said about me?

“You’re not making sense Jeff. What did you say?” I asked, sitting forward on the bench and clasping my hands over his to comfort him.

He pulled away. He put his hands nervously into his pockets. I could see his knee was shaking and he looked desperate.

“Babe, I kind of told the guys that I fingered you,” he said.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Why would he share something so private? Had I not meant more to him than his reputation? He chose his reputation over mine and my heart was breaking.

“Jeff, that never happened!” I retorted. “You never fingered me. What happened was so different. Now everyone thinks that you did that to me. How embarrassing,” I said, with tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

He tried to reach for me, but this time I pulled away. I didn’t even want to look at him. I thought our relationship was so very special and here I find out he is still just some immature boy that I was hesitant to date for this exact reason. I needed to see Casey. I needed to get away from here.

“Babe, you know what we did was special and I love you. I don’t know why I shared such inaccurate and intimate details about our relationship. I’m such an idiot,” he said, pounding his hand on the table.

“Jeff, right now I need you to get away from me. I have to find Casey. I can’t deal with this right now. My entire trip people will be talking and staring and it’s all your fault,” I shouted.

I got up from the table and started walking back to the girls’ house to find Casey. I’m sure she was with Cyman, but I needed her right now. I saw Bay and Kee watching me through the window. They ran outside to check on me. As I walked past Baylen and Keegan, I could see them frantically searching my face for answers. I hugged Baylen and he held me for a second.

“Squirt, what do you need?” he asked, rubbing my hair softly.

“I’m okay Bay. Thank you both for trying to protect me. I don’t want either of you getting in trouble over that idiot, so please just drop it,” I pleaded, looking at them both.

They nodded. I gave Bay one last squeeze and headed back to the house. I found Casey playing a card game with Cyman in the living room.

“Cy, can Case and I have a minute?” I asked, gesturing towards the door.

“Sure thing!” he said.

He cleaned up the cards before kissing Casey on her forehead and exiting.

“James, what’s wrong my girl?” she asked.

She knew me so well and she knew my moods.

“Case, it’s awful. Keegan punched Jeff in the face. Baylen tackled him in the sand and I think we broke up,” I spluttered out.

Case immediately came and hugged me.

“Oh James,” she said, “I’m so sorry. What did the little fuck do? I know Bay and Kee, they would not go after him for no reason and the hurt on your face tells me all I need to know,” she said, lifting my chin as if I were her child.

“He told a few guys on the team about what we did in the driveway last week,” I said.

She sat back so she could see my face.

“Hear me when I say this James, no one believes anything that kid says. Jeff is a smooth talker and very charismatic, but he talks so much that people tune him out sometimes. Don’t worry about what he said. It will blow over after tonight, or Baylen will kill him. Either way you are golden,” she reassured me, rubbing my arms.

I just wanted to go upstairs and go to bed. My parents were on this trip and the last thing they needed was to hear about me having digital sex in their driveway. I hugged Casey and then headed upstairs. I didn’t even wash my face, I changed into my pajamas and got underneath the blankets. I hoped that if I stayed here until the trip was over I’d be safe.